More of a 3.5 rating for me. I began this book not enjoying it too much. I really think that sometimes when you read a great book (as I just had with Atkinson's A God in Ruins) you need a palette cleanser of sorts and not to immediately follow up with a dense, affecting story. In my case, I may have enjoyed My Brilliant Friend more if I had read it at a different time. That being said, it was a serious and thought provoking read (part of a trilogy) beginning with the unlikely friendship of Lila and Elena, two girls growing up in a small and mainly poor Italian town 
 Through the story of their education, work, loyalties and aspirations, Ferrante (through the voice of Elena) examines what drives a person to make the biggest decisions of their lives. The author also explores the wide disparities that can exist in a small town. One can't help but be reminded of the idiom "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" while reading this book. 
 I was hesitant at first, but I've become invested in these characters and will follow them into the next book and chapter of their lives.