The Child of Pleasure (1889) is a novel by Gabriele D'Annunzio. The
first in a series of three novels exploring the lives of the Italian
bourgeoisie, The Child of Pleasure marked a shift in D'Annunzio's
early writing, which consisted of poems in the Symbolist tradition.
Considered a central text of Italian Decadentism, the novel has earned
comparisons to the work of Oscar Wilde and Joris-Karl Huysmans. "The
next evening, he arrived at the palace a few minutes earlier than usual,
with a wonderful gardenia in his button-hole and a vague uneasiness in
his mind. His coupé had to stop in front of the entrance, the portico
being occupied by another carriage, from which a lady was alighting. The
liveries, the horses, the ceremonial which accompanied her arrival all
proclaimed a great position. The Count caught a glimpse of a tall and
graceful figure, a scintillation of diamonds in dark hair and a slender
foot on the step." From his home at the Palazzo Zuccari, Andrea Sperelli
leads a life in pursuit of beauty, pleasure, and women. When an ex-lover
returns to Rome following the breakdown of her marriage, he loses
interest in his numerous affairs and longs to regain her love. But the
past proves difficult to forget, the memories of betrayal and
unhappiness no less painful after so many years apart. Wounded in a
duel, Andrea is taken to a rural village to recuperate. There, he meets
the beautiful Maria, who seems to promise a life of love and friendship.
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript,
this edition of Gabriele D'Annunzio's The Child of Pleasure is a
classic work of Italian literature reimagined for modern readers.
