I would like to share one book "Contempt" by Alberto Moravia Such works always give me pleasure with their simple presentation of complex topics. While reading, a pleasant analogy arose with Fowles's beloved Magus, although the latter was published somewhat later.
Easily, quickly and not without pleasure, I read Alberto Moravia's novel "Contempt" and it is about him that I want to talk to you today.
This book was perfect for the mood and the weather outside the window. I have a particular fondness for dramas set on the seashore under the scorching sun.
I always call such stories cinematic, and they ask for a big screen. Yes, and the work is about a playwright, a dreamer and an intellectual, who is forced to write banal scripts for films solely for the sake of money and the maintenance of his beautiful wife.
The wife of the girl is simple and narrow-minded, however, sometimes causing more respect than the erudite protagonist. This is the case when all the main characters give me only indifference, bordering on disgust. Exactly the same feelings aroused in me the characters of "Magician", in a similar way there I saw a love conflict.
A dreamy creator who considers himself a subtle talent, always suffering from the search for meaning and chasing imaginary ideals, who is in fact too selfish and cowardly to move from reflection to action, and a pretty silly, far from art, but patient and submissive, looking for the wrong thing. love, not the usual comfort.
Two people from opposite universes, who were originally doomed to the collapse of relationships, however, who prefer to torment each other and make endless sacrifices.
But that's not what love is built on. Renouncing yourself, your principles and dreams for the sake of another person, you will not make him or yourself happy. All this only spins into a whirlpool of endless mutual accusations and personal dissatisfaction.
The illusion of desperate attempts to save the marriage, which is essentially only an attempt to absolve itself of any responsibility for its split.
The positive aspects of the novel include atmospheric, psychologism, warm landscapes, a narrative that captivates from the first lines. I would like to note that much attention in the work is given to the "Odyssey" and its problems. Disputes on this topic cause genuine interest in the creation of Homer, which I had previously avoided.
To the negative - the endless mental anguish of the protagonist. I confess, he almost tortured me too. The languid image of an eternally depressive thinker bores me terribly quickly in real life, the book was no exception. Sometimes I just wanted to scream: “Stop whining, Riccardo.” It is not surprising that the obvious things reached the protagonist very late, he was so busy pitying himself.
The ending of the novel is quite logical. This is an excellent example of the psychology of the relationship between a man and a woman from different worlds. Very subtle, deep and instructive.
I recommend the book. Easy, but far from devoid of meaning, reading. I think, should I read anything else from the author? Any recommendations?