My Brilliant Friend III - Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay

I ride on my momentum. What a delight.

Summary

Elena is now a graduate of the school of Pisa and is about to get married to a brilliant academic. It is the end of the 60s and, surrounded by intellectuals, she is in the front row to witness the rise of the protest and feminist movements. She writes a novel that is successful and scandalous.

Lila has left her husband Stefano. She lives in a miserable house with her son, Gennaro, and works in a cured meat factory. She works hard for almost nothing and is harassed by her male colleagues. The life of a proletarian, she knows what it is.

Lila has chosen a completely different life than Elena. Despite this, she continues to have a profound influence on her friend, who despite all her apparent success, cannot be satisfied with her situation. The time is ripe for change.

Impressions

The second volume was exciting and passionate, as one would expect with teenage characters. In this third volume, with Lila and Elena married and working, the tone is much more serious.

This is not a fun book. Lila is truly miserable. Joy is absent from her life. She doesn't dare to love again and approaches life with a sad, but understandable cynicism. Elena lives her life on automatic pilot. She publishes a book on a whim and its success overtakes her. She marries an intellectual because she feels he is a good match, not because she loves him. She has children, but her life as a mother does not fulfill her. She doesn't know material misery, but it is clear that she is not to be envied.

This third volume is excellent, like the two previous volumes. The tone changes, but the quality remains equal. The writing is still very beautiful, both simple and poetic. The characters are realistic (except for Lila, whose intelligence is a bit out of this world, but that's intentional) and complex. And the socio-political context allows us to learn about the times.

There is no shortage of twists and turns, and there is plenty of drama. Nevertheless, it remains a calm and relaxing read. You can leave the book aside for several days without any problem, but you know it's there, waiting for you, and that you'll come back to it. No choice; once you've tasted it, you can't forget it.