Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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6 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
¡Muchas gracias Pereira!, 13 Jul 1999
By A Customer
Pereira is a paradigm of the difference of characters that exists between the three mean nations from southern Europe: a mature and obscure Portuguese journalist whose life has been written by an excellent Italian author (Tabucchi)... but whose problems comes from my country, Spain. Yes, for Pereira declares with great intelligence while in Spain the civil war is roaring with terrible fury -"Live the death"! - cryed with insany Millan Astray, the commander of the Spanish legion. But Pereira loves the life. In 1938, not only Portugal, but entire Europe was watching that... "Mussolini is providing several submarines to Franco, and the germans, many aircraft..." The democracies made nothing. Only a few persons like Pereira "declared" while looking and talking to the portrait of his wife, dead because his delicate health, and the perennial love of his life. -"I also have read to Vico and Hegel"- declares Pereira. There was a certain parallelism of characters between Salazar, the somber Portuguese dictator, economist by profession, strongly religious, and Franco, a soldier equally ascetic: both were two chiefs -or "jefes"- very little human; they were no "leaders", because Spain, Portugal and Italy are too much individualist countries for a leader, but for "Jefes", Caudillos" or "Duces": an autoritary, hard and usually cruel man. Even spanish football teams were different in your style of play that british, or german. In the Iberic peninsule this figure has is origins in the chiefs of the autoctonous, wild tribes. It is mentioned in this novel that the Portuguese brigade in the side of Franco is named "Viriato", the legendary "guerrillero" who fought against the invasion of the Roman empire 2000 years ago. In 1938, legal democracy looked to Franco as it were Stalin: poor that the romans and moors. Fortunately, in the middle of this chaos, Pereira and Tabucchi represents the best and more rational of these three countries. To the side of Spain, usually identified by the fury and ardents passions we have the calm, portuguese intelligence of Pereira. Perhaps this difference between the two Iberic and brother countries will be by the traditional alliance between England and Portugal? By the climate? The wine of Oporto? I don't know , but, I want to think that in Spain, Portugal and Italy, there was, and still are, many Pereiras to figth with his kindness and intelligence the stupidity and intransigence of the Caudillos. Very well declared Pereira! I invites you to a ice cold lemonade very, very sugared... though I know the doctor has forbidden it to you.
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by Rose Tremain
