A quick post to introduce the book I’m currently reading: The Relic by Eça de Queirós. Since I enjoyed The Maias so much I wanted to dip into another work of his. Despite having the same title, don’t confuse this with the 1997 horror movie.

Here is my post with some online resources on Eça de Queirós.

I’m reading the translation by Margaret Jull Costa published by Dedalus Books. I was able to find my copy through an online book reseller, but Dedalus also has the book in their current catalogue. An excerpt of the book can be read here (click on Sample Chapter).

The summary on the back of my copy:

Teodorico Raposo, the novel’s anti-hero, is a master of deceit; one minute feigning devotion in front of his rich, pious aunt, in order to inherit her money, the next indulging in debauchery. Spurred on by the desire to please his aunt, and in order to get away from his unfaithful mistress, he embarks on a journey to the Holy Land in search of a holy relic. The resulting fiasco is a masterpiece of comic irony as religious bigotry and personal greed are mercilessly ridiculed.