The Conformist

Rating:
Summary: One of Moravia's Best
Review: At long last, Moravia is once again available in translation. Apart from his first work GLI INDIFFERENTI, IL CONFORMISTA is probably the author's most successful novel. Well, the most infamous anyway. The setting is fascist Italy just prior to the Second World War and the plot is loosely based on the assassinations of two of Moravia's cousins who were political activists standing up to Il Duce's regime. Moravia takes these events and constructs a masterpiece of postwar Italian fiction, relentless and loaded with insightful ironies. There are some major differences between the novel and Bertolucci's film, which is wonderful in its own right. So don't let that deter you from reading the book.

Rating:
Summary: Astounding !! True realism embalmed in pre-war surrealism!
Review: I tried watching the movie AFTER the book and I had NO patience with the movie, though directed by a person for whom I have great respect. Moravia is a lyricist and this prose poem of a novel describes some very hard facts of boyhood during fascist times in Italy, and more. The boy becomes a man, a conformist, due to an incredible mistake. And a mistaken mistake at that! Add to this an almost abusive father, who is institutionalized later in the novel, his lovely decadent drug addict mother with her 15 small dogs, and her chauffer, of course. A most harrowing, yet not disbeleivable, ending winds up the novel in just two pages. More from Moravia! Get this book back in print! For the scenes in the Paris clubs, it is alone worth reading this fascinating book. I read it two years ago and it has stayed with me, unlike many of my other favotite novels. This book is incomparable; it is not for the conformists, nor is it for the faint of heart!

Rating:
Summary: Astounding !! True realism embalmed in pre-war surrealism!
Review: I tried watching the movie AFTER the book and I had NO patience with the movie, though directed by a person for whom I have great respect. Moravia is a lyricist and this prose poem of a novel describes some very hard facts of boyhood during fascist times in Italy, and more. The boy becomes a man, a conformist, due to an incredible mistake. And a mistaken mistake at that! Add to this an almost abusive father, who is institutionalized later in the novel, his lovely decadent drug addict mother with her 15 small dogs, and her chauffer, of course. A most harrowing, yet not disbeleivable, ending winds up the novel in just two pages. More from Moravia! Get this book back in print! For the scenes in the Paris clubs, it is alone worth reading this fascinating book. I read it two years ago and it has stayed with me, unlike many of my other favotite novels. This book is incomparable; it is not for the conformists, nor is it for the faint of heart!

Rating:
Summary: Get this book back in print!
Review: This is an excellent entry piece into Italian fiction (in translation), especially for those seeking works set during World War II and the rise of fascism in Italy. Ranks with the best of international 20th century literature.

Rating:
Summary: Movie is better than book
Review: This is one of the few instances that I have found in which the movie version of a novel is better than the novel itself. This is a contrived work through and through, and one can understand why Bertolucci completely changed the ending for the movie. Moravia here displays his utter sentimentality with an admixture of arm-chair psychology that is truly laughable....and this is probably his best novel.

Rating:
Summary: Hard to understand at times, but a good novel overall
Review: This novel is fairly difficult to follow at times, but the entire story comes together at the end. You do not have to really be into Moravia's other novels to enjoy this one, but you do have to have some patience. The good parts of the novel are only made better by the rather dull beginning. Read it if you have some free time and you want to get a taste of Moravia's talent.

Rating:
Summary: Hard to understand at times, but a good novel overall
Review: This novel is fairly difficult to follow at times, but the entire story comes together at the end. You do not have to really be into Moravia's other novels to enjoy this one, but you do have to have some patience. The good parts of the novel are only made better by the rather dull beginning. Read it if you have some free time and you want to get a taste of Moravia's talent.

Rating:
Summary: Movie is better than book
Review: What a page turner! It was truly one of those books that you don't want to put down. Truly a gripping story, even up to the last paragraph! I'll definitely be reading more Moravia works.