The Child Of Pleasure (1898)

The Child of Pleasure is a novel written by Italian author Gabriele D'Annunzio and was first published in 1898. The story revolves around the life of a wealthy young man named Andrea Sperelli, who is a talented poet and artist. He is handsome, charming, and lives a life of luxury in Rome. Despite his privileged upbringing, Andrea is deeply unhappy and feels empty inside. He is constantly searching for meaning and purpose in life, but his hedonistic lifestyle and pursuit of pleasure only lead him further down a path of self-destruction.Throughout the novel, Andrea engages in numerous affairs with women, including his cousin Elena, who he sees as the embodiment of beauty and perfection. He also becomes involved with a married woman named Maria Ferres, who becomes pregnant with his child. Despite his love for Maria, Andrea is unable to commit to her and she eventually dies in childbirth.As the novel progresses, Andrea's life becomes increasingly chaotic and he begins to spiral out of control. He becomes addicted to drugs and alcohol, and his behavior becomes more and more erratic. Eventually, he realizes that his pursuit of pleasure has left him empty and unfulfilled, and he decides to leave Rome and start a new life.The Child of Pleasure is a poignant and introspective novel that explores themes of love, desire, and the search for meaning in life. D'Annunzio's writing is lyrical and poetic, and he paints a vivid picture of the decadent lifestyle of the Italian aristocracy in the late 19th century. The novel is a timeless classic that continues to captivate readers today.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.