Friday, July 31, 2015
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
The Fetish (Alberto Moravia)
The Fetish is the forth work I've read by Alberto Moravia, but it's the first collection of short stories. Unfortunately, I wasn't impressed. The stories in The Fetish aren't bad, but they didn't particularly blow me away. Moravia's short stories are like shorter, less developed version of his novels.
His novels, like The Empty Canvas and Two, are so good because he has space to develop his characters and his ideas. In his short stories, we get only a hint of an idea. Yes, all the stories end with kickers that reveal something about the characters, but compared to his novels, they lack a wow factor.
I will, however, point out two of my favourite stories in this collection: "Appointment at the Beach," and "The Misanthrope."
"Appointment at the Beach" features a young married couple who arrive on the shore to spend a day together. Almost immediately, they see a group of locals gathered around a body that's been found. The husband wonders at his wife's sudden sadness. He encourages her to have fun and forget about the dead man, but she refuses and lashes out at him. A twist at the end reveals a kicker. She knows the mysterious dead man on the beach. She had planned to meet him there.
"The Misanthrope" features a young man who goes driving with an acquaintance and two young women. He's judgmental of and can't stand any of his companions, but eventually realizes that it's not their fault, but rather his.
His novels, like The Empty Canvas and Two, are so good because he has space to develop his characters and his ideas. In his short stories, we get only a hint of an idea. Yes, all the stories end with kickers that reveal something about the characters, but compared to his novels, they lack a wow factor.
I will, however, point out two of my favourite stories in this collection: "Appointment at the Beach," and "The Misanthrope."
"Appointment at the Beach" features a young married couple who arrive on the shore to spend a day together. Almost immediately, they see a group of locals gathered around a body that's been found. The husband wonders at his wife's sudden sadness. He encourages her to have fun and forget about the dead man, but she refuses and lashes out at him. A twist at the end reveals a kicker. She knows the mysterious dead man on the beach. She had planned to meet him there.
"The Misanthrope" features a young man who goes driving with an acquaintance and two young women. He's judgmental of and can't stand any of his companions, but eventually realizes that it's not their fault, but rather his.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Monday, July 13, 2015
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
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