RECENT PORTUGUESE PUBLICATIONS
BULLETIN 50

February 2006

 
PART XIX:

Fiction

 
See also items 7, 117, 132 & 175.

153. ANDRADE, Alexandre. Cinco contos sobre fracasso e sucesso. Lisbon: Má Criação, 2005. 8°, orig. illus. wrps. 117, (1) pp., (1 l.). ISBN: 972-8720-05-X. $20.00

 
154. ANJOS, Cyro dos. O amanuense Belmiro. Posfácio by Alcir Pécora. Lisbon: Cotovia, 2005. Curso Breve de Literatura Brasileira, 6. 8°, orig. prtd. wrps. 229 pp., (1 l.). One of 1,000 copies. ISBN: 972-795-130-9. $30.00

Sixth number in an interesting new collection, Curso Breve de Literatura Brasileira, under the editorship of Abel Baptista Barros, presently projected to sixteen volumes. Pages [215]-299 consist of a substantial "Posfácio" by Alcir Pécora, followed by bio-bibliographical notes about the work and its author.



155. COELHO, João Paulo Borges. Indicos indícos, I: Setentrião, estórias. Lisbon: Caminho, 2005. Outras Margens, 40. 8°, orig. illus. wrps. 214 pp. ISBN: 972-21-1703-3. $28.00

Born Porto, 1955, the author has acquired Moçambique nationality. Historian on the faculty of the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, he has dedicated himself to investigating the colonial and subsequent civil wars in Moçambique. He has published various academic texts in Moçambique, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Spain and Canada. This collection of five stories is his third work of fiction, preceded by the novels As duas sombras do rio (2003), and As visitas do Dr. Valdez (2004).

 
156. COELHO, João Paulo Borges. Indicos indícos, II: Meridião, estórias. Lisbon: Caminho, 2005. Outras Margens, 45. 8°, orig. illus. wrps. 179 pp. ISBN: 972-21-1756-4. $20.00

This collection of five stories is the author's fourth work of fiction.

 
157. CORREIA, Clara Pinto. No meio do nosso caminho. 2nd ed. Lisbon: Oficina do Livro, 2005. Romance. 8°, orig. illus. wrps. 327 pp. ISBN: 989-555-144-4. $30.00

First published earlier the same year. The author, born in Lisbon in 1960, has published well over 40 titles since 1983, including fiction, poetry, essays, juvenile literature, and scientific works addressed to the more intelligent sectors of the general public. She has done post-doctoral research in embryology at SUNY Buffalo. See Maria Nazaré Gomes dos Santos in Machado, ed., Dicionário de literatura portuguesa, pp. 139-40.

 
158. CORREIA, Natália [de Oliveira], Fajã de Baixo (Ponta Delgada), 1923-Lisboa, 1993. A madona. 5th ed. Lisbon: Editorial Notícias, 2000. Livros de Natália Correia. 8°, orig. illus. wrps. 181 pp. ISBN: 972-46-1151-5. $22.00

This novel was first published in 1968. See António Quadros, "Uma peregrinação, iniciação matrista: a Madona de Natália Correia: proposta de hermenêutica" in Estruturas simbólicas do imaginário na literatura portuguesa. On the poet, dramatist, novelist, essayist, parliamentary deputy, publisher and translator Natália Correia, see also Maria Fernanda de Abreu, in Machado, ed., Dicionário de literatura portuguesa, pp. 142-3; M. Helena Ribeiro da Cunha in Biblos, I, 1301-2; and Dicionário cronológico de autores portugueses, V, 268-71.
 

159. DELL'AIRA, Alessandro. O mocho e o mago. Translated from the Italian by Alessandra Balsamo and Maria Nella Vercesi. Photographs by Giovanni Purpura. Lisbon: Afrontamento, 1993. Colecção Fixões, 40. Tall 8°, orig. illus. wrps. 100 pp., numerous illus. in text, mostly full page in color. ISBN: 972-36-0303-9. $20.00

Short story, loosely based on the "Mystery of Boca do Inferno", regarding the disappearance of the magician Aleister Crowley on October 5, 1930. The "mocho" is Fernando Pessoa, and the "mago" is Crowley. While translated from the Italian, we could find no evidence that the text was ever published in that language. The author, born 1944, was a high school principal in Italy; he served as assistant director of the Instituto Italiano de Cultura em Lisboa. This was his first book. He also published an essay "Lope de Vega e un nero prodigioso" in Quaderni della Scuola Italiana di Madrid, Anno II, n 2, Giugno 1994, pp. 117-35.

 
160. FITZGERALD, F. Scott. A Década perdida. Translated from the English by M.F. Gonçalves de Azevedo. Lisbon: Estampa, 1989. Colecção Ficções, 10. 8, orig. illus. wrps. 251 pp., (2 l.). ISBN: 972-33-0796-0. $25.00

Includes "May Day", "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz", "The Rich Boy", "Absolution", "Three Hours Between Planes", and "The Lost Decade".

 
161. HERCULANO [DE CARVALHO E ARAUJO], Alexandre. Eurico o presbítero. Introduction by Carlos Reis. 7th ed. thus. Lisbon: Ulisseia, 2001. Biblioteca Ulisseia de Autores Portugueses, 8. Sm. 8°, orig. illus. wrps. 204 pp., (1 blank l., 1 l.). ISBN: 972-56-8129-0. $20.00
 

162. LIQUITO, Virgílio. Malgas de Peçonha: fragmentos de um velho delinquente. Preface by Reinaldo Barata de Sôuza. Porto: Edições Mortas, 2004. Colecção Restos Mortais, 11. 8°, orig. illus. wrps. 63 pp. ISBN: 972-8313-42-X. $20.00

Three stories which originally appeared in the review Pé de Cabra between 1979 and 1992.

 
163. MACHADO, Dyonelio. Os ratos. Posfácio by Ettore Finazzi-Agrò. Lisbon: Cotovia, 2005. Curso Breve de Literatura Brasileira, 7. 8°, orig. prtd. wrps. 173 pp., (1 l.). One of 1,000 copies. ISBN: 972-795-131-7. $28.00

Seventh number in an interesting new collection, Curso Breve de Literatura Brasileira, under the editorship of Abel Baptista Barros, presently projected to sixteen volumes. Pages [155]-73 consist of a substantial "Posfácio" by Ettore Finazzi-Agrò followed by bio-bibliographical notes about the work and its author.

 
164. MARKL, Nuno, Nilto, Rui Zink, et al. Outras belos contos de Natal: ficções humorísticos ilustradas. 2nd ed. Filipa Canhestro, João Lourenço, Luísa Costa Gomes, Manuel João Vieira, Nuno Brito, Nuno Markl and Rui Zink, illus. Castelo Branco: Ediraia, 2005. 8°, orig. illus. wrps. 112 pp., illus. (some illus. in color). ISBN: 972-99194-2-9. $25.00

Other authors with texts represented in this anthology are Manuel João Vieira, Luísa Costa Gomes, Bruno Nogueira, Francisco Moita Flores, Carlos Té, João Pereira Coutinho, Carlos Quevedo, João Serra, Gonçalo Crespo and Miguel Neto. Each story is preceded by a brief bio-bibliographical entry about its author. Appears to have been originally published in 2004.

 
165. PEPETELA, pseud. [i.e. Artur Carlos Maurício Pestana dos Santos]. Jaime Bunda e a morte do Americano, romance. 3rd ed. Lisbon: Dom Quixote, 2005. Autores da Língua Portuguesa. 8°, orig. illus. wrps. 284 pp. ISBN: 972-20-2527-9. $35.00

First published September 2003; the second edition appeared in March 2004. The author was awarded the Prémio Camões for the totality of his literary output. The Prémio Camões was described by the publisher as "the most important literary prize in the Portuguese language." The Angolan-born author of this novel has also written Muana Puó (1978 - 3rd ed., 2002); O desejo de Kianda (1995 - 4th ed., 2001); Mayombe (1980 - 5 editions); O Cão e os caluandas (1985 - 6th ed., 2003); Yaka (1985 - 2 editions); Lueiji, o nascimento dum império (1990); A geração da Utopia (1992 - 6th ed., 2002); Parábola do cágado velho (1996 - 5th ed., 2002); A montanha da água lilás (2000 - 3rd ed., 2002); A gloriosa família (1997 - 3rd ed., 2000); and Jaime Bunda, agente secreto(2001 - 6th ed., 2003). All were published by Dom Quixote.
 

166. RAMOS, Graciliano. S. Bernardo. Posfácio by Abel Baptista Barros. Lisbon: Cotovia, 2005. Curso Breve de Literatura Brasileira, 5. 8°, orig. prtd. wrps. 193 pp., (1 l.). One of 1,000 copies. ISBN: 972-795-134-1. $28.00

Fifth number in an interesting new collection, Curso Breve de Literatura Brasileira, under the editorship of Abel Baptista Barros, presently projected to sixteen volumes. Pages 169-89 consist of a substantial "Posfácio" by Baptista Barros, followed by bio-bibliographical notes about the work and its author.

 
167. REBELO, Tiago. Es o meu segredo. Queluz de Baixo: Presença, 2005. Grandes Narrativas, 304. 8°, orig. illus. wrps. 189 pp., (3 pp. adv.). ISBN: 972-23-3486-7. $25.00

Novel (or novella) about Tomás Arruda, Portugal's most famous living actor, who returns to Lisbon after having conquered London and Hollywood. The author has written six previous works of long fiction and five volumes of stories for children. He has worked as executive director of a TVI news program.

 
168. ROSA, Luís. O amor infinito de Pedro e Inês. 3rd ed. Queluz de Baixo: Presença, 2005. Grandes Narrativas, 300. 8°, orig. illus. wrps. 195 pp., (2 pp. adv., 1 p. blank). ISBN: 972-23-3460-3. $25.00

O amor infinito de Pedro e Inês was first published in November 2005. It went through two editions during the same month; this third edition was published in December. The theme is the tragic romance of Inez de Castro, whose story has inspired more than one dramatist since it unfolded with grim reality in the fourteenth century. The beautiful lady-in-waiting, Inez, had accompanied the Infanta Constança to Portugal on the occasion of the betrothal of the latter to Dom Pedro, the future King. As history has shown, Pedro gave his hand to the Princess and his heart to her lady; once Pedro and Inez openly acknowledged their passion for one another they became two of the world's great lovers. The death of the Infanta was followed by the morganatic marriage of Pedro and Inez, which initiated a series of personal and political intrigues at the court of the Prince's father, Dom Afonso IV. The Portuguese favorites, fearing Spain's ascendancy through the influence of Inez or their own dismissal in favor of Inez' Spanish friends, sought to influence the King against her, even accusing her of attempting to procure the succession of her eldest son to the throne of Portugal, instead of that of the legitimate heir, Pedro's son by the Infanta Constança. The intrigues culminated in Inez' dramatic assassination, for which the King was partly responsible, and in the the grief-stricken Pedro's passionate avowal that he would make amends at the earliest opportunity. There followed one of the most curious events in history: immediately after his accession, Pedro not only severely punished all who had taken part in the persecution of Inez, but insisted upon the Church's recognition of his marriage with her. She was his Queen; as such she was to be accorded dignified burial with royal pomp. Accordingly, her remains were exhumed and conveyed to the royal vault at Alcobaça. The route, which covered several miles, was lined with troops who presented arms as the cortège wended its way among the ranks; upon arrival at the burial-place the most remarkable and gruesome coronation ceremony took place with due solemnity: with his own hands Pedro placed upon Inez de Castro's head the queenly crown she was denied in her lifetime.

The author's historical novel O claustro do silêncio (first published July 2002; the second edition appeared in September of the same year) was unanimously awarded the Prémio Vergílio Ferreira. The work reflects on the political convulsions which took place in Portugal between the third French invasion (1811), and the fleeing of the monks from Alcobaça (1833). It demonstrates the author's profound knowledge of the historiography of the Cistercian Order. A publisher's blurb states: "Romance histórico por excelência, recreador e preservador de um património único e nosso . . . é um belíssimo objecto literário, cuja força passa pela liberdade com que o autor soube usar os seus materiais linguísticos." His novel O terramoto de Lisboa e a invenção do mundo (2004) deals with Eugénio dos Santos e Carvalho, the architect responsible for the reconstruction of Lisbon after the devastating 1755 earthquake. Luís Rosa also has published a novel, Depois da guerra in 1991, a work on business sociology in 1992, and various poems in the review Descriptor, 1993. The author's first separately published book of poetry, Poemas de amar e pensar um pouco, also appeared in 1993.

 
169. SALDANHA, Ana. Escrito na parede. Lisbon: Caminho, 2005. Livros do Dia e do Noite. 8°, orig. illus. wrps. 149 pp. ISBN: 972-21-1741-6. $18.00

Juvenile novella. The author's first novel, Círculo imperfeito (1995), won the Prémio Literário Cidade de Almada, 1994. Widely considered one of the best Portuguese writers for younger readers, she has a Ph.D. from the University of Glasgow; her thesis was about the children's books of Rudyard Kipling.

 
170. SOARES, Luís. Os adultos. Lisbon: Oficina do Livro, 2005. Ficção. 8°, orig. illus. wrps. 348 pp. ISBN: 989-555-142-8. $35.00

The author was born in Lisbon in 1972. This is his second novel (and second book?). It deals with an online romance between a teacher and his student. Aquariofilia, the author's first novel, was published in 2003.
 

171. TAVARES, Gonçalo M. Jerusalém. Livros pretos, romance. Lisbon: Caminho, 2005. O Campo da Palavra. Cadernos de Gonçalo M. Tavares, 10. 8°, orig. prtd. wrps. 251 pp., (1 l.). ISBN: 972-21-1704-1. $30.00

Awarded the Prémio Ler by the Millenium B.C.P. and the Prémio José Saramago for 2005. This novel is the third of a series of Livros pretos (O Reino), the first of which was Um homem: Klaus Klump, followed by A máquina de Joseph Walser. Born in 1970, the author published his first work, Livro da dança, in 2001. His Senhor Valéry (2002) was awarded the Prémio Branquinho da Fonseca by the weekly newspaper Expresso and the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian. Investigações, Novalis, poesia (2002) was awarded the Prémio Revelação de Poesia APE / IPLG, 1999. A volume of poems, O homem ou é tonto ou é mulher (2002), was adapted for the stage at the Teatro Aberto during the "encontro do Novíssimo Teatro de Expressão Portuguesa e Alemã" by the Artistas Unidos n' A Capital.

 
172. TELLES, Lygia Fagundes. As meninas. Queluz de Baixo: Presença, 2005. Grandes Narrativas, 302. 8°, orig. illus. wrps. 243 pp., (2 ll. adv.). ISBN: 972-23-3476-X. $30.00

Originally published in Rio de Janeiro, 1973. This is the first edition to be published in Portugal of this novel by an important Brazilian novelist and short story writer. She was awarded the Prémio Camões in 2005.

 
173. VEIGA FERREIRA, Seomara da. Crónica esquecida d'el rei D. João II. Lisbon: Presença, 1995. Novos Continentes, 66. 8°, orig. illus. wrps. 353 pp. ISBN: 972-23-1942-6. $30.00

This apocryphal chronicle of one of Portugal's most important rulers, the second work of fiction by this author, born in Lisbon, 1942, received some positive comments in the Diário de Notícias shortly after publication. Her historical novel in the form of the memoirs of Nero's mother, Memórias de Agripina, was well-received both critically and commercially. An historian, she has published various works in journals and in book form, and was responsible for the television series "Os Romanos entre nós."