Alberto Moravia is a dominant figure in Italian literary and cultural life in the twentieth century. His first novel appeared in 1929, and for the next sixty years he published profusely: novels, short stories, essays, plays, film scripts, travel pieces, movie reviews, and tales for children. The first Italian writer to achieve international renown after World War II, he had become a public figure in Italy by the 1970s: political parties vied for his support and even his candidacy in elections; articles on his personal life and literary career appeared regularly in mass-market magazines; and the press and television sought him for interviews.

Moravia's appeal to three generations of Italian readers was undeniable: sales of his works eventually made him wealthy--an uncommon phenomenon in Italy where few writers can support themselves solely by their art. Critical reception of his work has been less consistent. For some critics his style...