Il piacere
Gabriele d'Annunzio
This novel delves into the ambitions and contradictions of Andrea Sperelli, set against the aesthetically-driven Rome of the late 1800s. Divided between the sensual Elena and the angelic Maria, Sperelli's innate inability to act will lead him to lose both loves. Published in 1889, the protagonist's exceptional behavior reflected the dominant aesthetic ideals of the time, while the psychological analyses and the protagonist's ineptitude place the novel within the realm of modern decadent literature.