Description
Set in nineteenth-century Lisbon, this sharp, socially observant novel follows a web of desire, deception, and moral pretense as a seemingly ordinary household becomes the stage for adultery, blackmail, and simmering resentments. At its center is a heroine whose romantic entanglements collide with the complacency of her husband and the opportunism of those around her, while the lives “below stairs” reveal how hunger, illness, and survival can be just as consequential as any scandal in the drawing room. Through a vivid cast—from the suave schemer to the weary maidservant whose desperation cuts deepest—the story exposes the hypocrisy of “respectability” and the fragile bargains that hold polite society together. With Eça de Queirós’s famously incisive realism and satirical bite, the novel turns everyday life into a moral investigation, asking what people truly owe one another when passion, power, and reputation are on the line.
Available Editions
paperback
Dedalus Books Limited
Published Jan 1, 2016
ISBN: 9781910213377
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Details
First Published
1878
Language
por
Content Warnings
Content and trigger warnings for Cousin Basilio by Eça de Queirós.