The Inquisitors' Manual

This Portuguese novel is a mesmerizing and surrealist look at an obscure episode of history, though it's rather drifty and inconclusive. The real-life dictatorship in Portugal of Admiral Salazar (1932-1968) is examined through the life and relations of his self-righteous lackey Senhor Francisco, who has become old and washed up, bitter about being passed over as Salazar's successor, and is now wasting away in a demeaning nursing home. Each chapter is narrated by different characters who reminisce, often bitterly or sarcastically, about Francisco's brutal rise and fall. This includes his neglected family members, abused employees, pampered but slipping aristocrats, and various sycophants and opponents. Antonio Lobo Antunes uses this expository method to delve into the trials and tribulations of people living under a dictatorship, and this is especially interesting when it reveals the harsh class segregation of Portugal during that period, with the upper class feeling entitled to the dictatorship's favor, oppressing the working classes, and complaining about more equitable social developments that they're too lazy to stop. The thoughts of these types of characters, as well as underlings whose lives were damaged by Francisco's brutal treatment, are the true treasures of this novel, as we learn how average lives are distorted by bizarre politics, by way of real historical trends in Portugal. But the underlying difficulty of the book is that it is all in the form of fictional confessionals, with very little plot for the reader to hang onto, in favor of personal developments from an increasingly unwieldy cast of characters. Also, Antunes presents each character's thoughts in a non-linear, stream-of-consciousness style that surely represents the inner thought processes of confused and angry real people. The problem is that every single person thinks in this same style, making the book rather repetitive and drifty. Antunes' unique writing style and intriguing look at the human side of Portuguese history and politics are certainly fascinating and are likely to keep you interested. However, with the voluminous character-driven approach, you'll get the feeling that the novel isn't really leading anywhere conclusive. [~doomsdayer520~]

I just loved this book. It's deep,it's tragic, it's moving but it also has great humor. It tells the story of the downfall of an upper class family following the leftist revolution that took Portugal by storm in 1974. It's told by several people, all inter-related,like João, the helpless son of a powerful, arrogant land owner, close to the high ranks of Government, who now lays dying in a hospital bed, João's wife, Sofia and her very rich family, the cook ,the father's former secretary and mistress,etc. Thus a very rich portrait of the Portuguese political and social scene of the pre-revolution days emerges, with dictator Salazar reigning supreme. The characters are very powerful.Some you hate, like the father, some you really feel for, like João. He reminded me of the character named Balthasar in «TheBeastly Beatitudes of Balthasar B.» by J.P. Donleavy. Has the same kind of vulnerability. This is my favorite book by Antonio Lobo Antunes. He really knows how to tackle all this powerful stuff, like love and hate and incest and rape. Still he manages to make you laugh, sometimes. And cry too.