“Those Who Left, Those Who Stayed” is the third season of the TV series My Brilliant Friend and the third installment of the novel series The Neapolitan Novels.
Review of the previous part at link: https://msh.xlog.app/ruo-shi-jie-ceng-yao-gai-bian-ming-yun-guang-kao-zi-ji-shi-bu-gou-de---xin-ming-zi-de-gu-shi--ju-ping-he-shu-ping
As before, I watched one episode of the TV series and read the corresponding section of the book simultaneously. The series remains faithful to the original book, and reading the book provides deeper insight into scenes or psychological activities not depicted in the TV adaptation.
This volume primarily chronicles Elena's efforts to assist Lila, alongside Elena's life before and after marriage. Elena and Lila share a dynamic of both rivalry and mutual support. Lila learns from Elena certain tactics for navigating relationships and manipulating others, yet she continues to arrange her life according to her own will. Elena, relying on her marriage, leaves Naples' old town physically but remains spiritually tethered to it. The portrayal of married life feels strikingly authentic. While Pietro's overt violence is limited to a single slap, his emotional abuse persists. He essentially treats his wife as an unpaid nanny—someone to sleep with, bear children, and raise them—no different from Stefano. Elena struggles to integrate into her new social circle, still emotionally dependent on her old Neapolitan friends. Yet she gradually realizes she must pursue her own life, rather than rely on others. The scene of her return home after marriage is particularly powerful. Elena realizes she can never go back, while Lila finds her place anew in the old city. Elena uses Nino as a lifeline or an excuse to escape, but to truly find herself, she must discover the meaning of her own life and break free from dependence on others.
This installment delves deeper than its predecessors, exploring women's familial and societal roles, conflicts within marriage and family dynamics. The novel excels in psychological portrayal, while the TV adaptation emphasizes dramatic tension. It also depicts Italy's intense left-right political struggles of the 1960s and 70s—though unfamiliar to me, it evokes a sense reminiscent of the Cultural Revolution.