The Maias
Language: English
Pages: 596
ISBN: 0811216497
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Set in Lisbon at the close of the nineteenth century, The Maias is both a coming-of-age novel and a passionate romance.
Our hero Carlos Maia, heir to one of the greatest fortunes in Portugal, is rich, handsome, generous and intelligent: he means to do something for his country, something useful, something that will make his beloved grandfather proud. However, Carlos is also a bit of a dilettante. He drifts along, becoming a doctor and pottering about in his laboratory, but spends more and more time riding his splendid horses or visiting the theater, having affairs or reading novels. His best friend and chief partner in crime, Ega, is likewise engaged in a long summertime of witticisms and pleasure. Carlos however is set on a dead reckoning course with fate―with the love of his life and with a terrible, terrible secret...
Newly translated by the acclaimed translator Margaret Jull Costa (translator of José Saramago's Blindness), New Directions is proud to bring Eça de Queirós' brilliant prose to life for American readers for the first time.
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Like the attempt to modernise Lisbon – the construction of the grand new Avenida which Carlos visits on his brief return to Portugal – everything he does ‘swiftly runs out of breath and grinds to an almost immediate halt among piles of gravel’. Despite the strict upbringing given him by his grandfather, what predominates ultimately in Carlos’ character is the rather flabby romanticism of his father, Pedro da Maia. Indeed, his great friend Ega, says in the final scene: ‘And what are we, if not
stopped in front of the long mirror and gave a discontented glance at his pale coat and scuffed boots. ‘I need to smarten myself up again. Poole has doubtless sent you a summer suit already. I should like to examine the latest designs despatched to you from high civilisation. There’s no denying it, I look damnably commonplace.’ He brushed his moustache and continued addressing Carlos, who was still in the bathroom. ‘What I need now is to immerse myself in the world of the imagination. I’m
From up above, in the gallery, came a passionate ‘Bravo’. And immediately, to crush such enthusiasm, various stern members of the audience turned round and said: ‘Sh! Silence!’ Then Ega held up his skinny hands to applaud, roaring out, loud and clear: ‘Bravo! Excellent! Bravo!’ Then, quite pale from his own daring, he adjusted his monocle and said to those beside him: ‘Alencar’s ideas about democracy may be absurd, but I refuse to support bourgeois repression! That’s why I applauded.’ And he
Afonso da Maia, beginning to shake, leaned hard for a moment on his stick, then sat down heavily in an armchair by the door. He remained there, staring at his grandson and at Ega, his eyes wild and uncomprehending. ‘The man,’ went on Carlos, ‘is someone called Guimarães, an uncle of Dâmaso’s. He talked to Ega and gave Ega the papers. Ega, tell my grandfather – tell him everything from the beginning!’ With a sigh, Ega summarised his long story. He concluded by saying that the important thing,
stressing each syllable, with all the ephemeral passion of the too-highly-strung: You came! I clasped you to my breast. All around us, darkest night! No lace hangings adorned our nest, No embroidered sheets our berth, For our bed was hardest granite … Far off in the distance, a strummed guitar played arpeggios sad and plangent … (You see I have not forgot!) And beneath love’s bright flame The cold hard rock grew warm. He stood for a moment, his eyes drinking in the sight of those