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, Agostino has to grapple with the loss of his mothers’ attention, attempting to fill this hole by befriending an aggressive local boy and falling into the cycle of trying to prove himself to them. The key characteristic of this novel is by far its imagery. Moravia has mastered the art of creating a beautifully descriptive, yet simple world, serving as a supreme depiction of the power of his imagination. From the first paragraph, Moravia’s captivating descriptions of both the locations and the protagonists emotions are extremely compelling. The picturesque nature of the book serves, in some part, to help reduce the level of discomfort one experiences at times during this book. Agostino’s sexual awakening throughout the course of this summer, both with his mother and with the group of boys, is one of the key aspects of his growth. His lack of experience and knowledge is a key point, both with him struggling to understand the emotions he feels for his mother and with the group of boys. All of this is extremely important in Moravia’s portrayal of sexuality and the angst of the protagonist in trying to navigate his confusion while attempting to portray himself as confident and tough, so as to fit in with the other boys. Moreover, the changing nature of his sentiments towards his mother, and how it changes after discovering the world of sexuality, leaves Agostino in a state of conflict between his emotions of attraction and repulsion. This reflects the mixing of innocence and corruption, and how he is losing his innocence, a universal experience for all. The taboo nature of these themes and the manner in which Moravia explores them serves to effectively reflect the experience of being a growing adolescent. Additionally, the reflection of the disparity between classes and their experiences is illustrated through Agostinos relationship with the boys. This book is filled with powerful, yet sometimes unsettling, imagery, which serves to create a wonderfully enthralling atmosphere and reading experience. Overall, I really enjoyed this reading.
Question: How would you describe your adolescent years? Were they at all similar to Agostino’s experience?
After reading your blog this week, you reminded me that this radical change in Agostino is actually happening in just a few weeks. The story is framed in a very specific time frame but we don’t have too many references from the “real world” to place it in a fixed year. In my opinion, it is one of Moravia’s successes. He is very detailed in certain matters and only mentions others that prevent the intensity of what is narrated from being maintained.
Hi Prathyush, I love your analysis of the imagery and artistic style of the novel itself. I do agree with how it somehow reduced the feelings of discomfort, because I, for one, found the descriptions of the mother very beautiful (despite the creepy nature). To answer your question, I would say I went through puberty with the essential awkwardness and discomfort like every other person. But, perhaps due to gender differences I could not relate to the brutality and violence Agostino faces when he starts hanging out with the boys, or the strange sexual feelings towards his mother. My adolescent years were definitely filled with a lot of events leading to my loss of innocence and ultimately growth, though. Amazing blog post!