This story is set in 1936 in Lisbon with a background of the
struggle bet ween fascism and the monarchists. There are
rain-sodden streets and floods. Gill could not relate to the main
character: he longs for an aristocratic woman but sleeps with the
chambermaid. The dialogue is written in a strange style that
makes it difficult to tell who is speaking to whom, or whether it
is just one person's thoughts. The book describes what it is like
to be in a country that is not very important.
Gill 8/10/00
By the same author