An Immoral Endeavor

At the heart of Alba de Céspedes’ debut novel There’s No Turning Back lies the centuries-debated question: What is ‘immoral’ in literature? It is as complex a topic as a philosophical discussion on moral standards, with countless definitions of what it means to be ‘moral’ or ‘immoral.’ Nietzsche considered ‘immoral writing’ to reveal deeper truths about the darkness of humanity and the hidden sicknesses of the heart; in that same spirit, Oscar Wilde famously contended that there are no immoral books, only well written or poorly written ones. Even with so many valuable perspectives to turn to, provocative philosophical experiments can be futile in the face of state power and authority. Vague accusations of ‘immorality’ have been, and continue to be, used by dominant institutions, governments and autocratic regimes to stifle free expression and to censor legions of books and artworks. There’s No Turning Back was one of them, branded immoral by Mussolini’s Fascist regime shortly after it was first published in 1938.