Moderato Cantabile
Fiction | Novella | Adult | Published in 1958
166
Novella • Fiction
Unnamed French Town • 1950s
1958
Adult
18+ years
Moderato Cantabile by Marguerite Duras tells the story of Anne Desbaresdes, a wealthy industrialist's wife, who befriends Chauvin, an unemployed man, after witnessing a violent crime. Anne becomes fascinated by the passion driving the act and frequently meets Chauvin at a café, seeking escape from her dull life and exploring a forbidden allure. The story delves into themes of desire, social conventions, and the search for freedom. This novel includes depictions of graphic violence.
Melancholic
Mysterious
Bittersweet
Contemplative
Marguerite Duras' Moderato Cantabile is praised for its lyrical prose and exploration of emotional isolation. Critics commend its innovative narrative structure and evocative atmosphere. However, some find the pacing slow and the plot minimalistic to a fault. Overall, Moderato Cantabile is lauded for its depth and literary craft, appealing mainly to readers who appreciate introspective and symbolic storytelling.
Readers who appreciate Marguerite Duras's Moderato Cantabile would enjoy a contemplative narrative, rich with poetic prose and imbued with existential themes. Fans of Albert Camus's The Stranger or Jean-Paul Sartre's Nausea will find a similar allure in Duras's exploration of human emotion and societal constraints.
166
Novella • Fiction
Unnamed French Town • 1950s
1958
Adult
18+ years
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