Alves Redol
Encyclopedia
António Alves Redol was one of the most influential Portuguese neorealist
writers. Redol was born in Vila Franca de Xira
, an industrial zone near Lisbon
. In 1927 he finished school, and in the next year travelled to Angola
(a Portuguese colony at the time), where he stayed for three years. His stay in Angola was mainly unfruitful, but influenced his world view, that later becomes visible in his literature.
His literary activity started in 1936, when Redol became a contributor of O Diabo, a Portuguese newspaper, writing chronicles and tales of his region, Ribatejo
. Redol would not become known for his work as a journalist though. Instead, he became known for his romances. In 1939 he published his first book, Gaibéus. According to the author, Gaibéus was not intended as a piece of art, but rather as a report of the way of life of peasants in Ribatejo.
The preoccupation of going beyond a writer of romances by being a reporter the real world is one of the main characteristics of Redol's work. Redol used to get near agricultural fields, such as the rice
fields near Tagus river, in order to talk to peasants, and hear their stories and experiences.
In the years following the publication of Gaibéus, Redol published Marés (1941), Avieiros (1943), Fanga (1944), Reinegros (1945), Porto Manso (1946), Ciclo Port-Wine (1953), Barca dos Sete Lemes (1958), Uma Fenda na Muralha (1959), and finally Barranco de Cegos (1962), considered the clymax of his work.
A Man with Seven Names was translated into the English language
in 1965 by Linton Lomas Barrett
.
Alves Redol died in Lisbon, in 1969.
Neorealism (art)
In art, neorealism was established by the ex-Camden Town Group painters Charles Ginner and Harold Gilman at the beginning of World War I. They set out to explore the spirit of their age through the shapes and colours of daily life...
writers. Redol was born in Vila Franca de Xira
Vila Franca de Xira
Vila Franca de Xira is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 317.7 km² and a total population of 133,224 inhabitants. Situated on the west bank of the Tagus River, just 32 km north-east of the Portuguese capital Lisbon, Vila Franca de Xira is said to have been founded by French...
, an industrial zone near Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. In 1927 he finished school, and in the next year travelled to Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
(a Portuguese colony at the time), where he stayed for three years. His stay in Angola was mainly unfruitful, but influenced his world view, that later becomes visible in his literature.
His literary activity started in 1936, when Redol became a contributor of O Diabo, a Portuguese newspaper, writing chronicles and tales of his region, Ribatejo
Ribatejo
The Ribatejo is the most central of the traditional provinces of Portugal, with no coastline or border with Spain. The region is crossed by the Tagus River...
. Redol would not become known for his work as a journalist though. Instead, he became known for his romances. In 1939 he published his first book, Gaibéus. According to the author, Gaibéus was not intended as a piece of art, but rather as a report of the way of life of peasants in Ribatejo.
The preoccupation of going beyond a writer of romances by being a reporter the real world is one of the main characteristics of Redol's work. Redol used to get near agricultural fields, such as the rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
fields near Tagus river, in order to talk to peasants, and hear their stories and experiences.
In the years following the publication of Gaibéus, Redol published Marés (1941), Avieiros (1943), Fanga (1944), Reinegros (1945), Porto Manso (1946), Ciclo Port-Wine (1953), Barca dos Sete Lemes (1958), Uma Fenda na Muralha (1959), and finally Barranco de Cegos (1962), considered the clymax of his work.
A Man with Seven Names was translated into the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in 1965 by Linton Lomas Barrett
Linton Lomas Barrett
Linton Lomas Barrett, Ph.D. was an influential educator, administrator, diplomat, editor, Hispanist and translator of Romance languages....
.
Alves Redol died in Lisbon, in 1969.