In the Neapolitan Quartet, Elena Ferrante sketches a genealogical cycle that extends from the 1950s to the first decade of the new millennium and challenges notions of nationhood, progress, revolution, and even feminism.

This conversation between Laura Benedetti (Georgetown University) and Tiziana de Rogatis (Università per Stranieri di Siena) tackles some crucial themes in Elena Ferrante’s tetralogy—such as language, time, and friendship—while exploring their adaptation to the screen in the HBO critically acclaimed series directed by Saverio Costanzo.