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I realise this may be a somewhat unconventional way to start a blog post that is meant to be part of the course content however, my reading of Agostino was made of up of confusion and feeling unnerved. Whenever I open a new book to read, whatever the reason may be, my first thought is […] read full post >>

 There is so much to think about after reading Agostino. Although I'm confused, not confused in the way where I don't understand the story, because I definitely understand why this story was written, but confused in the way where I have never seen a book take on growing up, sexuality, etc.. the way this one did, and it leaves me with many thoughts. 

I may have said The Shrouded Woman was my favourite so far, but this one now takes the lead. Out of all of the novels I have read so far this one felt the most modern in a way, in terms of writing style and overall content which made it very easy to understand and almost felt like something I picked up myself and started reading, not something for an assignment. 

After the first few pages of this novel I could already catch on to what the themes of the story were. There are a couple things that I don't know necessarily if they have the correct take on, but I'm not one to say they aren't correct either. We've seen these concepts in Psychology courses, specifically the Freudian Oedipus Complex. 

This coming of age novel takes ideas from inside of a young boys mind and sees how growing up and going through puberty may really feel. There is such an interesting relationship described with his mother. It is mother son love presented in a way that almost sexualizes it, which left me very confused but also curious to read on and see how Agostinos mind is perceiving this love for his mother. Although I can't say that this is really how things are growing up, I think the book did a really good job at thoroughly explaining these sexual and jealous feelings that Agostino was feeling to help readers understand

There was one part where Agostino mentions this "hatred" for his mother that leaves his cheeks burning is what he lives for. Like he waits for this burning jealousy to be lit in him everyday, and as much as he despises it and wants to hate his mother so bad, he almost loves it. He hated his mothers love.

This is a sense of passionate jealousy that I have personally felt in past relationships, mostly very toxic ones, and it makes you wonder if this view he has on his mother is really is just a part of growing up or if it is something unhealthy. 

Another part to mention was when Agostino described how when he is alone with his mother, "a strong woman, had no need of assistance in climbing back on the boat... apparently indulging in a feminine clumsiness...", "the mother, a large and dignified woman... and her dignity, a boring habit that she now needed to replace with some awkward playfulness". I thought these quotes displayed the reality behind a lot of romance, how women can almost make themselves feel small to appeal to the man they are in love with. This isn't true in every romance but I thought it was interesting how the book touched on this, as I never seen be portrayed before. 

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 There is so much to think about after reading Agostino. Although I'm confused, not confused in the way where I don't understand the story, because I definitely understand why this story was written, but confused in the way where I have never seen a book take on growing up, sexuality, etc.. the way this one did, and it leaves me with many thoughts. 

I may have said The Shrouded Woman was my favourite so far, but this one now takes the lead. Out of all of the novels I have read so far this one felt the most modern in a way, in terms of writing style and overall content which made it very easy to understand and almost felt like something I picked up myself and started reading, not something for an assignment. 

After the first few pages of this novel I could already catch on to what the themes of the story were. There are a couple things that I don't know necessarily if they have the correct take on, but I'm not one to say they aren't correct either. We've seen these concepts in Psychology courses, specifically the Freudian Oedipus Complex. 

This coming of age novel takes ideas from inside of a young boys mind and sees how growing up and going through puberty may really feel. There is such an interesting relationship described with his mother. It is mother son love presented in a way that almost sexualizes it, which left me very confused but also curious to read on and see how Agostinos mind is perceiving this love for his mother. Although I can't say that this is really how things are growing up, I think the book did a really good job at thoroughly explaining these sexual and jealous feelings that Agostino was feeling to help readers understand

There was one part where Agostino mentions this "hatred" for his mother that leaves his cheeks burning is what he lives for. Like he waits for this burning jealousy to be lit in him everyday, and as much as he despises it and wants to hate his mother so bad, he almost loves it. He hated his mothers love.

This is a sense of passionate jealousy that I have personally felt in past relationships, mostly very toxic ones, and it makes you wonder if this view he has on his mother is really is just a part of growing up or if it is something unhealthy. 

Another part to mention was when Agostino described how when he is alone with his mother, "a strong woman, had no need of assistance in climbing back on the boat... apparently indulging in a feminine clumsiness...", "the mother, a large and dignified woman... and her dignity, a boring habit that she now needed to replace with some awkward playfulness". I thought these quotes displayed the reality behind a lot of romance, how women can almost make themselves feel small to appeal to the man they are in love with. This isn't true in every romance but I thought it was interesting how the book touched on this, as I never seen be portrayed before. 

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I decided to go with this book to challenge myself and I’m glad I did. I really enjoyed reading this week’s read of Laforet’s Nada. I was really intrigued by the title because I vaguely remembered that  “nada” means nothing in Spanish. Then I read the transcript confirming my thoughts stating, “[a]fter all, a narrative …

Continue reading "Carmen Laforet’s Nada"

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The first thing I want to recognize is something I said in a discussion group during my class last week. It was along the lines of whether these texts (that I’ve chosen) will all follow the theme of memories, past experience, or just past tense writing in general. This is the fourth book to do […] read full post >>

The novel “Agostino” by the Italian novelist Alberto Moravia in 1943 describes the transition of the 13 year old boy Agostino from adolescence to adulthood. The book focuses on Agostino’s adolescent struggle on two aspects: sexuality and class division. When reading the book, I find the ambiguous relationship between Agostino and his mother is particularly […] read full post >>

For this week’s reading I chose to read Nada by Carmen Laforet. This post war aroma is consistent throughout Andrea and her surroundings. While in the midst of longing to study in Barcelona, she has to simultaneously navigate her new family dynamic dealing with post-war hauntings.     The contrast of Andrea’s past and current state […] read full post >>

Pretty much every moment of Agostino made me very uneasy. The (possibly) Freudian undertones of Agostino’s feelings towards his mother were definitely somewhat disquieting to me; and the mother’s lack of focus on her son’s wellbeing may have been even more so. However, I think the part that stood out to me most was the […] read full post >>

Nada by Carmen Laforet is a thrilling, chaotic, and apocalyptic read. Andrea, an 18 year old young woman, guides us through her adventure to live with her terror-filled family in Barcelona while she attends university. The book begins with her first interactions and impressions of her deranged family members on Calle de Aribau, who all seem …

Continue reading "Blog Post 4- Nada"

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To say that Carmen Laforet’s “Nada” is both incredibly gripping and deeply unsettling would be an understatement and in my opinion is an excellent study in reciprocal trauma, the weight of a toxic environment on one’s psyche, and the ways in which one’s environment can contort them in many ways. The backdrop of the Spanish […] read full post >>