My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS- TIME STAMPS CAN BE FOUND BELOW

In this episode, Ivan and Troy do a deep dive into one of the best books by a living author; namely, My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. The book, which is the first of four interrelated novels known as the Neapolitan Quartet, marks the beginning of a sixty year friendship (and rivalry) between one of the most memorable duos in literature: Elena and Lila. Ivan and Troy begin by exploring some of the controversy surrounding the author’s carefully maintained anonymity, as well as providing some much needed historical context, before a longer discussion about the book’s central characters and themes. The hosts discuss education, violence, gender norms, literary style, genre, and much more as they do their best to do justice to one of the masterworks of this gene ...