Vegas Seven: On the Bookshelf

At the polar extreme from Franzen and Hallberg is Elena Ferrante, the elusive Italian novelist whose popularity among English readers has peaked over the past year. The final book in her Neapolitan series, The Story of the Lost Child (Europa Editions, $18), concludes the narrative of lifelong friends Elena and Lila. Ferrante’s style is intimate and affable; her power to transport her readers into the lifeworld of her characters in Naples is absolute. The release is an important moment for her fans and may compel many uninitiated readers to discover her work for the first time.