The Maias in Never too Late to Read Classics

Jul 31, 2023 Chrissie rated it really liked it

Shelves: classics, hf, 2023-read, arts, england, life-stages, portugal, swedish-narration, religion, france

This is a fabulous Portuguese classic, first published in 1888. The book’s story ends in 1887. It’s historical fiction written in the realist style. The story focuses upon a wealthy, aristocratic Portuguese family, the eponymous Maias, a grandfather and grandson, and a love affair that goes terribly wrong. What goes wrong I am not going to say. That would wreck the story for you! Carlos is the grandson. Alfonso is the grandfather. Ega is Carlos’ very close friend. Alencar, a poet, is another fri This is a fabulous Portuguese classic, first published in 1888. The book’s story ends in 1887. It’s historical fiction written in the realist style. The story focuses upon a wealthy, aristocratic Portuguese family, the eponymous Maias, a grandfather and grandson, and a love affair that goes terribly wrong. What goes wrong I am not going to say. That would wreck the story for you! Carlos is the grandson. Alfonso is the grandfather. Ega is Carlos’ very close friend. Alencar, a poet, is another friend we come to know well. The woman’s name I’ll leave for you to discover.

The language is simple and direct, but also chockfull of descriptive details, all underlying the realism of the tale. People, places and scenes are drawn meticulously, clearly and colorfully. One example that comes to mind, is at a hippodrome where we experience the tumult and excitement of a horse race. Also, we visit the beautiful Sintra, today classified as a World Heritage Site. It’s near Lisbon. It is scintillatingly drawn. We see and sensually feel the gold, shimmering of the sun, silver flashing off the water and pink reflecting from walls and buildings. Paintings, clothes, meals and activities are all vividly depicted.

Character portrayal is a central component of the telling. At the start, I found the Portuguese names difficult to remember; they are so very foreign to me. Yet, as the individuals take on depth, I no longer had trouble distinguishing them. Each had become a human being that lived and breathed and had faults, weaknesses. strengths and idiosyncrasies. We observe the consequences of their actions. We not only see events but also feel the mood that permeates a place or an event. When Alfonso (view spoiler) my heart was wrung. It was at this point I knew I had come to care for the characters. They had stopped being fictional.

I like the realism, the prose style and the accurate detailing of how people behave.

When I started the book, I wondered / worried that the book might have long sections of boring “cocktail talk”—party goers tend to talk such drivel! This is not at all what is served here! We are instead privy to discussions on politics, poetry and philosophy. The customs, traditions and ways of different nationalities are aired. The conversations are interesting.

And then there is the marvelous ending. Two figures running down a street. Visually, through images, via descriptive pictures, we are told that life goes on, that each one of us is infinitesimally small. This is my view. Maybe your view will differ.

I listened to this as an audiobook read in Swedish. It’s what I could get, what was available to me. The translation was done by Margareta Marin Axelsson, and the narration by Ove Ström. Ström’s narration is relatively good. He has a tendency to begin each sentence strongly, forcefully and loudly but then finished the sentence in a mumble. The narration I will give three stars.

I recommend this Portuguese classic very highly! Thank you, Rosemarie, for recommending it to me. ...more

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Nov 07, 2010 Laura rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: bookmooch, read-2010, hf-19th-century-europe, portuguese-literature

A ser discutido com minha amiga Ana C, um classico da literatura portuguesa.

This book is now available at Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/40409 ...more

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Jun 13, 2020 Rl rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Depicts a rapidly changing Portugal and society and customs of the upper classes during the late 19th Century. It's pitting Romanticism against Modernism, Science versus Religion, and many other beliefs that had held to be true in the past against this changing tide of the future. This is all seen through the lens of the Maias, a prominent family in Lisbon. Alfonso Maia, the patriarch of the family and grounded in tradition sees changes in his son and grandson who are embroiled in relationships ...more

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