🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Elena Ferrante
There is more than an air of mystery surrounding the true identity of Elena Ferrante, who has used this pen name on her novels to date, never revealing the true person behind the writing. What we do know, however, is that ‘Elena’ is Italian and certain things she has written to journalists appear to signify that she is most probably female and perhaps even a mother. Elena is an important novelist of the Italian generation and last year she even featured on the prestigious New York Times, top 10 Best Books of 2015 for The Story of the Lost Child, which is quite an accolade for any author. The Story of the Lost Child was also a nominee for the Strega Prize, which is an Italian literary award.
All Book Series by Elena Ferrante
My Brilliant Friend: The Graphic Novel
Single-title series · published 2023 Co-authored · Ann Goldstein,Mara Cerri,Chiara Lagani
In the Margins
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2021 Co-authored · Ann Goldstein
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Elena Ferrante?
There is more than an air of mystery surrounding the true identity of Elena Ferrante, who has used this pen name on her novels to date, never revealing the true person behind the writing. What we do know, however, is that 'Elena’ is Italian and certain things she has written to journalists appear to signify that she is most probably female and perhaps even a mother. Elena is an important novelist of the Italian generation and last year she even featured on the prestigious New York Times, top 10 Best Books of 2015 for The Story of the Lost Child, which is quite an accolade for any author.
Which Elena Ferrante series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Neapolitan series, the earliest of Elena Ferrante's multi-book series: it opens with My Brilliant Friend (2011) and runs to 4 books across 2011–2014, ending with The Story of the Lost Child (2014).
How many books has Elena Ferrante written?
Elena Ferrante has 13 books catalogued in this guide, published between 2002 and 2023. 4 of them belong to 1 named series — the largest being the Neapolitan series with 4 books — and 9 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Elena Ferrante's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Elena Ferrante's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Neapolitan (2011–2014, 4 books).
How are Elena Ferrante's books organised into series?
This guide splits Elena Ferrante's 13 books into 1 named series and 9 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Neapolitan (4 books, 2011–2014).