Audiobook Sample
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- Title: My Brilliant Friend
- Author: Elena Ferrante
- Narrator: Hillary Huber
- Length: 12:39:47
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 07/04/2015
- Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
- Genre: Fiction & Literature, Literary Fiction, Coming of Age
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
It’s rare that an audiobook sweeps you off your feet and drops you right into the heart of a place you’ve never been, but “My Brilliant Friend” by Elena Ferrante, narrated by Hillary Huber, does just that. The story unfolds like a dusty road trip through the outskirts of Naples in the 1950s, where the air is thick with possibility and the weight of a changing world. I first pressed play on this one while winding through the narrow streets of a small Portuguese fishing village last summer, the kind of place where every corner holds a story. The salty breeze coming off the Atlantic mingled with Huber’s voice, and suddenly I wasn’t just listening – I was “there”, walking alongside Elena and Lila, two girls whose friendship would come to define a lifetime.
Ferrante’s tale begins with a chance meeting between ten-year-olds Elena and Lila in a poor but pulsing Neapolitan neighborhood. You can almost hear the clatter of scooters and the shouts of kids playing in the streets as their bond takes root. It reminds me of a time when I was a kid myself, roaming the Bronx with my cousins, inventing worlds out of abandoned lots and bodega stoops. There’s a rawness to those early years that Ferrante captures perfectly – the way friendships can feel like lifelines, fierce and fragile all at once. As the girls grow into adolescence, their paths twist through school rivalries, family pressures, and the unspoken rules of their community. It’s a coming-of-age story, sure, but it’s also a portrait of a city and a country stretching toward modernity, dragging its people along for the ride.
What struck me most as I listened was how Ferrante weaves the personal and the universal together so seamlessly. Elena, the narrator, is bookish and introspective, always watching Lila, who’s all fire and instinct. Their dynamic is a dance – sometimes tender, sometimes brutal – and it mirrors the push and pull I’ve seen in so many relationships, whether between friends in Oaxaca or siblings in Santiago. There’s a moment early on where Lila tosses Elena’s doll into a basement, and Elena retaliates in kind. It’s a small act, but it’s loaded with the kind of unspoken stakes that only childhood can carry. I thought back to those evenings in Oaxaca, listening to the grandmother spin tales by candlelight. She had this way of pausing just long enough to let the weight of a moment sink in, and Ferrante’s writing has that same magic – only here, it’s brought to life by Huber’s narration.
Speaking of which, let’s talk about Hillary Huber’s performance, because this audiobook experience hinges on her voice. Huber doesn’t just read – she inhabits. Her tone is warm but grounded, with a slight edge that suits the grit of Naples. She shifts effortlessly between Elena’s quiet reflection and Lila’s sharp defiance, giving each character a distinct heartbeat. You can almost taste the dust of the neighborhood streets in her delivery, feel the heat of a summer day pressing down. It’s not unlike that time I listened to “One Hundred Years of Solitude” while driving through the Atacama Desert – the narrator’s voice became the landscape itself, and Huber does the same here. The audio quality is crisp, too, which matters when you’re sinking into a 12-hour-plus journey like this one. Every word lands clear and true, pulling you deeper into Ferrante’s world.
The themes here are rich and layered – friendship, ambition, class, gender – and Ferrante doesn’t shy away from the messiness of it all. Elena’s hunger for education clashes with Lila’s wild brilliance, and their neighborhood becomes a crucible for both. It’s literary fiction at its best, with a coming-of-age arc that feels achingly real. I found myself nodding along as Elena grapples with her identity, thinking of my own zigzagging path from the Bronx to Columbia’s MFA program. There’s a universality to her struggle – wanting to rise without losing where you came from – that hits hard, no matter where you’re listening from.
That said, the audiobook isn’t flawless. The pacing can drag in spots, especially when Ferrante lingers on the minutiae of neighborhood life. If you’re not in the mood for a slow burn, it might test your patience – I caught myself drifting once or twice while cooking dinner in my Lisbon rental. And while Huber’s narration is stellar overall, there are moments where the emotional peaks could use a bit more fire. Lila’s intensity, in particular, sometimes feels muted when you’d expect it to crackle. Still, these are minor quibbles in a listening experience that’s otherwise immersive and haunting.
If you’ve ever loved “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt or “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by Betty Smith, this audiobook will feel like a kindred spirit – though Ferrante’s Naples has a fiercer edge than either. It’s a story about growing up, yes, but it’s also about the places and people that shape us, for better or worse. I’d recommend it to anyone who craves a deep dive into character and setting, especially if you’re the type who listens while wandering new streets or sipping coffee in a far-off café. Bonus points: there’s a free audiobook version floating around if you know where to look, making it an easy add to your next adventure.
Reflecting on it now, “My Brilliant Friend” lingers like the echo of a good meal shared with strangers who become friends. It’s not just a story – it’s a journey, one that Huber’s voice makes all the more vivid. I can still hear the cadence of her words as I think back to that Portuguese village, the sea crashing in the distance. It’s the kind of audiobook that sticks with you, whispering memories of your own long after the last chapter fades.
Until our next story-soaked road trip,
Marcus Rivera
