Just finished The Neapolitan Quartet!

[KarlosKKrinkelbeim]

Howl, wail etc. What (other than her other novels) would Ferrante fanatics recommend?

Um, that's difficult isn't it. You could try "Savages: The Wedding" which happens to be out today and is billed as a cross between Ferrante and The Wire, set in France www.tripfiction.com/family-saga-political-thriller-set-france/ And if it's Naples you are looking for then I really recommend The Temptation to Be Happy by Lorenzo Marone "an ultimately uplifting and life-affirming read" Happy reading!

Thank you!
Have bought her first novel (troubling live) - will try those others you mention also.
I knew I would feel bereft when I finished the quartet and what’s worse is I’ve lent my mum the first one so I can’t just start them all again

I'm really struggling to get into the first one. I want to love it, I really do, but it's just plodding along aimlessly. Does it suddenly improve?

I bought the first one recently. Hoping to make a start soon

I may have imagined this, but I thought I read somewhere Elena Ferrante was writing or has written something new.

Kinraddie so it's not just me!

I was so sure I would love these books that I bought the first three. Struggled through the first one and gave the other two brand new volumes to Oxfam.

So many people love them though. I just never felt engaged with the characters.

I did manage to finish the first one, but did not love it and was actually quite disappointed. I listened to the radio 4adaptations, and they confirmed my feeling.

I just didn’t take to any of the characters at all!

I agree, I just didn't enjoy the first at all. I read the first two-thirds and was having to force myself to pick it up, so gave up. I just don't why it is so loved at all, and the characters do nothing for me.

I really struggled with it at first, maybe it was reading a translation- it just seemed clunky/unnatural somehow. And then suddenly, when she went away in the summer, I was hooked and raced through it, loving it- it was a real turnaround for me!

Ferrante is writing weekly for the guardian now I think.