Questions About The Book of Disquiet

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Answered Questions (6)

mj If you don't speak Portuguese I would recommend the translation by Richard Zenith, as he is of Portuguese descent, editor of one of the Portuguese ver…moreIf you don't speak Portuguese I would recommend the translation by Richard Zenith, as he is of Portuguese descent, editor of one of the Portuguese versions and considered by many one of the greatest Pessoa's expert.(less)

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I see that the Penguin classic version of the book has 544 pages, while the Serpent's tail version of it has only 262 pages. What is the reason for this difference in page number?

Ryan I can think of a couple of reasons for this:

1) The editor wasn't as exhaustive
The Book of Disquiet is a hodgepodge of different fragmentary ideas, and…moreI can think of a couple of reasons for this:

1) The editor wasn't as exhaustive
The Book of Disquiet is a hodgepodge of different fragmentary ideas, and though there is some editorial freedom in such a concept, Fernando Pessoa did include some notes on which parts he wanted. Future editors, as obsessed as they are with completionism, included more than the author intended sometimes depending on the version. Richard Zenith includes not only fragments Fernando Pessoa didn't want in, but also author notes, and letters to friends concerning the book.

2) Differences in copy-editing
It's possible through the clever use of double-spacing, white spaces, empty pages delineating differences in sections, and differences in counting pages (i.e. making "page one" be an introductory non-authorial textual criticism, rather than with the book's contents itself)- that an editor can pad out the size of a book.

A better way to compare the sizes of different versions would be with word counts.
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it seems that reading the book in English is better than reading it in Arabic, clearer as well..should i leave the Arabic version and start with the English one ? ?

Carlos Lo único que puedo decir es que Pessoa dominaba el inglés desde niño, era muy inteligente y él nació en Sudafrica al ser su padre un militar destinado…moreLo único que puedo decir es que Pessoa dominaba el inglés desde niño, era muy inteligente y él nació en Sudafrica al ser su padre un militar destinado allí. Luego se trasladó su familia a Portugal y apenas ya salió de Lisboa, pero realmente, gracias a su dominio del inglés, es como se ganaba la vida en la práctica, porque era traductor para una casa de importación -exportación con Inglaterra, pais con el cual Portugal ha tenido siempre una unión especial. No sé cuanto de su trabajo literario está en inglés original y cuánto en portugués, pero así lo hizo y al ser muy solitario, no tenía gente acerca que supiese qué hacía aparte lo obvio cuando murió alcoholizado. (less)

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when was it published in portuguese?

Fedar S. The first complete edition of the book appeared in 1982, long after Pessoa's death. However, he had published several excerpts in 1913 and in 1929–193…moreThe first complete edition of the book appeared in 1982, long after Pessoa's death. However, he had published several excerpts in 1913 and in 1929–1932.(less)

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when did he write the majority of this?