Andrea Spirelli, the protagonist of Pleasure is an extremely complex character who consistently lets his emotions get the best of him. Andrea experiences dramatic mood swings throughout Book 1 and so far through Book 2. In the first Book Andrea becomes love sick. He becomes addicted to Elena’s love. When she leaves him, he falls into a deep, deep depression that at times it seems almost dangerous. Andrea has very obsessive tendencies and cannot control his desire for love, which at times seems more like lust. This obsession is Andrea’s defining characteristic.

            The Italic Nobility of the era Pleasure is under a social magnifying glass. Every movement, action, or expression is analyzed in excruciating detail, misinterpreted and redistributed as fact. Even the minutest details are notice. D’Annunzio’s description of nobility stalking the dance floor at the ball in order to pick up anything, even subconscious movements that could be used as gossip is the most accurate description of the Italic Nobility of the time.

            In addition to Andrea, there are also numerous intriguing characters in the novel. One of which is Elena. Elena is the first character we meet besides Andrea and is therefore, the most important antagonist. Andrea is madly in love with Elena and believes to be her soul mate until she unexpectedly leaves Rome and Andrea. I believe that she will return eventually and that her return will dramatically alter the course of the story and Andrea’s world. Another interesting character is Maria. Maria doesn’t appear until Book 2, which makes me believe that she is less powerful than Elena. However, Andrea’s desire to be with her seems much stronger and more intense than when he was pursuing Elena. I believe Elena will ultimately win the heart of Andrea at the end of the novel.