really wanted a redemption of sorts after Book 3 of this quartet, but I found this more unbearable than the last. 

The writing style of Ferrante is detailed and can be rich. However, it just went on. 

There were really tragic parts that you could feel:
- Tina
- Elena’s mother and their growing relationship
- Dede and Elsa’a clear neglect

But overall, I couldn’t stand Elena. I found her to be such an unreliable narrator so self-absorbed and playing the victim in the same way she attributes Nino to doing.   

There is also no clear resolution in 

I cannot believe that my favorite series has come to an end. There will never be enough words to describe how close the Neoploitan novels are to my heart or how strongly I urge you all to pick them up. I truly believe that Lila and Elena’s story will resonate with women and girls everywhere.
For myself, reading the story of Elena Greco feels like looking into a mirror. Her depiction of female friendship is so honest that it intertwines closely with mine and many others. The jealousy, vindictiveness, and other negative emotions that we struggle to put into words, both from embarrassment and denial, are candidly laid bare into the page for one last look into the city of Naples and a friendship that withstood the test of time. Thank you Elena and Lila for all that you have taught me, and for all that you have shown me I still need to learn.

it touched a layer of my heart and gave a name to feelings i labelled as mundane but controlled my life so much. it felt so real and each character was fleshed out so well.

there’s so much nuance and no one was truly the villain. everyone had their own faults and did not necessarily (ish) want to cause harm. it’s a rollercoaster of emotions: trust, betrayal, and hope.

it follows a point in our lives when all we talk about is marriage, and then babies, and then the accomplishments and failures of our children, and then deaths.

ferrante intertwined the personal and the public so intricately. clearly, the external stressors forced the characters to act the way they did and believe the ideologies they had.

what really shined in this book was the complex female friendships. its sad but we end up competing with other women (whether deliberate or as a consequence) to gain some crumbs of rewards from this patriarchal society. despite the competition, we still find some comfort and solidarity in one another. ferrante illustrated so painfully realistically well the desperation to be desired by men. i felt so disgusted in my own skin knowing i pulled shit like that just to get attention and affection from men i barely burned for. it’s even more barf barf barf how at every turn, men will disappoint you and weaponize their incompetence and violent masculinity against you. it’s not surprising anymore (seeing this depicted in so many media and played out in my own life) but i’m still here hoping someone will prove me wrong wRONG ??!? 🫢

some people found the ending lackluster and vague. i think it was perfect for this story. life is exactly like that, vague. we will never get a definite answer from elena, our narrator, as she has finally decided to stop thinking about lila, the subject of the entire series, and has no more words left to immortalize her.