Requiem

May 16, 1994
On a sweltering Sunday in July, an Italian writer awaits a midnight rendezvous on a Lisbon quay with the spirit of a dead poet. The nameless narrator of this surreal dreamscape, who anxiously anticipates the appearance of his deceased friend and literary forebear, is Tabucchi himself, and the poet, though never named, is probably Portuguese modernist Fernando Pessoa, whose works Tabucchi, a champion of Portuguese literature, has translated. Chance encounters, ambivalent symbols, black humor and nonrational events pervade the narrative as Tabucchi's alter-ego meets his father as a young sailor; the ghost of Isabel, a former lover who committed suicide; Tadeus, who may have been the father of the child Isabel was carrying; and other colorful figures, alive and dead. Finally, Tabucchi meets his revered poet friend to discuss Kafka, postmodernism and the future of literature. Winner of the 1991 Italian PEN Prize, this playful bagatelle, translated from the original Portuguese, is partly an homage to Portuguese culture, partly a mellow autobiographical fantasy.

November 15, 2002
In this wonderful, enchanting tribute to the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa, the narrator travels to Lisbon for a midnight meeting at the Tagus quay with the distinguished (and deceased) poet, whom he idolizes. During the course of the day, he meets a young drug addict who asks for money, a taxi driver who does not know his way, a gypsy, a cemetery worker, and others, real and imaginary, who add to the dreamlike atmosphere of his quest. Along the way, the narrator drinks a newly created cocktail at the Museum of Ancient Art and has a few interesting meals, the recipes to which are included in an appendix. Aptly subtitled, this book brilliantly creates a story that, like a delicious cocktail, most readers will finish in one gulp and will return to savor. Ten other novels by Italian author Tabucchi have been translated into English (e.g., The Missing Head of Damasceno Monteiro). Recommended for academic and larger public libraries.-Lisa Rohrbaugh, East Palestine Memorial P.L., OH

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.