Mini-Comments

-> This post serves to summarize two of my latest reads. 

These two books have in common the fact they came from my local library the last time I stopped there. They are also both small books not even reaching the 200 pages. One author is new to me (Conrad), the other I knew what I'd get (Sampaio) but both books I read in Portuguese. The Portuguese author's book isn't translated into english.

Com 78 anos de idade, o narrador e personagem principal deste novo livro de Daniel Sampaio é um dia confrontado com uma situação comum a muitos homens da sua idade - o casamento de um neto. Convidado para a festa, feliz por não ter sido esquecido, parte para uma longa viagem mental nas profundidades da sua memória. Começa por esse neto, Afonso, que o fez sentir velho pela primeira vez, aos 60 anos; aqui recupera a memória de Luísa, a colega na escola onde ambos ensinavam e partilhavam projectos e sonhos profissionais; recua até aos 40 anos, à figura de Mariana, sua mulher e companheira de sempre, mas que por esta altura da vida o confronta com a fragilidade das relações humanas, a começar pelo amor; e enfim, chega aos 20 anos, à adolescência e à juventude, onde tudo começa, para o bem e para o mal.

Memórias do Futuro (literally means "memories of the future") is another book by psychiatrist/writer Daniel Sampaio. In this book he shows us the portrayal of a family, narrated by the grandfather, and how life is for him now that he is close to be 80. 

There are three main chapters besides the first one in which he goes back into his youth years (his 80s and then his 60s, his 40s, his 20s) and in a beautiful prose we are told what his feelings have been like and how he turned out to be the man he is now, when his grandson is about to start his "adult" life with a girlfriend.

My favorite things about this author is that he often picks realistic or real life situations and he writes about those people - often cases he treats or wants to exemplify- in a way that makes the reader access their emotions. The writing isn't clinical nor impersonal, just the opposite.

I liked this book despite the theme not being as shocking nor relatable as others (I haven't lived 80s years yet) but the way so many sentences seem to fit what other older people have said about themselves as well... 

This author's books are always little pearls of everyday situations and to imagine so many people who never think about them nor feel like they should talk about it but how freeing it could be... not my favorite book by him but it was easy to keep reading.

Grade: 7/10

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Written in 1915, The Shadow-Line is based upon events and experiences from twenty-seven years earlier to which Conrad returned obsessively in his fiction. A young sea captain's first command brings with it a succession of crises: his sea is becalmed, the crew laid low by fever, and his deranged first mate is convinced that the ship is haunted by the malignant spirit of a previous captain.

The Shadow Line is my first attempt to read something by known author Joseph Conrad. This is not his most famous work but since it was a small book I figured it would be a good way to get a notion of his style.

Basically, this is a story in which the narrator shares his experience commanding a ship and facing a very adverse situation and that signals for him he is no longer a child nor a young man but an adult with all the responsibilities that are supposed to come from it.

I can certainly see why the author felt like writing this (it helps my edition has a note where he says this) but to be honest, I don't really see the huge impact of the story. I didn't feel the narrator was that impressive in his behavior or thoughts and since the whole story is set in a ship while most characters are sick, I must confess to have failed to appreciate the underlines themes. To be totally honest, this was simply boring. Perhaps one day (much later) I might re-read...there are some elements like the sense that something will happen and the subtle subtext of how the characters interacted that seemed interesting but it was a task to do and not very pleasurable.

Grade: 4/10