Description
In late nineteenth-century Portugal, Gonçalo Mendes Ramires—an aging, weak-willed aristocrat and the last of his line—tries to keep his crumbling estate afloat while creditors press in and his family’s once-glorious name begins to feel like a burden. Determined to restore his dignity, he sets out to craft a “novella” recounting the heroic deeds of his ancestors, turning personal pride into a project of storytelling that blurs memory, invention, and self-justification. As the narrative unfolds, Eça de Queirós uses wit and irony to examine the hollow rituals of status, the fragility of tradition, and the gap between romantic ideals and lived reality. A final, posthumously published novel, it showcases the author’s signature blend of social critique and dry humor, inviting readers to laugh—and then recognize what the laughter is really exposing.
Available Editions
paperback
New Directions Publishing
Published May 23, 2017
458 pages
ISBN: 9780811226981
Reviews
No ratings yet. Be the first!
No written reviews yet.
Details
First Published
1900
Language
por
Content Warnings
Content and trigger warnings for The Illustrious House of Ramires by Eça de Queirós.