Lúcio's ConfessionWhen in 1916, Mario de Sa-Carneiro committed suicide in Paris at the age of 26, he left behind him an extraordinary body of work, which dealt obsessively with the problems of identity, madness and solitude. Lucio's Confession is the first of his novels to be translated into English. A brilliant and remarkable short novel of great eroticism and enigmatic beauty Lucio's Confession is set in the fin de siecle artist circles of Paris and Lisbon. It deals with the friendship of two young Portuguese poets, Lucio and Ricardo de Loureiro, and their search for identity through love. When the bachelor Ricardo returns to Lisbon, to everyone's surprise he is accompanied by a wife. She, Marta, seems the perfect partner, and establishes an immediate rapport with his close friend Lucio on the latter's return from Paris. Soon they become lovers. Despite the passionate nature of their relationship, Lucio suspects that Marta is sharing her favours with Ricardo's other close friends. Something is not quite right. Where did this mysterious woman meet Ricardo, and, indeed who is she? Why does she never speak of her past and why is Ricardo conniving at her infidelity? Lucio's attempts to unravel this mystery have tragic and terrible consequences. |
From inside the book
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Page 39
... imagine how it hurts me that people don't like my work . ' ( His ' work ' consisted of figures without heads or feet , for he sculpted only torsos , contorted , intertwined , monstrous torsos , certain details of which , however ...
... imagine how it hurts me that people don't like my work . ' ( His ' work ' consisted of figures without heads or feet , for he sculpted only torsos , contorted , intertwined , monstrous torsos , certain details of which , however ...
Page 42
... imagine myself growing old , just as I cannot imagine myself ill or dying . Nor even killing myself , as I've tried at times to fool myself I would . And so great is my confidence in this superstition that , were I not absolutely sure ...
... imagine myself growing old , just as I cannot imagine myself ill or dying . Nor even killing myself , as I've tried at times to fool myself I would . And so great is my confidence in this superstition that , were I not absolutely sure ...
Page 55
... imagine , Lúcio , how your friendship delights me , how I bless the hour that we met . Before I knew you , I had dealings only with indifferent , vulgar creatures who never understood me , not even slightly . My parents adored me , but ...
... imagine , Lúcio , how your friendship delights me , how I bless the hour that we met . Before I knew you , I had dealings only with indifferent , vulgar creatures who never understood me , not even slightly . My parents adored me , but ...
Common terms and phrases
affection afternoon already appeared arrived artist asked beautiful become believe body changed completely confession conversation creature decided describing desire don't doubt dreams everything exist explain eyes face fact fear feel felt final fire flesh friendship Gervásio give golden hair happened idea imagine immediately intense kiss knew least light Lisbon lived looked lover Lúcio managed Margaret Jull Costa Marta mean memory merely mind moment mystery natural never night noticed obsession once pain Paris passed perhaps person physical play poet possess reason remarked remember Ricardo seemed sense sensuality simply someone soul spent spirit strange suddenly suffered sure talked tell tenderness thing thought told took torment touch troubled true truth turn vague walking wanted whole wife woman write