SOURCE: A review of Agostino, in The Modern Language Journal, October, 1949, pp. 483-84.

In the following evaluation of Agostino, Funderburg lauds the effectiveness of Moravia's use of short sentences and minimal dialogue in his psychological study of an adolescent boy.

Agostino is a psychological study of a boy who for the first thirteen years of his life is unaware of woman as such and of his transition from naiveté to awareness of sensual life. Agostino is initiated abruptly and crudely into the knowledge of sexual life by a group of boys from the dregs of society.

The transition through which Agostino passes is well planned and his poignant feelings are realistic. At first, he worships his mother, is honest and incapable of lying, and completely unaware of anything sensual. Hence, when he meets with the vulgarity of the boys, he is horrified and feels repulsion toward them. With...