Contempt Part II

'The ambiguity which had poisoned our relationship in life continued ever after her death.'
'I despise you and you disgust me' can be the line that summarizes Emilia's attitude, noticed through Riccardo's eyes, but getying to the last pages of the novel, can we really trust his words and emotions. In fact, can we trust the dangerous mind and desires of a beautiful woman?
We leave Riccardo mourning Emilia's death but still unable to discover what was really hidden behind his wife's contempt. Was she really cheating on him or it was only his mind looking for excuses for his inferiority? Was it an unhappy misunderstanding that lead to tragedy or Penelope truly stopped loving Ulysses?
'Contempt preceded by a long way any justification of it, either real or imaginary, that I might have provided by my behavior.'

Contempt Part I

I have read the first seven chapters and I am quite amazed at how well Moravia can capture the struggles of a married man trying to prove to himself that his wife no longer loves him.
"Look and you shall find" seems to be the motto of these chapters. If you are not careful, a single gesture can ruin your relationship. Still, if you knew what gesture not to make, what questions not to ask, would you still decide to go on doing what you're not supposed to do for your own good?
The main character asks a few serious questions about relationships and your supposed 'better half'. We go from defects that seem lovable to suspicion, pain, revolt and remorse, and we still question, at the end of the 7th chapter if she has been unfaithful to him.
These chapters made me ask myself the serious questions that the male charater puts forward: is it true that the moment we start judging, we cease to love? And if we don't judge, should we tolerate everything? How important are money and physical comfort in a relationship?

May Read-Along

If I remember correctly, this is my first read-along, but hopefully not my last. Although May is such a busy month, with final test papers to grade (around 150) and other tests to give, I decided to join Bellezza, Richard and Frances in reading Alberto Moravia's "Contempt" because I simply cannot stay away from such a writer, plus it was also time to read some other books by writers I enjoyed back in college. In a nutshell, if you want and have the time, immerse into some serious reading between 23rd - 25th May. Will it help to say that the book was turned into a movie by Godard, the famous French director, starring Brigitte Bardot?

Labor Day