The Child of Pleasure

by Gabriele D'Annunzio

"The Child of Pleasure" by Gabriele D'Annunzio is a novel written in 1889. Andrea Sperelli, a young Roman nobleman and aesthete, lives for art and the pursuit of pleasure. He finds himself caught between two women who represent opposing ideals: Elena Muti, a mysterious femme fatale, and Maria Ferres, pure and fragile. As Andrea attempts to possess both, his "double game" leads him toward inevitable ruin in this cornerstone work of Italian Decadentism.