The Book of Disquiet (Livro do Desassossego: Composto por Bernardo Soares, ajudante de guarda-livros na cidade de Lisboa) is a work by the Portuguese author Fernando Pessoa (1888–1935). Published posthumously, The Book of Disquiet is a fragmentary lifetime project, left unedited by the author, who introduced it as a "factless autobiography." The publication was credited to Bernardo Soares, one of the author's alternate writing names, which he called semi-heteronyms, and had a preface attributed to Fernando Pessoa, another alternate writing name or orthonym.
In Lisbon there are a few restaurants or eating houses located above decent-looking taverns, places with the heavy, domestic look of restaurants in towns far from any rail line. These second-story eateries, usually empty except on Sundays, frequently contain curious types whose faces are not interesting but who constitute a series of digressions from life.
— Fernando Pessoa, from The Book of Disquiet, trans. Alfred MacAdam.
Much studied by "Pessoan" critics, who have different interpretations regarding the book's proper organization, The Book of Disquiet was first published in Portuguese in 1982, 47 years after Pessoa's death (the author died at age 47 in 1935). The book has seen publication in Spanish (1984), German (1985), Italian (1986), French (1988), English (1991), Dutch (1990 (selection), and 1998 (full)). The Book in 1991 had four English editions by different translators: Richard Zenith (editor and translator), Iain Watson, Alfred MacAdam, and Margaret Jull Costa. The Book is a bestseller, especially in Spanish, Italian, and German (from different translators and publishers).
Pessoa's legacy: the chest, with more than 25,000 pages, and part of his personal library
Teresa Sobral Cunha considers there to be two versions of The Book of Disquiet. According to Cunha, who edited the first version with Jacinto do Prado Coelho and Maria Aliete Galhoz in 1982, there are two authors of the book: Vicente Guedes in the first phase (in the 1910s and 20s), and the aforementioned Bernardo Soares (late 1920s and 30s).
However, António Quadros considers the first phase of the book to belong to Pessoa himself. The second phase, more personal and diary-like, is the one credited to Bernardo Soares.
Richard Zenith, editor of a new Portuguese edition in 1998, took the option of presenting a single volume, as in his English translation of 1991. In his introduction, he writes that "if Bernardo Soares does not measure up to the full Pessoa, neither are his diary writings the sum total of Disquietude, to which he was after all a johnny-come-lately. The Book of Disquietude was various books (yet ultimately one book), with various authors (yet ultimately one author), and even the word disquietude changes meaning as time passes."[2]
"The fragmentary, the incomplete is of the essence of Pessoa's spirit. The very kaleidoscope of voices within him, the breadth of his culture, the catholicity of his ironic sympathies – wonderfully echoed in Saramago's great novel about Ricardo Reis – inhibited the monumentalities, the self-satisfaction of completion. Hence the vast torso of Pessoa's Faust on which he laboured much of his life. Hence the fragmentary condition of The Book of Disquiet, which contains material that predates 1913 and which Pessoa left open-ended at his death. As Adorno famously said, the finished work is, in our times and climate of anguish, a lie.
"It was to Bernardo Soares that Pessoa ascribed his Book of Disquiet, first made available in English in a briefer version by Richard Zenith in 1991. The translation is at once penetrating and delicately observant of Pessoa's astute melancholy. What is this Livro do Desassossego? Neither 'commonplace book', nor 'sketchbook', nor 'florilegium' will do. Imagine a fusion of Coleridge's notebooks and marginalia, of Valéry's philosophic diary and of Robert Musil's voluminous journal. Yet even such a hybrid does not correspond to the singularity of Pessoa's chronicle. Nor do we know what parts thereof, if any, he ever intended for publication in some revised format."[3]
Translations into Englishedit
Plaque in Lisbon marking a building where part of The Book of Disquiet was written.
The Book of Disquietude, tr. Richard Zenith (Manchester: Carcanet Press, 1991, 323 p., ISBN0-14-118304-7). Based on the 1982 Edições Ática edition, edited by Jacinto do Prado Coelho.
The Book of Disquiet, tr. Margaret Jull Costa (London, New York: Serpent's Tail, 1991, 262 p., ISBN1-85242-204-1). Based on the 1986 Feltrinelli edition, edited by Maria José de Lancastre.
The Book of Disquiet, tr. Richard Zenith (London: Allen Lane, 2001, 508 p., ISBN978-0713995275). Based on the 1998 Assírio & Alvim edition, edited by Richard Zenith.
The Book of Disquiet: The Complete Edition, tr. Margaret Jull Costa (New York: New Directions, 2017, 488 p., ISBN978-0811226936). Based on the 2013 Tinta-da-china edition, edited by Jerónimo Pizarro.
The Book of Disquiet, tr. Alfred Mac Adam (New York: Pantheon Books, 1991, 276 p., ISBN0-679-40234-9).
The Book of Disquiet: A Selection, tr. Iain Watson (London: Quartet Books, 1991, 195 p., ISBN0-7043-0153-9).
^Driscoll, Molly (12 June 2012). "The 100 best books of all time". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
^PESSOA, Fernando, The Book of Disquietude, tr. Richard Zenith, Carcanet Press, 1991, p. xi.
^Steiner, George (3 June 2001). "A man of many parts". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
Further readingedit
Esposito, Scott; Babendir, Bradley "‘The Book of Disquiet’ Is the Weirdest Autobiography Ever", Electric Literature, 26 September 2017.
Gertler, Aaron, "A Futile Attempt To Review The Book of Disquiet", Alpha Gamma, 31 May 2018.
Grace, Eddie, "Quarantine Reads: The Book of Disquiet", The Paris Review, 15 April 2020.
Kimmelman, Michael, "Portugal Holds on to Words Few Can Grasp", New York Times, 15 July 2008.
McAloon, Jonathan, "Books to give you hope: The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa", The Guardian, 30 August 2016.
Stoker, Michaël, Challenging Modernism Fernando Pessoa and the Book of Disquiet. Utrecht University, 2013 (includes appendices with cross-reference tables, archive edition of manuscripts and transcriptions)
November 11, 2023
book, disquiet, livro, desassossego, composto, bernardo, soares, ajudante, guarda, livros, cidade, lisboa, work, portuguese, author, fernando, pessoa, 1888, 1935, published, posthumously, fragmentary, lifetime, project, left, unedited, author, introduced, fact. The Book of Disquiet Livro do Desassossego Composto por Bernardo Soares ajudante de guarda livros na cidade de Lisboa is a work by the Portuguese author Fernando Pessoa 1888 1935 Published posthumously The Book of Disquiet is a fragmentary lifetime project left unedited by the author who introduced it as a factless autobiography The publication was credited to Bernardo Soares one of the author s alternate writing names which he called semi heteronyms and had a preface attributed to Fernando Pessoa another alternate writing name or orthonym The Book of DisquietFirst editionAuthorFernando PessoaOriginal titleLivro do DesassossegoCountryPortugalLanguagePortuguesePublication date1982 Contents 1 Editions 2 Interpretations 3 Translations into English 4 See also 5 References 6 Further readingEditions editIn Lisbon there are a few restaurants or eating houses located above decent looking taverns places with the heavy domestic look of restaurants in towns far from any rail line These second story eateries usually empty except on Sundays frequently contain curious types whose faces are not interesting but who constitute a series of digressions from life Fernando Pessoa from The Book of Disquiet trans Alfred MacAdam Much studied by Pessoan critics who have different interpretations regarding the book s proper organization The Book of Disquiet was first published in Portuguese in 1982 47 years after Pessoa s death the author died at age 47 in 1935 The book has seen publication in Spanish 1984 German 1985 Italian 1986 French 1988 English 1991 Dutch 1990 selection and 1998 full The Book in 1991 had four English editions by different translators Richard Zenith editor and translator Iain Watson Alfred MacAdam and Margaret Jull Costa The Book is a bestseller especially in Spanish Italian and German from different translators and publishers The book appeared on the Norwegian Book Club s list of the all time 100 best works of literature based on the responses of 100 authors from 54 countries 1 Interpretations edit nbsp Pessoa s legacy the chest with more than 25 000 pages and part of his personal libraryTeresa Sobral Cunha considers there to be two versions of The Book of Disquiet According to Cunha who edited the first version with Jacinto do Prado Coelho and Maria Aliete Galhoz in 1982 there are two authors of the book Vicente Guedes in the first phase in the 1910s and 20s and the aforementioned Bernardo Soares late 1920s and 30s However Antonio Quadros considers the first phase of the book to belong to Pessoa himself The second phase more personal and diary like is the one credited to Bernardo Soares Richard Zenith editor of a new Portuguese edition in 1998 took the option of presenting a single volume as in his English translation of 1991 In his introduction he writes that if Bernardo Soares does not measure up to the full Pessoa neither are his diary writings the sum total of Disquietude to which he was after all a johnny come lately The Book of Disquietude was various books yet ultimately one book with various authors yet ultimately one author and even the word disquietude changes meaning as time passes 2 George Steiner on The Book Of Disquiet The fragmentary the incomplete is of the essence of Pessoa s spirit The very kaleidoscope of voices within him the breadth of his culture the catholicity of his ironic sympathies wonderfully echoed in Saramago s great novel about Ricardo Reis inhibited the monumentalities the self satisfaction of completion Hence the vast torso of Pessoa s Faust on which he laboured much of his life Hence the fragmentary condition of The Book of Disquiet which contains material that predates 1913 and which Pessoa left open ended at his death As Adorno famously said the finished work is in our times and climate of anguish a lie It was to Bernardo Soares that Pessoa ascribed his Book of Disquiet first made available in English in a briefer version by Richard Zenith in 1991 The translation is at once penetrating and delicately observant of Pessoa s astute melancholy What is this Livro do Desassossego Neither commonplace book nor sketchbook nor florilegium will do Imagine a fusion of Coleridge s notebooks and marginalia of Valery s philosophic diary and of Robert Musil s voluminous journal Yet even such a hybrid does not correspond to the singularity of Pessoa s chronicle Nor do we know what parts thereof if any he ever intended for publication in some revised format 3 Translations into English edit nbsp Plaque in Lisbon marking a building where part of The Book of Disquiet was written The Book of Disquietude tr Richard Zenith Manchester Carcanet Press 1991 323 p ISBN 0 14 118304 7 Based on the 1982 Edicoes Atica edition edited by Jacinto do Prado Coelho The Book of Disquiet tr Margaret Jull Costa London New York Serpent s Tail 1991 262 p ISBN 1 85242 204 1 Based on the 1986 Feltrinelli edition edited by Maria Jose de Lancastre The Book of Disquiet tr Richard Zenith London Allen Lane 2001 508 p ISBN 978 0713995275 Based on the 1998 Assirio amp Alvim edition edited by Richard Zenith The Book of Disquiet The Complete Edition tr Margaret Jull Costa New York New Directions 2017 488 p ISBN 978 0811226936 Based on the 2013 Tinta da china edition edited by Jeronimo Pizarro The Book of Disquiet tr Alfred Mac Adam New York Pantheon Books 1991 276 p ISBN 0 679 40234 9 The Book of Disquiet A Selection tr Iain Watson London Quartet Books 1991 195 p ISBN 0 7043 0153 9 See also editSaudadeReferences edit Driscoll Molly 12 June 2012 The 100 best books of all time The Christian Science Monitor Retrieved 20 October 2012 PESSOA Fernando The Book of Disquietude tr Richard Zenith Carcanet Press 1991 p xi Steiner George 3 June 2001 A man of many parts The Observer ISSN 0029 7712 Retrieved 4 February 2023 Further reading editEsposito Scott Babendir Bradley The Book of Disquiet Is the Weirdest Autobiography Ever Electric Literature 26 September 2017 Gertler Aaron A Futile Attempt To Review The Book of Disquiet Alpha Gamma 31 May 2018 Grace Eddie Quarantine Reads The Book of Disquiet The Paris Review 15 April 2020 Kimmelman Michael Portugal Holds on to Words Few Can Grasp New York Times 15 July 2008 McAloon Jonathan Books to give you hope The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa The Guardian 30 August 2016 Stoker Michael Challenging Modernism Fernando Pessoa and the Book of Disquiet Utrecht University 2013 includes appendices with cross reference tables archive edition of manuscripts and transcriptions Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Book of Disquiet amp oldid 1179491088, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
