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A review by rexinpieces
Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay by Elena Ferrante
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is the third book of the Neapolitan Quartet. This time, it follows the lives of Elena and Lila from their mid-20s to early 30s.
Similar to the previous books, I love the writing because it’s giving gossip. I love how their struggles this time include politics, especially when it comes to their fight for the working class. I also like that when it comes to Elena’s views, sometimes she questions them, which seems realistic to me. I love Lila in this book more because she’s more active but less reckless than she was before.
I would have loved to see more real-life interactions between the two women, but I guess the long distance really did affect their friendship significantly. Because of this, the book feels more Elena-centric than ever.
Elena is infuriating in this book, especially towards the end. No spoilers, but she's really frustrating. As always, Ferrante knows how to give a cliffhanger that makes you want to jump to the next book ASAP. But I won't give in; the fourth book will have to wait until next month.
Similar to the previous books, I love the writing because it’s giving gossip. I love how their struggles this time include politics, especially when it comes to their fight for the working class. I also like that when it comes to Elena’s views, sometimes she questions them, which seems realistic to me. I love Lila in this book more because she’s more active but less reckless than she was before.
I would have loved to see more real-life interactions between the two women, but I guess the long distance really did affect their friendship significantly. Because of this, the book feels more Elena-centric than ever.
Elena is infuriating in this book, especially towards the end. No spoilers, but she's really frustrating. As always, Ferrante knows how to give a cliffhanger that makes you want to jump to the next book ASAP. But I won't give in; the fourth book will have to wait until next month.