The Story of the New Last Name by Elene Ferante

Not long after I finished My Brilliant Friend, I gathered that its sequel, The Story of a New Name, is out in stores. I hurried to get it, not knowing than that it would be the finest novel I ever laid my hungry fingers on.

Upon reading this novel, so many sensations and emotions clutched me in their fist:  Disgust, anger, rage, pity, amazement, tenderness, euphoria. I literally did not want to let go of this novel. Its prior in the series of the Napolitan novels, as they are called, was only a spring board for this deep dive into the dark water of womanhood. The ongoing tension of the rivalry of the two women, to their friendship, opens a window into how complicated human relationships are as they grow deeper and deeper. How much do we love the ones we love, and how much do we wish for them to disappear, and release us from our intense feelings towards them, and from our commitment to them? How truly can we be happy for the ones we love, without jealousy?  How can we define our own identity, when we are next to a charismatic friend who seems to challenge us with every move she takes? What defines one's identity at all? How real is social power, and going up the social class ladder, does it really change one from within? So many different conflicts are dived into in this novel that was impossible to put down. I fell so deep into Lena's consciousness and narrative, that every pain she felt seemed to stab me right at the chest. I cannot remember reading a book that was so sharp, so accurate, and so beautiful. Since the early days of teenhood I haven’t felt so close and so intimate with literary character. Womanhood in this book is so powerful, so deep, and so torn from within with conflict.