Adam and Eve in Paradise by Eça de Queirós

This is a satirical short story based on the Christian creation myth, mixed in with a little Darwinian struggle. It follows the stumbling life of Adam and Eve as they figure out through trial and error what’s edible, how to make weapons, fire and clothes, with the rather droll conclusion that they probably would have been better off just living the contented life of an orangutan, and left all this striving for world domination behind. A great translation by Margaret Jull Costa of the 1897 Portuguese classic.

No. 1 of 50 books I intend to read and review in 2025.

I’m Patrick Sherriff, an Englishman who survived 13 years working for newspapers in the US, UK and Japan. Between teaching English lessons at my conversation school in Abiko, Japan, I write and illustrate textbooks for non-native speakers of English, release Hana Walker mystery novels, short stories, paint, and write essays and Our Man in Abiko, a monthly  newsletter   highlighting good writing in English, often about about Japan, art, crime fiction and teaching.