I didn’t know anything about the book or the writer I just picked it up because I saw it was voted as best book of the century by the NYT. Then I found out it was a quartet and almost dropped it but I essentially got it for free because of bookstore points so I thought why waste my bookstore points?
I finished it in 4 days it was physically impossible to let it down I’ve not been this enraptured by a book in ages.
Then I picked up number 2 and first couple of pages Lenu drops Lila’s memoirs in the river. It was one of the cruelest things I have ever read in my life, it reminded me of Sylvia Plath’s husband destroying her diaries and I couldn’t continue it.
Is there any redemption for this character after this or should I stop reading? >!There’s a very kafkaesquian quality about Lenu which makes me loathe her. Does she have any redeeming qualities at all?!>
Please someone help me understand her character a bit more! Also sorry if I didn’t do the spoiler texts rights!
by SeaworthinessTop5176
2 Comments
Girl same thing happened to me with those books! I was so angry at Lenu after that scene I literally threw book across my room. Like who does that to their best friend’s writing especially when it means everything to them?
I did push through though and finished the whole series last year. Without spoiling anything Lenu definitely grows as character but she stays complicated in frustrating ways. The whole point seems to be that she’s unreliable narrator who makes selfish choices but also deals with lot of internalized stuff from their environment. Elena Ferrante writes her so you’re supposed to feel conflicted about her I think.
The relationship between them gets even more complex as series goes on and there are moments where you’ll understand Lenu better even if you don’t always like her choices. If you can handle reading about flawed people doing questionable things then maybe continue but if that river scene was too much then maybe the series isn’t for you and that’s totally valid too.
For me, part of what made the series so enjoyable is the complexity of these girls/women and the complexity in their friendship. With the diaries >!it’s an awful thing for Lenu to do !< but it makes for a much more compelling story. If you want a tidier story with fewer flaws in your characters then >! you should stop reading!<.