THE WOMAN OF ROME

The story of the oldest profession by one of its younger members, this is a first person narrative which combines a certain naivete with even more self-love and self-pity. Adriana, whose mother had high hopes for her, largely financial, is hired out as an artist' model, then at eighteen meets Gino, a chauffeur, with whom- to her mother's disgust- she falls in love. Her seduction by Gino expectedly does not lead to marriage, and Adriana, under the influence of a friend, is led into prostitution, reaches a low when first she steals, later she becomes involved with a murderer. Falling in love again, with Giacomo- a student engaged in subversive politics- Adriana finds herself unable to secure his love or to save him, and is pregnant when he suicides... You can't work up too much sympathy over Adriana- she's such a dumbbunny- but the interludes of fulsome Latin passion may salaciously satisfy a few.