How many books has Elena Ferrante written?

Elena Ferrante has published 10 novels, 2 novellas and 1 children's book that we list, as of September 2026.

What order should I read Elena Ferrante's books in?

Read each series in its own order: start Neapolitan with My Brilliant Friend. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.

What is Elena Ferrante's most famous book?

My Brilliant Friend (2011) is Elena Ferrante's most widely read book.

Are Elena Ferrante's books connected?

4 books belong to 1 series (Neapolitan); the other 9 books stand alone.

Which Elena Ferrante books have been adapted?

5 books have been adapted for film or TV, including Troubling Love (as Nasty Love, film, 1995), The Days of Abandonment (as I giorni dell'abbandono, film, 2005), The Lost Daughter (film, 2021) and My Brilliant Friend (TV, 2018).

Elena Ferrante books in order

Pseudonymous Italian writer

Born: 1943
Country: Italy
Books: 13
Series: 1

Elena Ferrante has published 10 novels, 2 novellas and 1 children's book, beginning with Troubling Love (1992). The series is Neapolitan (4 books, starting with My Brilliant Friend). The best-known is My Brilliant Friend (2011). The latest is In the Margins (2021).

Updated September 2026

Neapolitan books in order (4)Series page

Reading order: 1 My Brilliant Friend (2011) · 2 The Story of a New Name (2012) · 3 Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay (2013) · 4 The Story of the Lost Child (2014)

1.
My Brilliant Friend (2011)
336 pages★ 3.8 (45 ratings)Adapted for TV
Buy
2.
The Story of a New Name (2012)
484 pages★ 4.0 (22 ratings)
Buy
3.
Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay (2013)
418 pages★ 4.0 (5 ratings)
Buy
4.
The Story of the Lost Child (2014)
544 pages★ 4.3 (12 ratings)
Buy

Where to start with Elena Ferrante

Start here
My Brilliant Friend
Elena Ferrante's most-read book and the first of the 4 Neapolitan books.
Shortest way in
The Lost Daughter
One of the most-read, at about 144 pages.
Newest
In the Margins
Published 2021.

Standalone novels in order

Troubling Love (1992)
171 pages★ 4.0 (5 ratings)Adapted for film
Buy
The Days of Abandonment (2002)
202 pages★ 3.6 (7 ratings)Adapted for film
Buy
Elena Ferrante Napoli Romanları Seti (2016)
1773 pages
Buy
Frantumaglia: a Writer's Journey (Sep 2016)
398 pages
Buy
The Lying Life of Adults (Nov 2019)
368 pagesAdapted for TV
Buy
In the Margins (2021)
165 pages
Buy

Novellas in order

The Lost Daughter (2006)
144 pages★ 4.0 (6 ratings)Adapted for film
Buy
Incidental Inventions (2019)
117 pages
Buy

Children's books in order

The Beach at Night (2016)
44 pages
Buy

Film and TV adaptations

Nasty Love (1995)Film · from Troubling Love
I giorni dell'abbandono (2005)Film · from The Days of Abandonment
The Lost Daughter (2021)Film · from The Lost Daughter
My Brilliant Friend (2018)TV · from My Brilliant Friend
The Lying Life of AdultsTV · from The Lying Life of Adults

About Elena Ferrante

Elena Ferrante is a pseudonymous Italian novelist. Ferrante's books, originally published in Italian, have been translated into many languages. Her four-book series of Neapolitan Novels are her most widely known works. Time magazine called Ferrante one of the 100 most influential people in 2016.

Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Elena Ferrante FAQ

How many books has Elena Ferrante written?: Elena Ferrante has published 10 novels, 2 novellas and 1 children's book that we list, as of September 2026.
What order should I read Elena Ferrante's books in?: Read each series in its own order: start Neapolitan with My Brilliant Friend. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
What is Elena Ferrante's latest book?: In the Margins (2021).
What is Elena Ferrante's most famous book?: My Brilliant Friend (2011) is Elena Ferrante's most widely read book.
Are Elena Ferrante's books connected?: 4 books belong to 1 series (Neapolitan); the other 9 books stand alone.
Which Elena Ferrante books have been adapted?: 5 books have been adapted for film or TV, including Troubling Love (as Nasty Love, film, 1995), The Days of Abandonment (as I giorni dell'abbandono, film, 2005), The Lost Daughter (film, 2021) and My Brilliant Friend (TV, 2018).