The Story of a New Name

Book Two of The The Neapolitan Novels

by Elena Ferrante, Ann Goldstein, Elena Ferrante

eBook, 480 pages

English language

Published Dec. 3, 2013 by Europa Editions.

ISBN:: 978-1-60945-147-9
OCLC Number:: 1056990765

(9 reviews)

The Neapolitan Quartet Book Two A novel in the bestselling quartet about two very different women and their complex friendship: “Everyone should read anything with Ferrante’s name on it” (The Boston Globe).

The follow-up to My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name continues the epic New York Times–bestselling literary quartet that has inspired an HBO series, and returns us to the world of Lila and Elena, who grew up together in post-WWII Naples, Italy.

In The Story of a New Name, Lila has recently married and made her entrée into the family business; Elena, meanwhile, continues her studies and her exploration of the world beyond the neighborhood that she so often finds stifling. Marriage appears to have imprisoned Lila, and the pressure to excel is at times too much for Elena. Yet the two young women share a complex and evolving bond that is central to their emotional lives and a source of strength in the face of life’s challenges. In these Neapolitan Novels, Elena Ferrante, “one of the great novelists of our time” (The New York Times), gives us a poignant and universal story about friendship and belonging, a meditation on love and jealousy, freedom and commitment—at once a masterfully plotted page-turner and an intense, generous-hearted family saga. (source)

12 editions

(¯´•._.• DarkMiryam •._.•´¯) reviewed Storia del nuovo cognome by Elena Ferrante (Dal mondo)

500 pagine volate!

4 stars

500 pagine letteralmente volate, che mi hanno tenuta incollata ad esse persino di notte. Come nel libro precedente mi sono ritrovata a provare simpatia ora per Elena ed ora per Lina, e poi ad odiare prima l'una poi l'altra. Il carattere di Lina, però, in questo secondo capitolo, appare più definito, più comprensibile, più umano, specialmente a partire dalla seconda metà del volume. Elena, invece, continua a rimanere troppo aggrappata agli altri: non solo all'amica di sempre, ma anche al fidanzato di turno, all'opinione di coloro "che contano", agli spettri del passato. Ed è proprio uno di quegli spettri che apparirà per caso nell'ultima pagina, proprio quando tutto sembra aver iniziato a delinearsi in una nuova traiettoria di emancipazione. Temo che il terzo libro sarà molto difficile da digerire!

I.P.Freely reviewed The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante

The Story of a New Name

5 stars

Just a beautiful book with so much to say about class, gender and opportunity but which never let's any of that override the prose which is so incredibly evocative.

gimley reviewed The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante

Review of 'The Story of a New Name' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

If only I spoke Italian and could read it in the original! I'm told (by someone who did) the use of dialect makes an untranslatable difference in tone and I believe it, but then I'd have to give it 6 stars.

The series (there are 4 books, but as of today, only 3 have been translated into English) is about relationships, especially the one between Elena and Lila, but the meeting of the two in the sausage plant in which Lenucia realizes she wanted to show off her victory in their competition only to discover that Lila doesn't believe that there is any journey to take, but that it all unfolds in each individual encounter, itself a realization that trumps all Lena's achievements.