450. Disobedience

Disobedience
Alberto Moravia
1948
Around 160 pages

Somebody who is obedient enough to take the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die really doesn't know how to be disobedient. If I am being disobedient, I promise I'm trying my best to follow your orders, you just didn't give very helpful directions. So I was hoping I could learn a thing or two in this novel. Unfortunately, I wasn't too into this. There have been a lot of snoozes lately.

Luca is a bratty kid who makes Holden Caulfield seems like a well-behaved young man. In fact, he is so insufferable that it made this entire novel almost unreadable for me. I get what Moravia is trying to do, by choosing an unlikely, weaker character to say "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore." Everything in this era is secretly criticizing fascism. 

But I couldn't stand Luca so I think this was pretty skippable.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Moravia once remarked that the most important facts of his life had been his illness (a tubercular infection of the bones that confined him to a bed for five years) and Fascism, because they both caused him to suffer and do things he otherwise would not have done. Way to be inspirational, Moravia.

UP NEXT: All About H. Hatterr by G.V. Desani. I'm already confused.