a slow but captivating read. the world of lila and elena expands, and more complex themes filter into their lives. at times, ferrante's network of ideas/characters/conflicts felt overgrown, though, which made it difficult to engage and become invested in a strand of critique, and i miss the almost claustrophobic fixation on lila and elena that characterized much of the earlier books. this feels intentional, though — while the collision of feminism, class struggle, technology, etc. with identity and relationships felt overwhelming to me as a reader sometimes, it also kinda feels like the point of the novels.

anyways, i would follow lila and elena anywhere and am immediately picking up the fourth book.