Mini-Comments

I've recently read two books by Portuguese authors, which I brought from the library. 

One of them is an author I had read before and that I had good expectations about this new book, and the other is by a new author, whose "voice" seems to be well received.

O Nome Que a Cidade Esqueceu by João Tordo could be literally translated into "the name the city has forgotten" and is a story the author wrote after reading a piece on a newspaper from New York. The story is based on a man who lived alone and died without anyone knowing and in this book, the author picks up that idea and developed it by introducing a young woman who arrived in New York as a refugee from Georgia in the early 1990s. This young girl, away from everything familiar, has to start over and she ends up "working" for this man, by reading him the phone book aloud.

I really liked the story and the vibe. The author is known to add social commentary here and there and I think this time, a lot of what is said and a lot of what is shown through the characters somehow touched me and I was more than captivated by the story. Not everything is perfect, in fact some passages were a little irrelevant to me, if I think about the big picture, but overall, reading this was a pleasure, despite the subdued themes. Plus, there's a little bit of hope in the female character, for she finds love and something to look for in life, despite the tragedies she saw. There are also some emotional passages and situations which made me care more for what was happening. If I had time, this is a book I'd re-read.

Grade: 9/10

Leme by Madalena Sá Fernandes could be translated into "rudder", meaning something used to steer. In this story's context it could be seen as something that influences the narrator to take on a direction. This is the first book I try by the author - it's also her debut - and is a short story about the memories she had regarding her stepfather. The story is more a set of small scenes/situations grouped into chapters, and not a traditionally narrated tale. 

Perhaps, due to this graphic choice, I struggled to really get into this sort of memoir. It's true that the text is beautifully written, truly competent and with perfect syntax, hits all the correct elements but it also sounds incredibly automated and I failed to connect wit what the author wanted. Apparently, the stepfather was a bully and was violent towards the author's mother, so this is a depiction of how abusive he was and how this shaped the author. I can see how many readers loved this writing and apparent mundane way of presenting such a terrible scenario, but at the end I confess I felt if I had not read it, I would not have missed much...

Grade: 5/10