Alberto Moravia, Agostino
A conversation with Gaoheng Zhang
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 […]
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 […]
I have no words. In starting this book, I did not expect the book to pan out in the way that it had. There are so many aspects of the book that sent shivers of disgust through my body, yet also evoked a sense of pity and understanding for Agostino’s coming of age. One instance is the mixed role of…
Song of the week: Mother – John Lennon Ew! That’s what I thought before I had even finished the first page and also what I was thinking while reading the 100 pages that followed. Surprisingly, this book was quite interesting despite all the weirdness. The fact that the main character, Agostino, is only thirteen years […]
This book really kept me on my toes. Every time I would go to read it I had no idea what was going to happen next but at the same time I did. This was such a weird read and I can’t possibly imagine how the author came up with this story. Maybe he was on drugs. I think Agostino…
After reading Agostino, what stayed with me most was how uncomfortable and strange it made me feel, not because anything especially shocking happens, but because Moravia captures that awkward and unsettled feeling of being in between stages of life so well. Also, I do not think the novel gives us a clear “lesson” about growing […]
I enjoyed reading Agostino, but it’s also a very uncomfortable experience for the reader. My impression that I got while reading: the novel is stopping before anything truly happens in a deliberately unsatisfying way while hinting towards repulsive content. Despite the novella having so many scenes alluding to sexual encounters, I don’t think the word […]
The opening scene of “Agostino” sets the tone of the text: toxic male jealousy. As a 13-year-0ld boy, Agostino loves the attention of his mother. Whether or not this was incestious, it demonstrates how important his mother is to him, and when she gives attention to other men, Agostino gets marvelously jealous. This “jealousy” fades […]
