3.0 out of 5 stars
A Sensual Woman, November 22, 2008
A copy of the Angus Davidson translation of Alberto Moravia's novel from the Italian original popped into my book sack @ the Friends of the Library sale. I see there is another translation by Marina Harss. I've always been a bit suspicious about writers who write about writing, like musicians who write songs about music or films about movies. It seems a bit self-serving. The book is a short tale about a writer with writer's block. Silvio describes himself as a superficial man. He marries Leda who is not as educated. She is a sensual woman who tasted numerous love affairs after her first husband's demise. They head to a country villa where Silvio tries to write his first story. However, he believes his inability to create must be due to the passionate love that drains his creativity nightly. His solution is to abstain from conjugal love and focus on his writing. The third major character is the barber Antonio who is an odd duck, not particularly handsome, but who comes daily to shave Silvio. After a session where Antonio does Leda's hair, she complains to her husband that the barber is inappropriate with her. Silvio, aware of his wife's beauty, dismisses the allegation as a little over-excitement on Antonio's part. However, as the story progresses, we learn of Antonio's reputation and the consequences of Silvio's failure to listen to his wife. Moravia gives us a lot of description in the book which makes this a slow laborious page turner rather than a breezy read at 183 pages. The book must have seemed provocative upon its publication in Rome in 1949. However, with Davidson's translation, my experience was of plodding through, waiting for events to occur. The characters were not particularly endearing. I was glad to have read the book & will let another reader have the pleasure after my next gargage sale! Enjoy!
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