Portugal Books

I saw this book in a bookstore when it was first published. At the time I didn't have the $40 to spare and I've regretted not purchasing this book ever since. I love Portugal and am of Portuguese heritage. This spectacular book showcases centuries of beautiful architecture, most of which is still kept up beautifully and is even more spectacular in person. Anyone who loves Portugal, history, architecture, and is interested in castle lore will appreciate this book. I'm hoping to find a used copy through Amazon so I can share the wonderful pictures and stories with friends.

I ordered this by chance, to read during a holiday in Lisbon. What a revelation! This is a great late XIX Century novel about bourgeois adultery. It belongs on the same shelf as Madame Bovary and Anna Karenina, but it is even closer to Emile Zola's "La Curee." Luiza, a lovely young wife, is led into temptation by her worldly cousin Bazilio, an awful rake. Consequently, Luiza is blackmailed by her ghastly maid Juliana. The struggle between the two women goes ever deeper. I won't betray any more of the plot, except to say that there are many wonderful secondary characters, several hilarious moments (although the whole novel is built toward a tragic ending), and a lot of political subtext. Reading it in Lisbon was a extra-special treat, as I carried the book through the very streets where it takes place.
Once I was done with it, I picked up another Queiroz at the Lisbon FNAC for the flight back, translated in French this time. Wow! What a letdown: all choppy and strangely overdone. That proved to me - a contrario - that Margaret Jull Costa did a fantastic job translating Cousin Bazilio. I never was conscious I was reading a translation. I will read more novels by Queiroz, but only if translated by Margaret Jull Costa.

"Cuando ya no importe" es la novela final de Juan Carlos Onetti y una de sus mejores (que, en alguien que jamás escribió una novela mala, no es poco decir). Escrita en forma de diario, es algo así como si Marlow (el protagonista de El Corazón de las Tinieblas, de Conrad) escribiese el día a día de su miseria, durante los últimos años del siglo XX, en un mundo donde Kurtz no existe, donde ni el viaje, ni el río (a pesar de estar ahí) tienen excusa para existir.
También es, probablemente, la novela más graciosa (éste es el primer párrafo, "Hace una quincena o un mes que mi mujer de ahora eligió vivir en otro país. No hubo reproches ni quejas. Ella es dueña de su estómago y de su vagina. Cómo no comprenderla si ambos compartimos, casi exclusivamente, el hambre".) y la más melancólica de todas las suyas ("Hay en esta ciudad un cementerio marino más hermoso que el poema. Y hay o había o hubo allí, entre verdores y el agua, una tumba en cuya lápida se grabó el apellido de mi familia. Luego, en algún día repugnante del mes de agosto, lluvia, frío y viento, iré a ocuparlo con no sé qué vecinos. La losa no protege totalmente de la lluvia y, además, como ya fue escrito, lloverá siempre".)

The entire Portuguese-speaking world is embraced under one cover in an unusual cookbook which covers Portugal and its colonies alike. From Brazil and Cape Verde to Goa and Portugal, chapters survey different regions in addition to offering recipes unique to that region. The blend of culinary history and recipe is outstanding, making for an excellent pick for any library strong in international cuisines and history.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book is very insightful and helpful for gaining an understanding of the culture and history of Spain. I like that it has important terms and concepts in bold. The brief overview at the beginning of each chapter is a useful guide for studying; also the review questions at the end are good to ensure that you've gathered the important ideas from the reading.

Even though I am familiar with Portuguese, as a Brazilian expatriate in the USA, I found this book to be very useful. It highlights the cultural characteristics of the Portuguese people in a very concise and poignant way, and provides valuable insights into the culture, customs and mentality of the Portuguese people. This book is a great resource for anyone traveling, studying or even just traveling in Portugal, and should be on the reading list for anyone visiting Portugal.

This is a wonderful resource for those interested in the prehistory and early history of Spain. The book is well organized, with maps that cross-correlate with listings of sites by time period. Each site is described succinctly, and directions for finding the sites are clear and detailed. Obviously, the book is now about 5 years away from the most recent research, but nonetheless it represents a comprehensive guide for some essential places to know.

Esta obra é uma leitura obrigatória para os estudiosos da ciência do direito e que buscam um aperfeicoamento profissional. Versa sobre o direito das obrigações e configura-se como uma das melhores obras do direito civil clássico, além de constituir-se em pressuposto lógico e inafastável para quem deseja aprender o direito das relações de consumo e como esta matéria evoluiu a partir do direito civil clássico.

Book was sent in a very speedy manner and came as was described. Definitely recommend for future orders

Like almost everyone else in the US, I think of Jimenez as the author of those charming children's stories, Platero y yo. So, when the translator, Hugh Harter, gave me a copy of his new book, my mind immediately went to what a skilled children's author could make from the situation described in the title. I was very wrong.

I have discovered something truly wonderful in Jimenez. At the risk of overstating, I saw three different rivers come together in this work: the German Romantics, the French symbolists, and the America of Whitman (the three-themed unity of "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd") and the Dickinson of the sparkling shards of thoughts and phrases (each of which he read in the original -- ah! for the days of a good old fashioned education!). And I saw the scene set for the surrealists. Suddenly, the lineage made perfect sense and the 'missing link' was this Spanish poet I'd written off, thanks to some skilled misrepresentation on the part of my high school Spanish teachers.

The book itself is exceptionally beautiful. The facing-page translations allow for grazing right and left, well laid out with plenty of negative space. I could never let myself buy a $60 book for myelf; but I'd certainly buy it for special friends. And this book is definitely special enough to qualify.