In the last book of the series, Lila and Lenú’s relationship remains the center of the novel. A new pregnancy for both of them brings the two women closer again until a tragedy hits them.
Freedom from the heart
Until the last book, Elena was too attached to Nino, but now he starts to lose his charm. His weaknesses can’t be ignored anymore. He doesn’t look so wonderfully intelligent when Elena starts to be able to see his arrogance. Sometimes, his rudeness towards other people.
The spell was broken. Nino is not only selfish but shows a total lack of respect by Elena and other women around him. Slowly, he starts to remind her of his father, the man that abused Elena so many years ago.
Elena is now a more mature woman, and maturity brought her some calm and objectiveness. Yet, was she ever happy? Is she now?
Back to the neighborhood and its problems
While we were happy to see Elena with a better life and conquering her goals, we miss the complicated intrigues from the neighborhood.
Lenu’s mother's sudden disease and the break up with Nino are definitive for her return. This return means a reintroduction in an environment that is no longer hers. She is a stranger now; she is no longer the girl that left years ago.
The neighborhood is different, as well as the connections, the rules, and she must relearn them.
“It was only cosmetic, a powder of modernity applied randomly, and boastfully, to the corrupt face of the city.”
Solara
Solara’s family is an unavoidable force of authority inside the neighborhood. For the worst reasons.
The question is no longer how Lenú feels about the neighborhood, but also how the neighborhood feels about her. The golden girl is not entirely welcome anymore. She is an intruder now. An intruder that, incited by Lila, wrote about the rotten power of the Solaras. A dangerous thing to do.
From the first book, the boys are Lila’s archenemies. It seems now that she was able to manipulate Elena, using her notoriety to say what she can’t. Was that because she was afraid of the Solaras? Was she avoiding consequences? Did she think it would have more impact coming from Elena? In any case, once more, Lila got what she wanted.
Alfonso
Alfonso’s death hits Elena as proof that the violence and crime in her childhood neighborhood aren’t over. On the contrary, it may be worse.
For the reader, it can be quite shocking as well. In that little corner of the world, the difference is not tolerated. Alfonso was a victim of that intolerance.
Friendship and Motherhood
New life circumstances make childhood friends closer again. Yet, the old rivalry didn’t disappear.
We are used to it since book 1, but now, there is a new motive: the little girls. Elena seems to believe that Lila’s daughter has better development than Tina. That she is more intelligent. To me, it appeared that she mirrors her relationship with Lila on the girls. More importantly, the insecurities she feels near her.
This leaves us with a few questions. Are Imma’s issues real, or do they only exist in Elena’s fears? Does she envy Lila’s daughter, Tina? Does Imma feel that? Is the girl the real problem, or her regrets about Nino?
The lost girl
Those couple of pages describing Tina’s disappearance are perfect. The way the narrative is conducted makes you feel anxiety, shock, and anguish as if you were there. Besides, it’s so realistic. It hurts. You want to go in there and help to look for the girl.
Many theories popped up about her fate - it always does in these situations - but none can be proved. That is the moment when you genuinely feel for Lila. No one deserves such pain.
We follow her grief, the multiple stages of it, as well as people’s reactions to it. After a while, Tina was only a sweet memory for most of them, and Lila is now the insane woman who screams at everyone. Yet, as Lenú shows us, they aren’t bad people, but rather ignorant.
One idea that I found very curious is Lila’s wish to erase herself. She doesn’t want to die; she wants to disappear. Leaving no trace. Not even a rotting body on the ground.
Fast pace to Maturity
When we're children, one year is an eternity. When we're adults, something that happened ten years ago feels like yesterday. Elena Ferrante shows this duality like no one else in this novel.
After Tina's disappearance, the narrative speed increases, and we, like Lenú, feel the time running over. Her books don't sell like before. She doesn't feel attractive anymore. And she betrayed Lila by telling her story (after promising never to write about her).
The time and the changes as it passes by are a secondary protagonist in this saga. We follow Lila and Lenú since childhood, how they grew up, what they became. Yet, these novels give us a "bigger picture" perspective. We also see how the neighborhood evolved, and its citizens changed over time. In this last volume, we also gain a good perspective of the major problems faced in each of the last decades of the 20th century.
A “Not so perfect” protagonist
As the protagonist of the story, Lenú is incredibly imperfect. Yes, there are a lot of flawed main characters in literature, but you can also find a way of "protecting" them. Besides, in the end, they evolve, and you forget everything they could have done. Things are different in this saga. Lenú is not perfect; she has issues, and sometimes, she can upset you.
Reaching 60 years old brings her maturity and, possibly, some peace of mind. But never self-esteem. We keep seeing in her the insecure girl overshadowed by her best friend since primary school. Worst, even after Lila proved deeply imperfect herself, Lenú still feels behind in the weird competition for who's the best… [fill as you like].
She is envious of Lila's brilliance. She resents Lila's superiority (which only exists in her mind). She is selfish. Her career or her passion for Nino always was a priority over her children's needs. And of course, she used Lila's life, with all its tragedies, to sell books.
All these flaws make her an even more interesting and realistic character. Imperfect person, perfect fiction character.
The dolls - the end of a cycle
Lila disappeared, by choice. She doesn't come back, but she leaves something very important to Elena - the dolls. The childhood dolls that they threw into a dark, scary cellar to prove they were brave. Lila got them back and offered them to Lenú as some sort of token. What's their real significance? Bravery? Peace?
We end the saga without knowing what happened to Lila. Did she find Tina, even if only inside her heart? Did she find peace for the girl's disappearance? We don't know, but it doesn't matter.
I don't think Lila could have another ending. It is simply perfect. Throughout the books, she was a victim, an aggressor, a manipulative woman sometimes, a loving, caring friend other times. She disappears, but the true protagonist of this story remains - her friendship with Lenú.
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