The Rogue and Other Portuguese Stories

"The Rogue narrates a beautiful nightmare with aplomb, even mastery. The timing of the dialogue and the layers of engagement are very well rendered. The story is written by an outsider, far removed from the Portuguese way of being. It shows the oddity of things Portuguese." ¿Lídia Jorge, prominent Portuguese novelist and author "While exploring the enduring hypocrisies and injustices in contemporary Portuguese life, Julieta Rodrigues dem- onstrates a heartfelt and admirable interest in those who rarely if ever make the news or draw our ongoing attention, unveiling¿in compelling and complex ways¿what is most curious and dramatic in their lives." ¿Richard Zimler, best-selling author of fiction, journalist, poet, screen-writer "Julieta Rodrigues's short story collection probes and tears at the heart of the question, 'What does it currently mean to be Portuguese?' Through spellbinding prose which weaves deftly through stories of domestic abuse, religious rebellion, adulterous wives and imprisoned drug dealers, the darker sides of contemporary Portuguese life are illuminated and in turn its greatest societal and polit- ical truths are revealed." ¿Erik Van Achter, Researcher, Center for Portuguese Literature, University of Coimbra and Katholieke Univer- siteit Leuven, Belgium "Having read Julieta Rodrigues's first collection of short stories, On the Way to Red Square, which impressed me by their brilliantly raw and yet delicate fictional atmos- phere, I must confess that this second collection does not in any way fall short. The psychological depth of her characters, the skillful manipulation of narrative, the inter- twining of detail-rich plots, are all superb portrayals of the idiosyncrasies of the Portuguese. Each story is a magnif- icent revelation, a splendid encounter demanding to be read in a single breath." ¿Salvato Teles de Menezes, President of Fundação D. Luís I, Cascais. Author and literary critic