Memória de elefante

Memória de elefante / Memory of an Elephant

Novel , 1979

Dom Quixote

Pages: 156

António Lobo Antunes's first novel, published in Portugal in 1979, is a portrait of an existential crisis. The protagonist, a psychiatrist residing in Lisbon whose true vocation is writing, recounts various facets and chapters of his life through a vibrant voice, emphasizing the most intimate and engaging aspects. Over the course of a day and a night, the hero and narrator of this story reveals the desire to truly listen to himself and, in doing so, to finally rediscover an identity lost long ago.

‘A novel that reaches an admirable level of intensity, imposing itself with a conviction in the analysis of the human soul that Camus or Dostoevsky would envy.’ Babelia, El País

‘António Lobo Antunes is an unusual privilege in the panorama of world literature. His books are authentic miracles that manage to make authentic poetry out of the most common materials, telling what is untellable, capturing memory as small emotional pulsations.’ Ignacio Echevarría

Memória de elefante is a perfect model of a debut work due to its ambition and desire for prominence, and above all, it serves as a warning of the talent that would come later.’ Letras Libres

‘And it is a true descent into hell, a journey to the end of the night in twenty-four hours, in a fireworks display of raw and violent images. From the outset, this first book reveals the relentless style of one of the greatest contemporary Portuguese writers.’ Gérard Meudal

Memória de elefante [...] finally allows us to discover the genesis of his work. A fierce universe, between Celinean heritage and social critique. [...] However, it would be a shame to see in this book only a beautiful draft where the talent of a future master is tested.’ Fabrice Gabriel

‘You couldn't think of a better introduction to the enormous work of the author, who has wrongly still not won a Nobel Prize.’ Aargauer Zeitung