Student Blogs

Entering Carmen Laforet’s “Nada,” one goes on a moving adventure with Andrea, a character whose story goes beyond fiction to touch our humanity. Set in post-Civil War Spain, Andrea’s story delves into the landscapes of resilience and the desire for identity, going beyond a simple recounting of historical events. Her struggles to find her place […] read full post >>

 This week's book was Agostino, and wow, yet another boy with mommy issues. Like many of you, I have also made a connection between Proust’s Combray and Agostino. The book definitely made me think of Combray and the relationship between Proust and... read full post >>

 This week's book was Agostino, and wow, yet another boy with mommy issues. Like many of you, I have also made a connection between Proust’s Combray and Agostino. The book definitely made me think of Combray and the relationship between Proust and... read full post >>

The man, the myth, the legend: Freud is back yet again. I think I speak for everyone (or mostly everyone) that he was the first that came to mind after reading the first few pages of « Agostino » by Alberto Moravia. I went into this book thinking it would be a fun summer read. And Boy, […] read full post >>

Tuesday, February 6th I was definitely not prepared for the journey that I embarked on while reading this book, considering this family takes the term dysfunctional to a whole new level. The story in itself was quite easy to follow, and I don’t find it to be a particularly tough read. The storyline was straightforward […] read full post >>

Well...this one was interesting. I usually write blog posts a lot earlier because I feel pretty inspired after reading a book...but this week was different. I've delayed writing this because quite frankly I've been left a bit speechless and don't know ... read full post >>

Well...this one was interesting. I usually write blog posts a lot earlier because I feel pretty inspired after reading a book...but this week was different. I've delayed writing this because quite frankly I've been left a bit speechless and don't know ... read full post >>

Agostino, a novel by Alberto Moravia, is the coming of age story of a young boy, with his widowed mother. Set on a beautiful sunny beach in the Italian summer, this book explores themes of loss, angst, youth, innocence, sexuality and the complexities of trying to understand the world around you. Infatuated with his mother, …

Continue reading "Week 5: Agostino"

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Nada, or Nothing when translated from Spanish, is a heart-wrenching, dramatic novel by Carmen Laforet that details a family’s life in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. Laforet details the class divide, what it means to go hungry, and different kinds of love. We follow Andrea, a student, navigating her strange family and different […] read full post >>

Sometimes I wonder why literature writers (or is it just the romance ones?) get so obsessed with the Oedipus complex and overall Freud’s theory. There must be something poetic or beautiful within the layers of uncomfortable incestuous relationships for these many writers to focus on it. Even though I started reading the book without any […] read full post >>

Agostino was an interesting read to say the least… Although at first glance, the Freudian themes make it a bit of an uncomfortable read, once I turned my brain off to the perplexing sexualizations of Agostino’s mother I was able to appreciate the novella for what it was: an excruciatingly detailed recount of the experience […] read full post >>

Oh, boy…where do I even begin? I mean it was definitely an interesting read but, I won’t lie, it did make my stomach turn at some point. From the overly sexual descriptions of his mother to the racism to the overall underlying misogynistic tone of the book, Alberto Moravia’s Agostino never failed to disturb and […] read full post >>

 Week 5's reading is Agostino by Alberto Moravia, a very short yet interesting reading. I found this the easiest to read and get into so far, partly because it was only 57 pages and I could read it all in one sitting, but also because the plot and... read full post >>

 Week 5's reading is Agostino by Alberto Moravia, a very short yet interesting reading. I found this the easiest to read and get into so far, partly because it was only 57 pages and I could read it all in one sitting, but also because the plot and... read full post >>

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 >>