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Sorry, I forgot to put the Portugal "tag" on this, so I will post it again.
The Chicago Tribune published a review today of a memoir type book about a year in Lisbon. The name of the book is "The Moon Come to Earth."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-1108-ae-lit-life-mainnov08,0,7343736.column
Several years ago, the author spent a year in Lisbon and posted a number of "dispatches from Lisbon" in the online journal McSweeney's. They form the basis of the book and are still online at: http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2007/3/26graham.html
I read them three or four years ago, while he was writing from Lisbon and really enjoyed them. I think a lot of what he describes will resonate with all the Lisbon-lovers out there.
Laurie
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New book about Lisbon
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thanks
I've read the book and it's amazing! If you're at all interested in Portugal (and even if you're not), I'm sure you'll love it.
Thanks, Laurie.
for me saramago's novels (esp the year of the death of ricardo reis) and antonio tabucci can't be bettered as literary guides to lisbon - whether you'vev ever been there or not...
Hi, Portuense,
I don't disagree at all with your choice of authors (well, actually I am only familiar with Saramago), and this book is certainly not a literary guide. It's a book of vignettes written by an American (US) who spent a year in Lisbon and comments on things that many travelers to Lisbon and Portugal would probably be interested in. I found his perspective very interesting, and I thought that his descriptions of some very simple things (like a soccer game in a bar, or one of those white square tiles that are everywhere, or the water museum) were really interesting and insightful. I think, actually, that most readers would enjoy it more after they've been to Lisbon because they will definitely relate to many of his topics.
Laurie
Hi Laurie
I understand what you mean - in fact I'm interested in the book myself. Thought I'd give posters a nudge in the direction of some outstanding writers they might not know. Tabucchi is just wonderful - esp Little Misunderstandings of No Importance, Requiem, Indian Nocturne (not, of course, set in Lisbon) and Vanishing Point. He is actually Italian but is a committed Lusophile.
As a whole Lisbon seems quite well served by literature - I've even read a number of quite superior thrillers/detective stories set there. Still, who wouldn't want to relocate there temp or perm to do the research!
Bookmarking to read later - these books look interesting.
Ps. I enjoyed the book "A small death in Lisbon" which I took with my on my sole trip (to date) to Portugal. Very compelling. I don't usually read crime novels but I could NOT put this one down.
i agree flygirl - a bit offbeat; if you liked that you might be interested in the novels of Manuel Vazquez Montalban which feature a gourmand detective and are set in and around Barcelona. Good, world-weary stuff and well written