Mini - Comments

I do feel lazy by coming up with these mini comment posts but it is a fact as well that sometimes I just don't have a lot to say. Or what I have to say isn't as easy to articulate in my usual long post style. 

This time I've grouped two books by Portuguese authors, both these books have a similar theme, life in a small countryside village in Portugal, although the writing style is quite different. I was interested in these books because I have been trying to read more by authors of my nationality but mainly due to the theme. The thing is, I also live in a village in the countryside, in the south of the country, just like the plots in these books. I was very curious to see how the authors would present things that I assumed would be very easily recognizable to me.

A Cinco Palmos dos Olhos by Carlos Campaniço could be translated as "right in front of one's eyes" and it is the story of several people who live in a village and how their lives are affected by the social and political events during a certain period of time. The story is mostly focused on a few elements, each one kind of embodying a trait or an idea of an inhabitant in villages such as these (the busybody, the jealous man, the model housewife, the rebellious young woman, etc) and how their lives change. 
I liked this book but it did feel the author - unknown to me - wanted to show his vocabulary proficiency, and sometimes I think some ideas were over the top. I do think a lot of the examples of behavior and mentality was portrayed in a realistic way and I can attest that in real life, I know many people who act and think just like these characters. Some things were clearly fantasized but it was interesting too, because a good part of the novel is set in previous decades (70s, 80s) and many things were seen a certain way then that are not now. I might try something else by this author.
Grade: 6/10

Um Dia a Aldeia Acabou by Nuno Franco Pires could be translated as "one day the village ended" and is the story of a village in the south of Portugal, from when it was alive with people and traditions until it was only a small group of abandoned houses.
I liked this one more than the other book, in terms of writing. For me, it was more poetic and seemingly effortless in how I was able to feel sympathy and empathy towards most of the characters. The narrative starts in the beginning of the 20th century and follows a few families until the contemporary times. We don't get to spend too long in each decade, let's say, but I was still emotional over a few situations depicted.
The evolution seen in this village is the exact same thing I have seen (in my obviously short life, by comparison) in many rural places around me, and from what my family members have told me about their lives and what really was like in past decades. The model is always the same: as time goes by, less people mean less things such a doctor, a post office, a bank, and without these things no reason for young people to stay because no jobs, and along with a few other things, this means the desertification of the rural areas. Nowadays, rich city people buy places, estates, whatever and they have amazing holidays but...not the same for locals. 
This book  was quite emotional and made me think about a lot. It really worked out for me at several levels.
Grade: 9/10