L'Innocente

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

22642

Title

L'Innocente

Language

it

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Set in a provincial villa, this psychological drama follows Tullio Hermil, a man torn between his adulterous passions and his devotion to his wife, Giuliana. As their love transforms into a tragic, platonic brotherhood, Tullio's guilt over her suffering and the mysterious death of their infant son drives him toward a desperate confession of his crimes.

Summary up to 500 words

Set in the isolated countryside villa of La Badiola, Gabriele D'Annunzio's *L'Innocente* explores the corrosive nature of guilt and the fragility of human relationships. The narrative centers on Tullio Hermil, a man of refined but corrupted sensibilities who has abandoned his wife, Giuliana, for various mistresses. Over time, their romantic bond deteriorates into a strange, platonic arrangement where Giuliana accepts the role of a devoted sister, sacrificing her own happiness and health to accommodate Tullio's need for freedom and new sensations. Tullio rationalizes this arrangement as a noble sacrifice, believing Giuliana's suffering elevates her moral stature, yet he secretly fears her deteriorating condition. The tension escalates when Giuliana suffers mysterious physical crises, leading Tullio to suspect she is poisoning herself to escape her pain. This suspicion hardens into a fanatical hatred directed at Filippo Arborio, the writer who seduced Giuliana years prior. Tullio views Arborio as a cynical, degenerate figure who exploited Giuliana's spiritual aspirations for carnal ends, contrasting him sharply with his own self-perceived nobility. The plot reaches its tragic climax with the sudden death of their infant son, Raimondo. Consumed by the weight of his sins and the silence of the dead child, Tullio finally breaks down. In a moment of terrifying clarity before the child's funeral, he confesses to his brother and an old friend that he himself murdered the innocent baby. The novel concludes with Tullio's psychological unraveling, leaving the reader to ponder the depths of his depravity and the devastating cost of his 'noble' indifference. Through the lens of Tullio's confession, the work exposes the hollowness of aestheticism when divorced from moral responsibility, illustrating how a life dedicated to self-indulgence can ultimately destroy the very innocence it claims to cherish.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Classics
• Fiction