The Neapolitan Quartet. Set of 4 Books

The first of four novels in the cult classic "Neapolitan quartet" by Elena Ferrante tells the story of two friends, Lenu and Lila, living in the 1950s in one of the poor neighborhoods of Naples. Their childhood and youth are... spent on the harsh streets, where the girls learn to rely only on each other in all circumstances. Years go by. The paths of Lenu and Lila diverge and converge again, but they remain best friends - the kind where one’s life reflects and refracts in the fate of the other. Through the story of Lila and Lenu, Ferrante narrates the dramatic changes in the life of the neighborhood, the city, and the country - from fascism and the dominance of the mafia to the rise of the communist movement, and how these changes influence the relationships between the unforgettable Lenu and Lila. The second part of the globally popular four-volume "Neapolitan quartet" continues the story of Lenu Greco and Lila Cerullo. The friends grow up, their life paths inexorably diverge. They are still striving to break free from the poverty of the Neapolitan outskirts, but each chooses her own way. Impulsive Lila becomes signora Carracci; wealth and a new name make her renounce the self she was just yesterday, leaving behind the daring talented girl full of promise. Lenu continues to study, eager to prove to herself that she can succeed without her genius friend. The stifling back alleys of Naples, the entertainment-filled Ischia, the university town of Pisa... in different settings, life will test the friendship of Lila and Lenu more than once, and they will repeatedly realize that the thread that connected them in childhood cannot be severed by either of them. The action of the third part of the Neapolitan quartet, hailed as "the greatest literary epic of modernity," takes place in the late 1960s and the 1970s. The story of the friendship between Lenu Greco and Lila Cerullo continues against a turbulent historical backdrop: student protests, street clashes, a growing labor movement... After separating from her husband, Lila moved with her young son to a newly built neighborhood and works at a sausage factory. Lenu left Naples, graduated from an elite college, published a book, and is preparing to marry and become a member of an influential family. Life drives them further apart, and they become only voices on the other end of the line. Will their relationship withstand the test of change? "The Story of a Missing Child" is the fourth and final part of the captivating epic that has been a revelation for many readers about two friends: the quiet smart Lenu and the headstrong talented Lila. Time passes - each of them has a family, children, elderly parents, lovers... yet the most constant thing in the lives of Lenu and Lila remains their friendship. Both heroines made significant efforts to escape from the poor Neapolitan neighborhood where they grew up - a kingdom of stagnation, cruelty, and harsh taboos. Lenu got married, moved to Florence, and became a famous writer. But now she returns to Naples, as if unable to resist its dark charms. Lila did not manage to leave her hometown. She became a successful entrepreneur, but success only pulls her deeper into the Neapolitan whirlpool of nepotism, chauvinism, and criminal disputes. In the end, unmanageable, unstoppable, irresistible Lila turns into the uncrowned queen of the very world she always despised...