Two Friends
“A fascinating glimpse of how Moravia’s writing evolved…InTwo Friends, Moravia links a human drama to the struggle between Communism and Fascism for Italy’s heart and soul . . . . [and] there is something of Marcello Mastroianni in Moravia’s protagonists: they present an endless series of self-loathing, conflicted men who aspire to make art or take some form of decisive action, but who instead are thwarted and trapped by their own lack of nerve.” —Rachel Donadio,New York Times Book Review“The memory of desire underscores Alberto Moravia’sTwo Friends…each a different perspective on an indelibly vivid—and perhaps autobiographical—love triangle involving an aristocrat and an impoverished film critic in Rome at the close of World War II.” —Vogue.com“Moravia offers three strikingly different portraits of a friendship poisoned by political fanaticis…its tone and existential disarray [are] reminiscent of Kundera’sUnbearable Lightness of Being…a rare glimpse into [Moravia’s] process, the evolution of schematic characters into realized beings, and the construction of a disturbing allegory about romance, passion, and politics gone terribly awry.” —Publishers Weekly“Unflinching in their emotional realism, these are fascinating works that reveal as much about the creative process as about friendship and Italian politics.” —Kirkus Reviews“It’s telling that Jean-Luc Godard adapted some of Moravia’s novels into films, including Contempt, and readers who enjoyed those works will appreciate this publication.” —Library Journal“Readers are offered an extraordinary view of [Moravia’s] unique literary process as his characters come to life and he builds a disturbing story of politics, romance, and passion gone terribly wrong.” —Italian Tribune