Impression My first impression of this book was that it reminded me of Sigmund Freud. I thought to myself, what in the Freud (using Freud as if he was an adjective) was going on whether Agostino would unconventionally describe his mother in a sexual manner. This reminded me of the time when I was […]
Posted in Blogs, Moravia | Tagged with bullying, jealously, racism, Resentment, sexism, sexuality
Despite being relatively short, I think “Agostino” does a great job of encapsulating the confusing transition from childhood innocence to adolescence. I found this book to be much easier reading not only length wise, but content (words) wise as well. Agostino spends his summer days closely attached to his widowed mother. However, his identity and […]
Posted in Blogs, Moravia | Tagged with coming of age, growing up, loneliness, Youth and Rebellion
This Novella was an interesting ride. It follows an upper class kid who is on vacation with his mother. As the story progresses, we see the protagonist’s changing perception of his mother. I dare to question the author’s perception of women, lower social classes and Freudian theories by the way he shaped the main character’s […]
Posted in Blogs, Moravia | Tagged with COA, coming of age, family, Freud, Italy, life, love, Mommy Issues, motherhood, parenting, summer
Trigger Warnings: Mentions of incestuous behaviours, toxic masculinity, and pedophilia. Cover Painting: Tavik F. Simon “Sunny Beach” 1934 “He felt as if he had bartered away his former innocence, not for the virile, serene condition he had aspired to, but rather, for a confused hybrid state in which, without any form of recompense, the old […]
Posted in Blogs, Moravia | Tagged with adolescence, innocence, Maturing, sexism, sexuality, Toxic masculinity, youth
“This is why he must not betray the annoyance and disappointment that he was feeling. But try as he may to feign an air of composure and serenity, he still felt the everyone could read in his face how forced and petty his attitude was” (7) A story can be powerful despite the length. Where […]
Posted in Blogs, Moravia | Tagged with adolescence, childhood, comingofage, mother, sexuality
Hello everyone, welcome back to my blog. The book for this week is Agostino by Alberto Moravia. I had the pleasure of reading an old and weathered copy from the public library which felt more appropriate compared to the PDFs of previous weeks. I enjoyed this this book and found it rather nostalgic, as it […]
Posted in Blogs, Moravia | Tagged with coming of age, Freud, love, Week 5
Agostino by Alberto Moravia was a complex coming-of-age story that left me with feelings of unease throughout reading and afterwards. The plot of the book was very easy to follow and focused more on the psychological aspects of growing up rather than the physical changes which makes sense as the content in the book was […]
While reading Agostino, I found myself saying “What?!” audibly every time a scene surprises me. During other times, I even physically back away from my screen when I feel uncomfortable. For instance, when Agostino describes his mother’s appearance, and…
Posted in Blogs, Moravia | Tagged with Abandonment, class, youth
While reading Agostino, I found myself saying “What?!” audibly every time a scene surprises me. During other times, I even physically back away from my screen when I feel uncomfortable. For instance, when Agostino describes his mother’s appearance, and…
Posted in Blogs, Moravia | Tagged with Abandonment, class, youth
In the beginning, Agostino’s jealousy toward his mother’s lover immediately reminded me of Proust, since he also yearns for his mother’s kisses. Both characters coveted attention from their mothers; their identities are partly contingent upon their mothers’ affection. For instance, the kisses from Prosut’s mother give him satisfaction and a sense of connection with her. […]
Posted in Blogs, Moravia | Tagged with life, perspective, time, youth
