Student Blogs

The whole novel of Nada felt eery to me, like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I suppose this is because of the aftermath of the Spanish civil war, as the lecture video states that the family’s trauma haunts the narrative – so it’s more like the shoe has already dropped, and everything […] read full post >>

 Hello all, and welcome back to the cottage. I can't even begin to tell you the number of times I sighed during this week's read, and that's only for the beginning. But what an optimal time it was to read Agostino, considering that I recently... read full post >>

 Hello all, and welcome back to the cottage. I can't even begin to tell you the number of times I sighed during this week's read, and that's only for the beginning. But what an optimal time it was to read Agostino, considering that I recently... read full post >>

In grade 11, we read the Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex, and my jaw dropped through every page as the story played out. Then, I learned about the Oedipus and Electra complexes in psych, and felt a mixture of being unsettled and in disbelief. This book gave me that same feeling all over again (╥﹏╥) and each […] read full post >>

Was Andrea going crazy because she’s starving or is it because she's a teenager OR is it the calle de aribau? Andrea seems to be okay at first, then she was speaking about how she was at her dad's cousin's house,she admitted that she didn't really... read full post >>

Was Andrea going crazy because she’s starving or is it because she's a teenager OR is it the calle de aribau? Andrea seems to be okay at first, then she was speaking about how she was at her dad's cousin's house,she admitted that she didn't really... read full post >>

This short novel by Moravia I thoroughly enjoyed reading and is definitely my favorite reading thus far in the course. It is fascinating to see how quickly Agostino loses his innocence through his encounters with the gang of boys from Vespucci beach and is exposed to some of the harsher and darker realities of the […] read full post >>

 Theme: Love?!I feel like in this course, I have read about the most unusual characters and that says a lot because I read A LOT of books. Agostino by Alberto Moravia was such an interesting read which says a lot because I have never read a book t... read full post >>

 Theme: Love?!I feel like in this course, I have read about the most unusual characters and that says a lot because I read A LOT of books. Agostino by Alberto Moravia was such an interesting read which says a lot because I have never read a book t... read full post >>

Hellooo once again blog :)) (please know I went a medium bit above the word limit, so this is a longer one, sorry not sorry) This week’s read was Agostino by Alberto Moravia, and I can openly admit I went into this book with the wrong expectations. When I read the blurb in the “choose your […] read full post >>

feb 1, 2026 If I were to sum up my reading experience on Agostino it would be these images: Even though I listened to the lecture video and the conversation video before reading the book, it could not prepare me for the contents I got hit with at 100km/h. I learnt from the videos that […] read full post >>

Moravia/Agostino’s descriptions felt like both a blessing and a complete curse in this book. There were many beautiful descriptions of the sea and the town that painted a vivid picture, like the “rows of cabins painted in pastel colors”, the “crowded beach”, the “festive buzzing”, and the “sparkling sea…filled with bathers” (pg. 21). That being […] read full post >>

Hi again! One of the elements that stood out to me the most in Nada was its irony, which is seen from the title itself. Nada, which means ‘nothing’, truly captures the space between the expectations Andrea came to Barcelona with and the reality she lived, learning that what she envisioned was nothing like it. […] read full post >>

Okay, so “Agostino” isn’t your typical vacation read. Sure, it’s set in Italy during the summer, but it’s way more than just tanning and sand. It kinda takes you on this interesting ride through the mind of a 13 year old kid who’s suddenly hit with the first few harsh realities of the adult world […] read full post >>

Agostino was a short read, but one that leaves a lot to think about. I think it’s more than your usual coming-of-age story. It’s one of those reads where the writing coaxes you to keep going even though you’re lowkey really weirded out. It actually reminded me a lot of Proust, in the sense that […] read full post >>