The Lying Life of Adults
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The Lying Life of Adults
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Narrated by:
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Marisa Tomei
About this listen
Soon to be a Netflix original series.
A powerful new novel set in a divided Naples by Elena Ferrante, the New York Times best-selling author of My Brilliant Friend and The Lost Daughter.
“There’s no doubt [the publication of The Lying Life of Adults] will be the literary event of the year.” (Elle)
Giovanna’s pretty face is changing, turning ugly, at least so her father thinks. Giovanna, he says, looks more like her Aunt Vittoria every day. But can it be true? Is she really changing? Is she turning into Aunt Vittoria, a woman she hardly knows but whom her mother and father clearly despise? Surely there is a mirror somewhere in which she can see herself as she truly is.
Giovanna is searching for her reflection in two kindred cities that fear and detest one another: a Naples of the heights, which assumes a mask of refinement, and a Naples of the depths, a place of excess and vulgarity. She moves between both in search of the truth, but neither city seems to offer answers or escape.
Named one of 2016’s most influential people by Time Magazine and frequently touted as a future Nobel Prize winner, Elena Ferrante has become one of the world’s most read and beloved writers. With this novel about the transition from childhood to adolescence to adulthood, Ferrante proves once again that she deserves her many accolades.
In The Lying Life of Adults, listeners will discover another gripping, highly addictive, and totally unforgettable Neapolitan story.
A Most Anticipated Book of 2020
- The New York Times Book Review
- Vogue
- Entertainment Weekly
- Elle Magazine
- BuzzFeed
- The Millions
- The Seattle Times
- USA Today
- Town & Country
- Thrillist
- Publishers Weekly
- Library Journal
- Harper’s Bazaar
- BookPage
- Literary Hub
- BBC Culture
What listeners say about The Lying Life of Adults
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mrs. Elena Kruglyakova
- 29-01-2021
Another brilliant book from Elena Ferrante.
A powerful story of a girl dealing with her adolescence and trying to understand the world of adults.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 27-04-2021
Fabulous
Couldn’t stop listening. The storyline is so personal and emotionally intelligent. I would recommend to anyone! So gritty.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 15-09-2020
Why?
I don’t know the purpose of this book. Are we to think that everybody has as many negative traits as these characters, or perhaps it’s good that we don’t? The author still writes so well and that’s what made me finish it. Not easy when there are no likeable characters or storylines to follow. Is Elena having a laugh at us all?
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Laura Kneller
- 09-09-2022
Elena Ferrante is brilliant 💫
Giovanna, a strikingly perceptive girl approaches adolescence in the wealthy part of Naples. Her parents are close to her in some ways, but they keep her in the dark about things that impact her life.
You will understand when you are older, they say, but Giovanna understands snippets and reads between the lines. Through her complex relationship with her unhinged aunt and her own intuitions, she uncovers the details of a family feud, and other long held secrets.
I enjoyed walking through Italian streets, developing insight to the social and cultural norms of the different areas. Ferrante pits education and progressive thought against family tradition and religion, emphasising how they can oppose one another but never taking sides. She often juxtaposes melodramatic Aunt Vittoria with Giovanna’s slide glancing uncomfortableness, reinforcing these themes in an amusing way.
This is my first Elena Ferrante novel and I love her writing style; the long, fast paced sentences mimic Italian speech. She writes female characters flawlessly. Giovanna’s coming of age experiences were so on point, with references to the link between inner and outer beauty and ugliness, and the differences in the experiences of the genders. I thought all the characters were complete in their portrayals, each with their own compounded issues and perspectives. No-one comes out on-top. Exactly my type of novel.
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