My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, and The Story of a Lost Child make up the Neapolitan series, a massively acclaimed series of books tracing the lives of two friends, bookish Elena and feisty Lila, from childhood to late in life, set mostly in Naples. Ferrante is now considered one of world's greatest living writers, the books have been bestsellers wherever they have been published. It's hard to know what to say about them that hasn't already been said, but I can't find myself agreeing, quite, with all the acclaim they've had. I read all four, which I wouldn't have done if I hadn't been enjoying them, although I think they are better thought of as one very long novel, in four volumes. I found them over long, in fact madly over-written and repetitive, although always masterfully handled, psychologically astute, politically well observed, angry and moving. The second and third volumes are the best, but you need to read them in order; get ready for a long ride, they are quite immersive. As I say, I can't quite bring myself to agree totally with the ecstatic reviews they've had, but they are a significant achievement.