Interesting to hear an opinion about The return of the caravels coming from a non portuguese person. I truly can see how it would be a confusing read for a non portuguese person, since to understand it one needs knowledge about the hystorical figures in the book and their relevance to fully grasp it, and also the knowledge about the political situation of Portugal in the 70's, to see how everything comes together so briliantly. But I digress. Happy to see someone enjoying my favourite writer!
this without a doubt the best literature channel on youtube that i’ve come across. keep making these videos, please never stop. you deserve more subscribers and a bigger platform and you will grow if you stay consistent.
Antonio Lobo Antunes is the best. He should have received the Nobel Prize years ago. Since Portuguese is my mother tongue, I have been making my way through all his books in the original. One word: Amazing!
Great video Sean, welcome back! Something I noticed with the reports and commentaries is that the reports within a specific section were all from the point of view of the same character, and the commentaries were each from a different character. For example, the chapters in the first section are: Joao, the farmgirl, Joao, Joao's ex-wife Sophia, Joao, Sofia's Uncle. It seems as though the Inquisitor is showing the report to the person who then give the commentary. The first commentary from the farmgirl starts with "If you say it's true then okay, I believe you, but I don't see why Master Joao would say such terrible things about Senhor Francisco" which is in response to the previous report. I'm not sure what the significance of this is, apart from what you already mentioned in the video. It can't be a real interview since the reports and commentaries are mostly thoughts rather than spoken words but as a literary device its very effective. All the characters are very selfish and the Inquisitor directly transmitting their thoughts to one another is the only way they could ever empathise with each other. Anyway, I loved the book too and will probably tackle Fado Alexandrino or An Explanation of the Birds next.
Heroic. Lobo Antunes is one of my two or three favorite living novelists, has been for years-and this is the first time I’ve seen content about him on YT. Your introduction is incisive and smart. I can’t praise you highly enough. And I will check out Paper Birds. I don’t see Fado Alexandrino on your shelf. Or Knowledge of Hell. You need those. And Act of the Damned, and An Explanation of the Birds, and The Splendor of Portugal, AND another deathbed paychonarrative, By the Rivers of Babylon. All highly recommended alongside the texts I am certainI did see. And for Return of the Caravels, you’ll need to read something like Roger Crowley’s Conquerors, plus Camões’ Os Lusíadas, plus the same modern background you need for The Inquisitor’s Manual. That novel is a miracle, but it demands a lot of background we tend not, in this country, to have about Portuguese history. I have recommendations for that as well if you want any. Thanks SO MUCH for this!
Thanks for all this! There are still a few of his I need to order -- I do have copies of Fado Alexandrino and By the Rivers of Babylon though ( I meant to add some b-roll that showed my collection, but apparently forgot. Apologies!). I've been meaning to read Camões’ Os Lusíadas as it seems like the kind of epic poetry I love. I imagine that would help a great deal with rereading Return of the Caravels. I do plan to reread it soonish. And thanks for the Roger Crowley recommendation. I may actually check that out as I've also been reading a bunch of José Saramago recently, and getting more of the historical context would undoubtedly help me.
After watching the video, I walked to my local bookstore and bought a copy of his book Commission of Tears. (A danger of having a bookstore so close to me.) The translation was published this year. It was the only book of his that they had on the shelf. The description on the cover sounded good to me, like something I would enjoy.
I bought this a few years back after seeing paperbird mention the author, very happy to see you reviewing this. Another great video as usual thank you!
8:20 Salazar became President of the Council of Ministers in 1932 (having been Finance Minister from 1928) and died in 1970, but the Estado Novo (New State) regime/period went from 1926 (military coup, end of the First Republic) to 1974 (Carnation Revolution). Marcelo Caetano took over from Salazar in 1968 when the latter, having fallen from a chair, suffered a stroke and was hospitalized and bedridden, all the while believing he was still in charge of the country, giving orders and governing from his bed while those around him humored him, eventually dying without ever knowing he had been substituted by Caetano. Also, that the Estado Novo was a fascist regime is -- in academic terms -- disputed, though undoubtably an authoritarian dictatorship with some fascist flourishes. Francisco Rolão Preto was the more Italian/German-styled outright revolutionary fascist who not only disliked but tried to overthrow the regime, having been detained and exhiled multiple times.
One thing that (I think) you didn't mention is that Antunes was an army doctor in Angola during the Portuguese Overseas War/Colonial War. It had an enormous impact on him. There is a published collection of the letters he wrote to his wife during that period, which was was turned into a movie in the mid 2010s ("Cartas de Guerra"). The extent to which Salazar, the Estado Novo, the Colonial War, the Carnation Revolution and the end of "the Empire" still reverberate through Portuguese society, families, class, politics, academia, etc. explicitly, implicitly, blatant, hidden, as taboo, as denial, as nostalgia, whatever, is hard to overstate. I myself am Portuguese, grew up in Macau (a Chinese territory near Hong Kong under Portuguese administration for centuries until 1999), am the son to (white) Mozambican parents ("retornados", meaning those who "returned" to the "motherland", although they and their siblings were all born in Mozambique and had never lived in Portugal), had one grandfather (also Mozambican-born) who was pro-Salazar, another who was blacklisted by the regime, had an uncle who fought in the war, etc. I could go on and on (and have a bit, sorry). And my story isn't uncommon. The background events of the novel are still very much key to understanding what Portugal is today, its societal fault lines and its psyche.
Rick Harsch is the biggest Antunes fan I know (except maybe for Larry Riley, his friend and translator of Arlt) and who turned me on to him. I’ve yet to read him though, so this just whets my anticipation all the more
Ok, I had to order this one! Never heard of the author nor the book itself. I’m excited! Am I sure I will be able to understand this one? No, no I’m not, but I’m up for a challenge.
Thank you for another great review! Never heard of the author but now I am intrigued. I am wondering whether you got to read any of your anticipated reads of 2024 (specifically the case of Cem and Praiseworthy) and do we get to watch reviews of those😊?
Thank you! I finished Praiseworthy last month and *really* enjoyed it. I might try to put together a review of it soon. I haven't started The Case of Cem yet, though I did pull it off the shelf the other day with the hope of getting to it this month for Women in Translation month. We'll see though!
Interesting to hear an opinion about The return of the caravels coming from a non portuguese person. I truly can see how it would be a confusing read for a non portuguese person, since to understand it one needs knowledge about the hystorical figures in the book and their relevance to fully grasp it, and also the knowledge about the political situation of Portugal in the 70's, to see how everything comes together so briliantly.
But I digress. Happy to see someone enjoying my favourite writer!
this without a doubt the best literature channel on youtube that i’ve come across. keep making these videos, please never stop. you deserve more subscribers and a bigger platform and you will grow if you stay consistent.
Welcome back :)
Thanks for the warm welcome!
Nice to see some love for Lobo Antunes on booktube. He's one of the best!
Great review, as always!
Nice to see you back and thank you for this in-depth review
Always a pleasure to hear you talk, Sean!
Antonio Lobo Antunes is the best. He should have received the Nobel Prize years ago. Since Portuguese is my mother tongue, I have been making my way through all his books in the original. One word: Amazing!
Absolutely agree that he should win the Nobel. He's in my top four picks.
Great video Sean, welcome back!
Something I noticed with the reports and commentaries is that the reports within a specific section were all from the point of view of the same character, and the commentaries were each from a different character. For example, the chapters in the first section are: Joao, the farmgirl, Joao, Joao's ex-wife Sophia, Joao, Sofia's Uncle.
It seems as though the Inquisitor is showing the report to the person who then give the commentary. The first commentary from the farmgirl starts with "If you say it's true then okay, I believe you, but I don't see why Master Joao would say such terrible things about Senhor Francisco" which is in response to the previous report.
I'm not sure what the significance of this is, apart from what you already mentioned in the video. It can't be a real interview since the reports and commentaries are mostly thoughts rather than spoken words but as a literary device its very effective. All the characters are very selfish and the Inquisitor directly transmitting their thoughts to one another is the only way they could ever empathise with each other.
Anyway, I loved the book too and will probably tackle Fado Alexandrino or An Explanation of the Birds next.
Heroic. Lobo Antunes is one of my two or three favorite living novelists, has been for years-and this is the first time I’ve seen content about him on YT. Your introduction is incisive and smart. I can’t praise you highly enough. And I will check out Paper Birds.
I don’t see Fado Alexandrino on your shelf. Or Knowledge of Hell. You need those. And Act of the Damned, and An Explanation of the Birds, and The Splendor of Portugal, AND another deathbed paychonarrative, By the Rivers of Babylon. All highly recommended alongside the texts I am certainI did see.
And for Return of the Caravels, you’ll need to read something like Roger Crowley’s Conquerors, plus Camões’ Os Lusíadas, plus the same modern background you need for The Inquisitor’s Manual. That novel is a miracle, but it demands a lot of background we tend not, in this country, to have about Portuguese history. I have recommendations for that as well if you want any.
Thanks SO MUCH for this!
Thanks for all this! There are still a few of his I need to order -- I do have copies of Fado Alexandrino and By the Rivers of Babylon though ( I meant to add some b-roll that showed my collection, but apparently forgot. Apologies!). I've been meaning to read Camões’ Os Lusíadas as it seems like the kind of epic poetry I love. I imagine that would help a great deal with rereading Return of the Caravels. I do plan to reread it soonish. And thanks for the Roger Crowley recommendation. I may actually check that out as I've also been reading a bunch of José Saramago recently, and getting more of the historical context would undoubtedly help me.
After watching the video, I walked to my local bookstore and bought a copy of his book Commission of Tears. (A danger of having a bookstore so close to me.) The translation was published this year. It was the only book of his that they had on the shelf. The description on the cover sounded good to me, like something I would enjoy.
Wow, I hope you enjoy it! I just got a copy of that one too.
I bought this a few years back after seeing paperbird mention the author, very happy to see you reviewing this. Another great video as usual thank you!
Thanks for the watching!
I have this in hardback! Picked it up totally blind at a library sale years ago. Glad to hear it’s a good one!
Great to see you again!
This sounds amazing. Appreciate the review.
PaperBird made us all less stupid.
Agreed. He's great!
Yes! Was hoping you'd cover this one.
I had to come back just for Antunes!
8:20 Salazar became President of the Council of Ministers in 1932 (having been Finance Minister from 1928) and died in 1970, but the Estado Novo (New State) regime/period went from 1926 (military coup, end of the First Republic) to 1974 (Carnation Revolution). Marcelo Caetano took over from Salazar in 1968 when the latter, having fallen from a chair, suffered a stroke and was hospitalized and bedridden, all the while believing he was still in charge of the country, giving orders and governing from his bed while those around him humored him, eventually dying without ever knowing he had been substituted by Caetano. Also, that the Estado Novo was a fascist regime is -- in academic terms -- disputed, though undoubtably an authoritarian dictatorship with some fascist flourishes. Francisco Rolão Preto was the more Italian/German-styled outright revolutionary fascist who not only disliked but tried to overthrow the regime, having been detained and exhiled multiple times.
One thing that (I think) you didn't mention is that Antunes was an army doctor in Angola during the Portuguese Overseas War/Colonial War. It had an enormous impact on him. There is a published collection of the letters he wrote to his wife during that period, which was was turned into a movie in the mid 2010s ("Cartas de Guerra"). The extent to which Salazar, the Estado Novo, the Colonial War, the Carnation Revolution and the end of "the Empire" still reverberate through Portuguese society, families, class, politics, academia, etc. explicitly, implicitly, blatant, hidden, as taboo, as denial, as nostalgia, whatever, is hard to overstate. I myself am Portuguese, grew up in Macau (a Chinese territory near Hong Kong under Portuguese administration for centuries until 1999), am the son to (white) Mozambican parents ("retornados", meaning those who "returned" to the "motherland", although they and their siblings were all born in Mozambique and had never lived in Portugal), had one grandfather (also Mozambican-born) who was pro-Salazar, another who was blacklisted by the regime, had an uncle who fought in the war, etc. I could go on and on (and have a bit, sorry). And my story isn't uncommon. The background events of the novel are still very much key to understanding what Portugal is today, its societal fault lines and its psyche.
Having said all that, Antunes has stated on multiple occasions that 'story' is hardly more than "the nail where you hang the picture."
Rick Harsch is the biggest Antunes fan I know (except maybe for Larry Riley, his friend and translator of Arlt) and who turned me on to him. I’ve yet to read him though, so this just whets my anticipation all the more
Ok, I had to order this one! Never heard of the author nor the book itself. I’m excited! Am I sure I will be able to understand this one? No, no I’m not, but I’m up for a challenge.
I think you'll love it! It takes a few pages to find your footing, but once you do, it's really great.
Thank you for another great review! Never heard of the author but now I am intrigued.
I am wondering whether you got to read any of your anticipated reads of 2024 (specifically the case of Cem and Praiseworthy) and do we get to watch reviews of those😊?
Thank you! I finished Praiseworthy last month and *really* enjoyed it. I might try to put together a review of it soon. I haven't started The Case of Cem yet, though I did pull it off the shelf the other day with the hope of getting to it this month for Women in Translation month. We'll see though!
@@travelthroughstories Oh, lovely, I am excited already😊!
great video!
Thank you, Aaron!
Fado Alexandrino and The Ass of Judas are essential for Antunes readers...
I see a Portuguese author, I click.
The fact that he has written nearly 30 novels is jaw-dropping. Just sayin’… Translators cannot keep up.