The Child of Pleasure

What It's About

The Child of Pleasure follows the life of Andrea Sperelli, a cultivated young aristocrat moving through the luxurious social circles of Rome. Obsessed with beauty, refinement, and sensual pleasure, Andrea becomes entangled in destructive romantic relationships that reveal the emptiness beneath his carefully aesthetic lifestyle. The novel explores his divided affections between the passionate Elena Muti and the more spiritual Maria Ferres, as desire, vanity, and self-indulgence gradually consume him.

Key Concepts

The novel is closely associated with the Decadent movement and aestheticism, emphasizing beauty, sensation, and cultivated artifice over morality or social responsibility. Themes include obsessive love, narcissism, the conflict between spiritual and sensual ideals, and the decline of aristocratic culture. D'Annunzio's highly ornate prose and psychological focus helped establish the novel as an important work of late nineteenth-century European decadence.

About the Author

Gabriele D'Annunzio was an Italian poet, novelist, playwright, and political figure known for his flamboyant public life and influential literary style. A major figure in Italian Decadent literature, he became famous for works that blended sensuality, symbolism, and psychological intensity. His later political activities, including his influence on early Italian nationalism, remain controversial and have complicated his literary legacy.

About This Edition

This English-language edition is translated by Georgina Harding from the original Italian novel Il Piacere, first published in 1889.