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The Illustrious House of Ramires
The Illustrious House of Ramires | José Maria de Eça de Queirós
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In a brilliant new translation, the wonderful penultimate novel by Eça de Queirós: “Portugal's greatest novelist” (José Saramago) The Illustrious House of Ramires, presented here in a sparkling new translation by Margaret Jull Costa, is the favorite novel of many Eça de Queirós aficionados. This late masterpiece, wickedly funny and yet profoundly tender, centers on Gonçalo Ramires, heir to a family so aristocratic that it predates even the kings of Portugal. Gonçalo—charming but disastrously effete, idealistic but hopelessly weak—muddles through his pampered life, burdened by a grand ambition. He is determined to write a great historical novel based on the heroic deeds of his fierce medieval ancestors. But “the record of their valor,” as The London Spectator remarked, “is ironically counterpointed by his own chicanery. A combination of Don Quixote and Walter Mitty, Ramires is continually humiliated but at the same time kindhearted. Ironic comedy is the keynote of the novel. Eça de Queirós has justly been compared with Flaubert and Stendhal."
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Henrik_Madsen
The Illustrious House of Ramires | José Maria de Eça de Queirós
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The book was published in 1900 after the authors death and tracks the attempts of Goncalo Ramires, last son of an ancient Portuguese noble family, to find his way in life. Should he write a historical novel? Should he pursue a political career? Should he concentrate on his business?
So much is possible but he struggles to make up his mind and actually finish something. There is intrigue and trouble but things never get truely dire. #portugal

BarbaraBB Great review. Are you still in Portugal? 5y
Henrik_Madsen @BarbaraBB Sadly not. I have already been back to work for two weeks but I‘m a bit behind on reviews. 5y
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