Month: March 2026

One of the first things that stood out to me in My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante is how intense Lila and Lenù’s friendship is. It’s not just a normal “best friend” situation, it’s kind of messy. There’s a lot of jealousy, competition, and comparison going on. I kept noticing how much Lenù bases her self-worth on Lila, like she’s always trying to prove she’s just as smart or better. It made me think about how, growing up, friendships can shape how you see yourself more than anything else.

Another thing I found really interesting is the neighbourhood itself. It feels super limiting, like no one can really escape it. There’s a lot of violence and strict expectations, especially for girls, and that clearly affects both of them. What stuck with me is how both Lila and Lenù are really smart, but only Lenù gets the chance to keep going in school. Lila doesn’t, even though she might actually be the more brilliant one. That difference slowly creates distance between them, and it felt kind of unfair but also very real.

I really liked the writing style a lot. It’s very simple, but in a good way. Since Lenù is telling the story as an adult, there’s a lot of reflection and overthinking. She questions her memories and even admits she might not be remembering things perfectly. That made it feel more honest, like she’s trying to make sense of everything rather than just telling a clear and perfect story.

That being said, I didn’t always enjoy reading it. The vibe can get really heavy. There’s constant tension and violence in the neighbourhood, especially toward women, and it gets draining after a while. I also got kind of annoyed with Lenù sometimes because she’s so focused on Lila. It feels like she doesn’t really know who she is without comparing herself, which made me wonder if she ever actually becomes her own person. Lila, on the other hand, is just confusing. She’s obviously super smart and strong, but also unpredictable. Sometimes she seems like she wants to break out of her situation, and other times it feels like she’s giving in to it. I couldn’t always understand her choices, especially when she turns away from opportunities that could’ve helped her. It made me question if she’s actually in control of her life or not.

In class, I’d want to talk about whether their friendship is actually healthy or not. Like, is Lila pushing Lenù to be better, or kind of holding her back? And also, how much choice do they really have in their lives when their environment is so controlling?

Going into The Book of Chameleons, I wasn’t expecting a story about someone who literally sells new identities. Félix Ventura’s job immediately caught my attention and not just because it’s unusual, but because it feels like an exaggerated version of something people already do. We constantly reshape how we present ourselves, just not with forged documents and invented family histories. That idea kind of stayed with me throughout the book.

What made the novel even more unexpected was the gecko narrator. At first, I wasn’t sure how seriously I was supposed to take it. A talking gecko that remembers being human felt random, and I found myself a bit thrown off. But over time, it started to make more sense as part of the novel’s larger focus on memory and identity. The gecko’s reflections added a quieter, more philosophical layer that contrasted with Félix’s more practical (and strange) work.

I think what I found most interesting is how the book plays with the idea of truth. The identities Félix creates aren’t just surface level but they’re detailed enough that his clients begin to fully believe in them. That made me wonder, if someone completely accepts a fabricated past, does it stop being fake? Or does it just blur the line between fiction and reality altogether? The novel never really gives a clear answer, which I actually appreciated.

At the same time, I did struggle with parts of the book. The plot can feel a bit fragmented, especially when it shifts between different perspectives or storylines. I was sometimes left feeling like I was missing something important. I’m not sure if that was intentional or just a gap in the narrative.

Another thing I kept thinking about is how the story connects to Angola’s history. Even though the novel has these surreal elements, it’s still grounded in a real political and cultural context. The idea of rewriting personal histories seems to parallel how national histories can also be shaped, erased, or reimagined after conflict. It adds a layer that makes the story feel more meaningful beyond just its quirky premise.

If there’s one thing I’d want to discuss in class, it’s whether Félix’s work should be seen as ethical. Is he giving people a second chance, or is he helping them escape accountability? I also think it would be interesting to talk more about the role of the gecko, whether it’s just a narrative device or if it represents something deeper about memory and identity.

Overall, even though I found parts of the novel confusing, I liked how it pushed me to think about identity in a way that isn’t straightforward. It’s the kind of book that sticks with you more for its ideas than its plot.

I thought that the story of Money to Burn would eventually make sense and have a clear direction but it did not. I actually thought it would read more like a movie with a standard plot building towards a robbery. However, it does not have a central narrative from beginning til end. The group planning the robbery doesn’t come across as competent or in control. Most of them appear paranoid and have a drug addiction which creates the impression that they are moving forward towards the robbery mostly by chance, rather than by any strategy.

The actual robbery itself is much more chaotic than I had expected. Once it starts, it ends instantly. People are going about their business and then all of sudden a gun is fired. After the incident, the whole thing gets really confusing. Witnesses’ accounts don’t match up, police try to reconstruct the scene and no one really knows what happened. The way the robbery is presented makes it appear to be more realistic than to have any drama associated with it.

One of the other things I thought about was how much character development we got to see from the criminals themselves. Even though they are clearly criminals and doing awful things, the book shows us their personalities and how bizarrely they think. Some are superstitious, some are drug obsessed, and many believe money will somehow fix their lives. At the same time, they are all depicted as people who would still not become ‘normal’ if they got away with the crime. The money appears to be an excuse for them to escape their situation.

Another thing I liked about the book is that it doesn’t try to make these criminals look cool or impressive. A lot of crime stories turn robbers into anti-heroes, but that doesn’t really happen here. Most of the time they come across as reckless and unstable people who are making terrible decisions. At the same time, the book doesn’t turn them into simple villains either. We see their fears and the logic they use to justify what they’re doing. It makes them uncomfortable to read about because they feel like real people.

Honestly, the robbery itself wasn’t even the most interesting part. It was how everyone started talking about it, all the rumors and different versions of the story. It’s interesting how one event can turn into different ‘truths’ depending on who you ask.

Question for discussion: Do you think the book is more interested in the criminals themselves, or in how society reacts to crimes like this after they happen?