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The Mandarin and Other Stories
Amigo 1. (Bebiendo conac y soda, bajo los arboles de una terraza, a orillas del agua.)
Camarada; durante estos calores que embotan la imaginacion, descansemos del aspero estudio de las Realidades humanas.... Partamos hacia los campos del Ensueno, a vagar por esas azuladas colinas donde se levanta la torre abandonada de lo Sobrenatural y frescos musgos cubren amorosamente las ruinas del Idealismo.... Fantaseemos....
Amigo 2. Mas sobriamente, camarada, mas sobriamente... y como en las sabias y amables Alegorias del Renacimiento, mezclando siempre una moralidad discreta....
(Comedia inedita)
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1880
13 people are currently reading
471 people want to read
About the author
Eça de Queirós
355 books1,163 followersJosé Maria Eça de Queirós was a novelist committed to social reform who introduced naturalism and realism to Portugal. He is often considered to be the greatest Portuguese novelist, certainly the leading 19th-century Portuguese novelist whose fame was international. The son of a prominent magistrate, Eça de Queiroz spent his early years with relatives and was sent to boarding school at the age of five. After receiving his degree in law in 1866 from the University of Coimbra, where he read widely French, he settled in Lisbon. There his father, who had since married Eça de Queiroz' mother, made up for past neglect by helping the young man make a start in the legal profession. Eça de Queiroz' real interest lay in literature, however, and soon his short stories - ironic, fantastic, macabre, and often gratuitously shocking - and essays on a wide variety of subjects began to appear in the "Gazeta de Portugal". By 1871 he had become closely associated with a group of rebellious Portuguese intellectuals committed to social and artistic reform and known as the Generation of '70. Eça de Queiroz gave one of a series of lectures sponsored by the group in which he denounced contemporary Portuguese literature as unoriginal and hypocritical. He served as consul, first in Havana (1872-74), then in England, UK - in Newcastle upon Tyne (1874-79) and in Bristol (1879-88). During this time he wrote the novels for which he is best remembered, attempting to bring about social reform in Portugal through literature by exposing what he held to be the evils and the absurdities of the traditional order. His first novel, "O crime do Padre Amaro" (1875; "The Sin of Father Amaro", 1962), describes the destructive effects of celibacy on a priest of weak character and the dangers of fanaticism in a provincial Portuguese town. A biting satire on the romantic ideal of passion and its tragic consequences appears in his next novel, "O Primo Basílio" (1878; "Cousin Bazilio", 1953). Caustic satire characterizes the novel that is generally considered Eça de Queiroz' masterpiece, "Os Maias (1888; "The Maias", 1965), a detailed depiction of upper middle-class and aristocratic Portuguese society. His last novels are sentimental, unlike his earlier work. "A Cidade e as Serras" (1901; "The City and the Mountains", 1955) extols the beauty of the Portuguese countryside and the joys of rural life. Eça de Queiroz was appointed consul in Paris in 1888, where he served until his death. Of his posthumously published works, "Contos" (1902) is a collection of short stories, and "Últimas Páginas" (1912) includes saints' legends. Translations of his works persisted into the second half of the 20th century.
Source: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0211055/bio
Source: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0211055/bio
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 11, 2021
The Mandarin and Other Stories by Eca de Queiroz
[Note: there are other editions with the identical title that contain different short stories.]
A mixture of fable and fantasy from the classic Portuguese writer of the late 1800’s. The title story is a novella (80 pages) and the other three are shorts.
The Mandarin is a “watch what you wish for” fable that had been kicking around in European literature for a century. If you could wish for the peaceful death of an elderly wealthy Chinese man, knowing you would then inherit his millions, would you do it? The devil appears in disguise to tempt our main character, and of course there are innumerable complications where nothing turns out as expected. A good part of the story is almost a travelogue, made up of vivid descriptions of China, of settings both wondrous and extravagant and of abject poverty. I don’t think Eca ever travelled to China, so perhaps he relied on more recent Marco Polos?
The story I enjoyed the most was Jose Matias, a man who fell in love with a married woman and had a platonic love for her the rest of his life. He hung out in a doorway across from her house spying on her over the years as she went through husbands and lovers. She loved him too, but that was the unconsumed relationship that their love thrived on.
In A Lyric Poet, the main character tells us the story of a maître d’ who is an immigrant from Greece. He writes uninspired poems because his daily thoughts have to be about food and an uneducated maid who is his mistress.
In Peculiarities of a Fair-Hair Girl, a man falls in love.
There is good writing:
“[he] …actually died six years ago in his unspoiled splendor. The one we are taking away now, half decomposed in that wooden box covered with yellow lace, is a drunken relict without name or a story, who was killed in the doorway by the February cold.”
“…love and smoke cannot be hidden…love soon began to emerge like wisps of smoke through the chinks of a closed house that is burning furiously.”
All three of the short stories (not The Mandarin) use the same structural technique: a story that happened to someone else, told to the narrator by a friend or someone he met in a tavern. Decent stories but not as engaging as any of the famous novels of Eca I have read.
Top sketch of Lisbon's Alfama district by Lawrence Scott on AllPosters.com
The author from mostlytrue.blog
[Note: there are other editions with the identical title that contain different short stories.]
A mixture of fable and fantasy from the classic Portuguese writer of the late 1800’s. The title story is a novella (80 pages) and the other three are shorts.
The Mandarin is a “watch what you wish for” fable that had been kicking around in European literature for a century. If you could wish for the peaceful death of an elderly wealthy Chinese man, knowing you would then inherit his millions, would you do it? The devil appears in disguise to tempt our main character, and of course there are innumerable complications where nothing turns out as expected. A good part of the story is almost a travelogue, made up of vivid descriptions of China, of settings both wondrous and extravagant and of abject poverty. I don’t think Eca ever travelled to China, so perhaps he relied on more recent Marco Polos?
The story I enjoyed the most was Jose Matias, a man who fell in love with a married woman and had a platonic love for her the rest of his life. He hung out in a doorway across from her house spying on her over the years as she went through husbands and lovers. She loved him too, but that was the unconsumed relationship that their love thrived on.
In A Lyric Poet, the main character tells us the story of a maître d’ who is an immigrant from Greece. He writes uninspired poems because his daily thoughts have to be about food and an uneducated maid who is his mistress.
In Peculiarities of a Fair-Hair Girl, a man falls in love.
There is good writing:
“[he] …actually died six years ago in his unspoiled splendor. The one we are taking away now, half decomposed in that wooden box covered with yellow lace, is a drunken relict without name or a story, who was killed in the doorway by the February cold.”
“…love and smoke cannot be hidden…love soon began to emerge like wisps of smoke through the chinks of a closed house that is burning furiously.”
All three of the short stories (not The Mandarin) use the same structural technique: a story that happened to someone else, told to the narrator by a friend or someone he met in a tavern. Decent stories but not as engaging as any of the famous novels of Eca I have read.
Top sketch of Lisbon's Alfama district by Lawrence Scott on AllPosters.com
The author from mostlytrue.blog
October 10, 2025
This classic volume by the classical Portuguese writer Eca de Queiros, the best produced by that small European yet influential nation, a collection of one novella and three short stories, need not iterate all are excellent. The main event though is the title subject, The Mandarin 1880, followed in my humble opinion, in this order of engrossment, The Hanged Man 1895, Jose Matias 1897 and the earliest, The Idiosyncrasies of a Young Woman 1873. The Mandarin is to be honest a dark fantasy involving an old rich man in a remote part of China who somehow materializes in Lisbon. So then he deposits a ton of loot consequently transforms Teodoro a poor government clerk and promptly expires the Mandarin but not for long. The man just another clog in the suffocating, bureaucratic and monolithic system. Who has constant dreams of vast, lovely wealth , became that, now anything possible , impressive mansions on huge estates , pretty women chasing him for a change, luxurious vacations in the most famous resorts, a bank account with no limits on spending, the perfect life if quite hedonistic. Paradise is a vague, fleeting concept never permanent like a wisp of cloud seen but soon evaporates . When the ghastly disturbing, nightmares begin invariably an image of the deceased Mandarin appears but why ? Dom Teodoro feelings are consistently uneasy, his conscious indicates a wrong has been committed to the Chinese family of Ti Chin -Fu, the old distant , strange merchant, poor relatives are apparently starving if you believe the strange unnatural pictures. Tortured, all the women and other pleasures become quite meaningless, the guilt rises , nothing can relieve the relentless pain. He must seek the Mandarin in the faraway, lawless, decadent, and dangerous, unknown land of tea. I will not write the voyage was a slow boat to China . However a hint it was , landing in Shanghai and quickly going to the capital Peking (Beijing) then the troubles start. The affluent have their privileges, General Camilloff the very prominent Imperial Russian ambassador in the city is considerably helpful in his quest to find the seemingly hidden Chinese family . Nevertheless the young rascal turns his eyes toward the general's pretty wife Vladimira, in Camilloff's peaceful gardens. Teodoro not too inactive though , hires an able interpreter and guide Sa-To and travels to the hazardous provinces to discover the impoverish family and give relief if he can.. An obscure tale which brings pleasure to readers of every stripe.
August 29, 2010
The Mandarin is a masterpiece in short fiction, it looks at what is called MetaEthics, the what "if" and it does so brilliantly - the lush descriptive passages really immerse one's attention, the detail and wit is exceptional though subtle enough to be enjoyed sparingly without expectation. Eca fabricates this story as if writing with embroidery, I read each line like listening to a well devised tune.
The other stories didn't enfold my attention so much, José Matias was pretty powerful however The Relic sort of lost me a bit, but as an extract perhaps that is why. That is, I wasn't as engaged, the perceptions lacked idiosyncrasy, and crafted as it is, I only went along on the journey to accompany the narrative in its completion. José Matias had some extremely poignant moments, the lure of self-serving sacrifice to idealistic morals and spiritual integrity.
previously I had only read The illustrious House of Ramires, I found that novel typically Portuguese in its dense willowing storytelling, however, I should go back and read it again. Eca with The Mandarin has sealed a certain positive strength in unpacking the human soul.
The other stories didn't enfold my attention so much, José Matias was pretty powerful however The Relic sort of lost me a bit, but as an extract perhaps that is why. That is, I wasn't as engaged, the perceptions lacked idiosyncrasy, and crafted as it is, I only went along on the journey to accompany the narrative in its completion. José Matias had some extremely poignant moments, the lure of self-serving sacrifice to idealistic morals and spiritual integrity.
previously I had only read The illustrious House of Ramires, I found that novel typically Portuguese in its dense willowing storytelling, however, I should go back and read it again. Eca with The Mandarin has sealed a certain positive strength in unpacking the human soul.
October 29, 2022
I can’t imagine why they chose to teach this instead of the leopard for 123 last year
March 16, 2021
A wonderful collection of short stories in a realist style from a famed Portuguese author. I'd never heard of Eca de Queiros or his stories until I stumbled across a testimonial from Borges, my spirit animal. As usual his obscure recommendations do not disappoint.
August 4, 2021
Skemmtilegur smásögur frá Portúgal sem gerast á 19. öld. Mandaríninn sú frægasta af þeim en mér fannst sú aðeins langdregin. Hafði mjög gaman af draugasögunni The Hanged Man og þeirri síðustu José Matías
December 22, 2022
**only read The Mandarin in this collection.
April 15, 2023
(2.5/5)
December 13, 2008
A pleasant little read. The title ("and other stories") is a bit of a misnomer as the book consists of the novella "The Mandarin", the short story "Jose Matias" and an excerpt of the fantastical section of de Eca de Queiros' novel THE RELIC. Since I own the latter in it's full novel form from Dedalus already (haven't read it yet), I skipped reading the excerpt.
"The Mandarin" is a fun little story in which a middle-class clerk is offered, through supernatural means, the chance to become unaccountably rich through the death of someone he doesn't know (the titular Mandarin). He accepts, and the story charts his indulgence in wealth and hedonism, all the time haunted by the image of the dead Mandarin, and his eventual decision to travel to China and right his wrong. The story moves through fun sections of decadent writing (wealth leads to a life of luxury and sexual gluttony), travelogue (descriptions of China at the time), class humor (the social circle of various expatriates and functionaries stationed in China) and even a touch of pulp adventure (greedy townspeople assault an inn). It's a light, breezy affair.
"Jose Matias" is a story about spiritual/romantic love and how fear of the ideal souring when it becomes reality leads a man to ruin. It could be read as a critique of the Romantic worldview and reminded me a bit of the writer Machado de Assis' work (which is interesting as the afterword notes that de Assis wrote a bitter critique of de Eca de Queiros earlier, more realistic work in the style of Zola, etc.)
Both stories are worth indulging in for readers who like the time period and are interested in texts that react to the schools of Realism and Romanticism.
"The Mandarin" is a fun little story in which a middle-class clerk is offered, through supernatural means, the chance to become unaccountably rich through the death of someone he doesn't know (the titular Mandarin). He accepts, and the story charts his indulgence in wealth and hedonism, all the time haunted by the image of the dead Mandarin, and his eventual decision to travel to China and right his wrong. The story moves through fun sections of decadent writing (wealth leads to a life of luxury and sexual gluttony), travelogue (descriptions of China at the time), class humor (the social circle of various expatriates and functionaries stationed in China) and even a touch of pulp adventure (greedy townspeople assault an inn). It's a light, breezy affair.
"Jose Matias" is a story about spiritual/romantic love and how fear of the ideal souring when it becomes reality leads a man to ruin. It could be read as a critique of the Romantic worldview and reminded me a bit of the writer Machado de Assis' work (which is interesting as the afterword notes that de Assis wrote a bitter critique of de Eca de Queiros earlier, more realistic work in the style of Zola, etc.)
Both stories are worth indulging in for readers who like the time period and are interested in texts that react to the schools of Realism and Romanticism.
August 18, 2017
Un espejo donde mirarse
Y reflexionar sobre nuestra vida y nuestras acciones.
Lo que sacrificamos para lograr el bienestar económico y lo difícil que es ayudar realmente y aplacar el remordimiento.
Y reflexionar sobre nuestra vida y nuestras acciones.
Lo que sacrificamos para lograr el bienestar económico y lo difícil que es ayudar realmente y aplacar el remordimiento.
May 17, 2024
This volume of fiction by one of the masters of Portuguese letters, contains one novella "The Mandarin" and three short stories "Idiosyncrasies of a Young Blonde Woman", "The Hanged Man and" Jose Matias " are fantasy stories but are closer to magical realism but they predate it by several decades. Highly recommended for fans of Jorge Luis Borges
April 27, 2010
a traves de su preciosa prosa,he intentado sacar la conclusion moral del autor de que toda riqueza que no se adquiere con esfuerzo conlleva una degradacion del espiritu, pero pese a ello todos tocamos la campanilla y tratamos de matar al mandarín!!
November 30, 2009
from Nymeth
January 10, 2012
A thriller where keen observation, magic and reality blend in a book excellently written. True Eça.
Maria Carmo
Maria Carmo
August 30, 2015
Very well written.
July 15, 2017
leido en español. belllismo, delicado y detallado, el viaje interior de un hombre que mata por codicia sin conciencia de lo que hace.
July 22, 2016
The roots of Weird Fiction can be seen here. Excellent! I will be finding as many Eca De Queiroz translations as I can....
Want to read
January 5, 2013Lido no âmbito da 2ª fase (fase distrital)do Concurso Nacional de Leitura! :)
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews