11 jun 2008

(19)

I checked out a book in Italian from the library, Antonio Tabucchi's Sostiene Pereira. It takes place in Salazar Lisbon in 1938. The main character, Pereira, who directs the Culture section for newspaper, Lisboa establishes contact with a younger writer. The first article the younger man, Rossi, submits is an obituary of García Lorca, which is judged to be unpublishable, of course, in the current political climate of Portugal. Pereira, who is an older widower, cannot accept the article, but has to feed the younger writer. They go to a "literary" restaurant where only a few other sinister types are eating.

The second article submitted is an attack on Marinetti. We can guess that that will be unpublishable also.

Of course I had no idea Lorca would appear in the book when I checked it out. Honest. Lorca just sort of follows me around.

The narration is focalized through Pereira. "Sostiene Pereira" means "Pereira claims." The phrase is used over and over again, to tell us that everything we know is based on a "claim" from Pereira.

The Italian is not too difficult. I'd say I get about 85%. Enough for a plot summary.

1 comentario:

Anónimo dijo...

There's a film. I wasn't enthusiastic about it, but Mastroianni makes an interesting Pereira. I'm not sure, but it might be his last film.

I really liked the book, though.