Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay

Story of staying and leaving and what we consider more important when we have a whole family to leave behind. Which act is exactly called selfish? Will a mother be called selfish if she acts for her happiness or eventually everything can be reasoned with unhappiness in the present situation? This and many more themes underlying this book.

Marvellous..poetry is how it reads..

The third episode of the Neapolitan Quartet which draws you deeper into the saga of the relationship between Lila, Lenu (Elena) and their childhood associates. A complex development of relationships as Lila and Lenu move through married life and beyond. Increasingly unputdownable and leaves you longing for the next episode.

Unlike the first two books in the series, book 3 is little more than an interminable monologue on the part of the protagonist. Disappointing to say the least.

I don’t think my words are required to tell you that I have thoroughly enjoyed my time through this book. In this third addition, we see the two adolescent girls we left behind in the previous book, grow into adults. Lenu(Elena) and Lila figure their life through their neighbourhood, their people, their city, country, their class and gender. I couldn’t stop myself from putting the book down. However, I am extremely sad that I have only one book left with Lenu and Lila; after that, they will stop being a part of my life anymore. Their stories, their struggles, their happiness would stop moving me and they would leave, unfortunately. This book, as the title suggests, is about the ones who leave and the ones who stay. Ferrante has beautifully shown how their friendship has changed. Not only their friendship, but a lot of other relationships in the novel, acquire change. The author made me aware of my negotiations with my neighbourhood and how it had changed from when I was a child. Some people moved to better places, some people stayed and some people died, with only their memories alive in the neighbourhood gossip. Alongside, seeing Lenu and Lila’s friendship being constantly tested, we witness the author finally break into the terrains of feminist and working class politics through her characters. In a very skilful and detailed way, she charts out Italy’s communist, leftist uprising, its revolutionary nature and you can’t help but be inspired by it. Ferrante also makes space for her feminism combined with radical politics. I don’t want to give any more details and spoil it for you. If you haven’t already begun reading the series, please do. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed.