Student Blogs

I’m not sure how to feel about this week’s reading. Although it was quick and somewhat interesting, it touches on topics that I felt really weirded out reading – mainly the sexualization of his mom, and trying to get into a whorehouse at 13.  But it was also interesting to read yet another “coming of […] read full post >>

Hi everyone, welcome to another Romance Studies Post, this week I read “Agostino” by Alberto Moravia, and I have a lot of thoughts on it. At the begging of the term during introduction week I answered to someones question in their post, in this question they asked which book where we the most excited to … read full post >>

 I do not think a book has ever made me feel more uncomfortable than Alberto Moravia’s Agostino. The novel follows a young boy Agostino who comes from a wealthy family and how a loss of innocence completely changes his relationship and how he view... read full post >>

 I do not think a book has ever made me feel more uncomfortable than Alberto Moravia’s Agostino. The novel follows a young boy Agostino who comes from a wealthy family and how a loss of innocence completely changes his relationship and how he view... read full post >>

When adolescence meets sexuality read full post >>

Agostino by Moravia is another coming of age novel that we have read so far throughout this course. Moravia illustrates the story of Agostino, a thirteen-year-old boy who spends the summer with his mother near the beaches and meets a group of boys that influences him to develop an awareness of sexuality.  The book opens […] read full post >>

A. Initial Thoughts This is probably an unpopular opinion but I actually quite liked this book. Moravia’s straightforward writing, reflecting the post-WW2 shift to realism discussed in lecture, really appealed to me. It felt fresh, especially compared to the more decorative language in “Combray”. Additionally, I appreciated that the book primarily used internal monologue instead … Continue reading Agostino: The Cost of Adulthood (Feb 6) read full post >>

This week I read Nada by Carmen Laforet and oh boy was that a journey of drama, pain, and chaos. I did find myself really enjoying Laforet’s writing style, it felt like I was reading Andrea’s diary so that made me feel … Continue reading → read full post >>

 First, I want to note that many interesting discussion-worthy plot points within this novel make it thoroughly enjoyable, but I want to mention two that were salient to me. Firstly I found it deeply intriguing to compare the friendship between An... read full post >>

 First, I want to note that many interesting discussion-worthy plot points within this novel make it thoroughly enjoyable, but I want to mention two that were salient to me. Firstly I found it deeply intriguing to compare the friendship between An... read full post >>

Well, well, well… of course, Freud is back for more! After reading the first few pages, Freud was the man who immediately came to mind. In this week’s novel, I read Agostino by Moravia, and it’s definitely an interesting book. Going into it after reading the blurb, I expected it to be an innocent book […] read full post >>

To be honest, I didn’t feel so much at ease with this novel as I was disturbed by the realization that it was filled with desire and sex. The book focuses on the exploration of the tumultuous journey from childhood innocence to the precipice of adulthood, the exploration of adolescence, the exploration of physical structure […] read full post >>

Well. This one had its moments. The first thing that jumps to mind, for everyone I’m sure, is Freud and his psychosexual theories. I’m not going to get into the details, as most people are probably familiar with these ideas (the Oedipus complex, etc.) but this novel clearly reflects some of those ideas, and I […] read full post >>

Hi Romance Studiers, Throughout my reading of Alberto Moravia’s Agostino, I could not decide whether I enjoyed the text or not. On one hand, I thought it was a cool exploration of how socio-economic class affects the socialization agents that develop a child’s outlook on the world, as well as how the different boys view […] read full post >>

In Alberto Moravia’s “Agostino,” the sun-drenched beaches of a seaside town in Italy set the stage for a captivating exploration of a mother and son’s relationship. Against the backdrop of a summer spent in their pattino and swimming in the sea, Moravia delves into the psyche of a young thirteen-year-old boy named Agostino as he grapples with […] read full post >>