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Help[Opinions] Names from an Italian novel
So I finally got round to reading the bestselling novel “My Brilliant Friend “ by Elena Ferrante. It’s got a huge cast of characters and I thought the names were interesting. It’s set in southern Italy in the 1950s and 60s, in a very working class environment, and the names reflect that.
GIRLS
Elena ( the narrator, sometimes called “Lenu ‘ “
Lila (nickname for Raffaella)
Carmela
Gigliola
Ada
Maria
Nunzia
Manuela
Giuseppina
Marisa
Lidia
Melina
Elisa
BOYS
Enzo
Rino
Nino
Stefano
Alfonso
Marcello
Michele
Silvio
Antonio
Fernando
Donato
Pasquale
Giuseppe
Gianni
"We have met the enemy and he is us" Walt Kelly
GIRLS
Elena ( the narrator, sometimes called “Lenu ‘ “
Lila (nickname for Raffaella)
Carmela
Gigliola
Ada
Maria
Nunzia
Manuela
Giuseppina
Marisa
Lidia
Melina
Elisa
BOYS
Enzo
Rino
Nino
Stefano
Alfonso
Marcello
Michele
Silvio
Antonio
Fernando
Donato
Pasquale
Giuseppe
Gianni
"We have met the enemy and he is us" Walt Kelly
This message was edited 10/5/2018, 10:51 AM
Archived Thread - replies disabled
1
Replies
Hi Fiammetta !!!!
'L'Amica Geniale'!
My sister and I are reading it together!
We've just finished 'childhood'.
You are right: this book is full of characters!
From your list I like:
Gigliola: it is a lovely name! I love the meaning and its sound. I'd like to see it more in the future here in Italy.
Giuseppina and Nino: my g-grandmother's and my grandfather's name. I hope to use them as honoring MNs or maybe using Joséphine that is more melodious.
Alfonso and Fernando that could be both Spanish and Italian. I like them because of their royal vibe and history.
Lila only because of the character.
'L'Amica Geniale'!
My sister and I are reading it together!
We've just finished 'childhood'.
You are right: this book is full of characters!
From your list I like:
Gigliola: it is a lovely name! I love the meaning and its sound. I'd like to see it more in the future here in Italy.
Giuseppina and Nino: my g-grandmother's and my grandfather's name. I hope to use them as honoring MNs or maybe using Joséphine that is more melodious.
Alfonso and Fernando that could be both Spanish and Italian. I like them because of their royal vibe and history.
Lila only because of the character.
This message was edited 10/5/2018, 12:28 PM
1
My husband has a cousin named Manuela. She lives in Switzerland, born in the Middle East. given that particular family/social set, she's usually called Manu.They are great nick-namers.
My son's late father-in-law was named Rino , he wasn't Italian though, French-Canadian.
Raffella, what a beautiful name!
Did you like the book?
My son's late father-in-law was named Rino , he wasn't Italian though, French-Canadian.
Raffella, what a beautiful name!
Did you like the book?
1
I got round to seeing it after seeing a premiere of the HBO tv series, it’s very readable but not sure if it’s worth the hype tbh.
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