THE INQUISITORS' MANUAL by António Lobo Antunes | Book Review

A book review of António Lobo Antunes' The Inquisitors' Manual (Grove Press: 2003), trans. Richard Zenith

Softcover, 435 pages
Published by Grove Press in 2003 (originally published as O Manual dos Inquisidores by Publicações Dom Quixote in 1996)
ISBN: 0802140521

Authors mentioned:
Herman Melville
William Faulkner
José Saramago

Bibliography
António Lobo Antunes, "Prescriptions to Read Me," in Facts and Fictions of António Lobo Antunes, ed. Victor K. Mendes, 15-18. Tagus Press: Dartmouth, MA, 2011.
Maria Alzira Seixo, "Still Facts and Living Fictions: The Literary Work of António Lobo Antunes, An Introduction," in Facts and Fictions of António Lobo Antunes, ed. Victor K. Mendes, 19-44. Tagus Press: Dartmouth, MA, 2011.
William Deresiewicz, "Politics and the Novel in South of Nowhere and The Inquisitors' Manual," in Facts and Fictions of António Lobo Antunes, ed. Victor K. Mendes, 143-150. Tagus Press: Dartmouth, MA, 2011.

#antónioloboantunes #antunes #theinquisitorsmanual #richardzenith #bookreview

[martyjoebarry]

this without a doubt the best literature channel on youtube that i’ve come across. keep making these videos, please never stop. you deserve more subscribers and a bigger platform and you will grow if you stay consistent.

[yvespiderssmells]

Nice to see you back and thank you for this in-depth review

[Gabrielcezar]

Nice to see some love for Lobo Antunes on booktube. He's one of the best!
Great review, as always!

[didioriol]

Interesting to hear an opinion about The return of the caravels coming from a non portuguese person. I truly can see how it would be a confusing read for a non portuguese person, since to understand it one needs knowledge about the hystorical figures in the book and their relevance to fully grasp it, and also the knowledge about the political situation of Portugal in the 70's, to see how everything comes together so briliantly.

But I digress. Happy to see someone enjoying my favourite writer!

[impywimpy]

Always a pleasure to hear you talk, Sean!

[jorgem]

Antonio Lobo Antunes is the best. He should have received the Nobel Prize years ago. Since Portuguese is my mother tongue, I have been making my way through all his books in the original. One word: Amazing!

[sarapereira]

Thank you so much for this video! Greetings from Portugal, just subscribed. Great review

[leonismint]

I bought this a few years back after seeing paperbird mention the author, very happy to see you reviewing this. Another great video as usual thank you!

[Matthew-lfun]

Great video Sean, welcome back!

Something I noticed with the reports and commentaries is that the reports within a specific section were all from the point of view of the same character, and the commentaries were each from a different character. For example, the chapters in the first section are: Joao, the farmgirl, Joao, Joao's ex-wife Sophia, Joao, Sofia's Uncle.

It seems as though the Inquisitor is showing the report to the person who then give the commentary. The first commentary from the farmgirl starts with "If you say it's true then okay, I believe you, but I don't see why Master Joao would say such terrible things about Senhor Francisco" which is in response to the previous report.

I'm not sure what the significance of this is, apart from what you already mentioned in the video. It can't be a real interview since the reports and commentaries are mostly thoughts rather than spoken words but as a literary device its very effective. All the characters are very selfish and the Inquisitor directly transmitting their thoughts to one another is the only way they could ever empathise with each other.

Anyway, I loved the book too and will probably tackle Fado Alexandrino or An Explanation of the Birds next.

[stephenwilson]

I see the Third Realm over there....in paperback! Would love a review on that if you're able!

[Lifeonbooks]

This sounds amazing. Appreciate the review.

[michaelmasiello]

Heroic. Lobo Antunes is one of my two or three favorite living novelists, has been for years—and this is the first time I’ve seen content about him on YT. Your introduction is incisive and smart. I can’t praise you highly enough. And I will check out Paper Birds.

I don’t see Fado Alexandrino on your shelf. Or Knowledge of Hell. You need those. And Act of the Damned, and An Explanation of the Birds, and The Splendor of Portugal, AND another deathbed paychonarrative, By the Rivers of Babylon. All highly recommended alongside the texts I am certainI did see.

And for Return of the Caravels, you’ll need to read something like Roger Crowley’s Conquerors, plus Camões’ Os Lusíadas, plus the same modern background you need for The Inquisitor’s Manual. That novel is a miracle, but it demands a lot of background we tend not, in this country, to have about Portuguese history. I have recommendations for that as well if you want any.

Thanks SO MUCH for this!

[RSelcov]

After watching the video, I walked to my local bookstore and bought a copy of his book Commission of Tears. (A danger of having a bookstore so close to me.) The translation was published this year. It was the only book of his that they had on the shelf. The description on the cover sounded good to me, like something I would enjoy.

[Formandformlessness]

I have this in hardback! Picked it up totally blind at a library sale years ago. Glad to hear it’s a good one!

[shelf-regulatingsystem]

Yes! Was hoping you'd cover this one.

[gdrdm]

8:20 Salazar became President of the Council of Ministers in 1932 (having been Finance Minister from 1928) and died in 1970, but the Estado Novo (New State) regime/period went from 1926 (military coup, end of the First Republic) to 1974 (Carnation Revolution). Marcelo Caetano took over from Salazar in 1968 when the latter, having fallen from a chair, suffered a stroke and was hospitalized and bedridden, all the while believing he was still in charge of the country, giving orders and governing from his bed while those around him humored him, eventually dying without ever knowing he had been substituted by Caetano. Also, that the Estado Novo was a fascist regime is -- in academic terms -- disputed, though undoubtably an authoritarian dictatorship with some fascist flourishes. Francisco Rolão Preto was the more Italian/German-styled outright revolutionary fascist who not only disliked but tried to overthrow the regime, having been detained and exhiled multiple times.

[stephenwilson]

Wake up babe new Travel Through Stories just dropped

[AlexQuadros-rvzl]

Rick Harsch is the biggest Antunes fan I know (except maybe for Larry Riley, his friend and translator of Arlt) and who turned me on to him. I’ve yet to read him though, so this just whets my anticipation all the more

[nikkivenable]

Ok, I had to order this one! Never heard of the author nor the book itself. I’m excited! Am I sure I will be able to understand this one? No, no I’m not, but I’m up for a challenge.

[azu_rikka]

Thank you for another great review! Never heard of the author but now I am intrigued.
I am wondering whether you got to read any of your anticipated reads of 2024 (specifically the case of Cem and Praiseworthy) and do we get to watch reviews of those😊?