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O Meu Poeta: Romance
Portugese
349 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
20 people want to read
About the author
Germano Almeida
28 books62 followersGermano de Almeida nasceu na ilha da Boavista, Cabo Verde, em 1945. Licenciou-se em Direito em Lisboa e exerce actualmente advocacia na cidade do Mindelo. Estreou-se como contista no início da década de 80, colaborando na revista Ponto & Vírgula. A sua obra de ficção representa uma nova etapa na rica história literária de Cabo Verde. Está publicada em Portugal pela Caminho e começa a despertar interesse no estrangeiro, nomeadamente o romance O Testamento do Senhor Napumoceno da Silva Araújo, do qual vários países compraram os direitos, encontrando-se já publicado no Brasil, na Itália e França. O filme de baseado nesta obra (O Testamento do Senhor Napumoceno) foi recentemente galardoado com o 1º Prémio do Festival de Cinema Latino-Americano de Gramado, no Brasil; foi igualmente distinguido com os prémios para o melhor filme e melhor actor no 8º Festival Internacional Cinematográfico de Assunción, no Paraguai.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 1, 2025
In my journey to read something from every country, I stumbled upon this gem of a satire that showed me (if I ever needed it!) that most countries with an autocratic past are the same, despite the differences in culture and geographical location. "O meu poeta" ("My Poet") is a sharp satire of Cape Verdean society in the post-independence period. The story revolves around an unnamed poet who functions as a symbolic figure representing both the artist and the intellectual in a society full of contradictions.
The novel's premise is a biography (a "profile") of the Poet, requested by a journalist and intended to be published in one of the country's major magazines. The task to compile this profile falls to the Poet's secretary, who follows him around and notes all his actions, be they professional, political, or even personal. The Poet's story starts from the closure of the tavern he frequents - The Closed Retreat (O Retiro Fehado), "a bar elevated to the category of municipal institution". To save this tavern, a commission is formed to convince the municipality to reopen it or, if not possible, to fly the municipal flag at half mast (!) as a sign of mourning. In fact, the commission is called... The Mourning Commission, and the Poet is elected its president.
If this summary doesn't tell you how satirical this book is, I don't know what will. I'm sad that it hasn't been translated into English, so that many more people can read it.
The themes in this book hit home. As someone coming from a former authoritarian country, some of the outcomes of independence felt familiar. There’s a clear critique of the post-independence regime. Though the party claims not to be totalitarian (because "they don’t take 100% of the vote"), the opposition is artificial and powerless. The essential condition for a true opposition is its independence from power, which is lacking. People don’t know how to oppose the regime, or they choose not to, preferring peace and routine instead of active involvement in a society in transition. Meanwhile, literature has grown weak. The narrator notes, mockingly: People like to read, but do you see anyone discussing what they read?
Almeida points out the widening generational gap. The older generation fought against colonialism and fascism, but the young complain about their rights without understanding the cost of the freedom they enjoy. Does that sound familiar? It does, doesn't it? However, after independence, the same people stayed in power, preserving the structures (and even the colonial laws) under new symbols. So, no real change. Thus, the growing frustration among the younger generation.
One of the novel’s strongest meta-political points is that, in order to truly attack a society, one must attack its foundational myths. It's an idea that keeps circling periodically and is definitely a truth when it comes to colonialism and subjugating the native population, who is easier to control once their myths are taken away.
The secretary frequently takes things personally when they relate to the Poet, inserting himself into the Poet’s most intimate life, including his marriage, and often voicing jealousy or moral judgment. He’s also in love with the poet’s wife, which colors his narration with a subtle bitterness. While the public romanticizes the Poet for his literary genius and his political activity, the secretary, who lives in his house and knows how the Poet writes, is downplaying his talent. There's a passage where he compares the creative process to vomiting or diarrhea, which is both absurdly grotesque and hilarious. Also, the novel is filled with meta-commentary, with the secretary often questioning the meaning or relevance of events he’s just narrated. From this point of view, "O Meu Poeta" reminded me of Nabokov’s "Pale Fire", where the commentator slowly becomes the subject of the story.
I found the book brilliant, albeit sometimes difficult to read, due to its nonlinear narration. It mocks the myth of the heroic intellectual while at the same time speaking about the futility of trying to live with a certain integrity in a corrupt society.
The novel's premise is a biography (a "profile") of the Poet, requested by a journalist and intended to be published in one of the country's major magazines. The task to compile this profile falls to the Poet's secretary, who follows him around and notes all his actions, be they professional, political, or even personal. The Poet's story starts from the closure of the tavern he frequents - The Closed Retreat (O Retiro Fehado), "a bar elevated to the category of municipal institution". To save this tavern, a commission is formed to convince the municipality to reopen it or, if not possible, to fly the municipal flag at half mast (!) as a sign of mourning. In fact, the commission is called... The Mourning Commission, and the Poet is elected its president.
If this summary doesn't tell you how satirical this book is, I don't know what will. I'm sad that it hasn't been translated into English, so that many more people can read it.
The themes in this book hit home. As someone coming from a former authoritarian country, some of the outcomes of independence felt familiar. There’s a clear critique of the post-independence regime. Though the party claims not to be totalitarian (because "they don’t take 100% of the vote"), the opposition is artificial and powerless. The essential condition for a true opposition is its independence from power, which is lacking. People don’t know how to oppose the regime, or they choose not to, preferring peace and routine instead of active involvement in a society in transition. Meanwhile, literature has grown weak. The narrator notes, mockingly: People like to read, but do you see anyone discussing what they read?
Almeida points out the widening generational gap. The older generation fought against colonialism and fascism, but the young complain about their rights without understanding the cost of the freedom they enjoy. Does that sound familiar? It does, doesn't it? However, after independence, the same people stayed in power, preserving the structures (and even the colonial laws) under new symbols. So, no real change. Thus, the growing frustration among the younger generation.
One of the novel’s strongest meta-political points is that, in order to truly attack a society, one must attack its foundational myths. It's an idea that keeps circling periodically and is definitely a truth when it comes to colonialism and subjugating the native population, who is easier to control once their myths are taken away.
The secretary frequently takes things personally when they relate to the Poet, inserting himself into the Poet’s most intimate life, including his marriage, and often voicing jealousy or moral judgment. He’s also in love with the poet’s wife, which colors his narration with a subtle bitterness. While the public romanticizes the Poet for his literary genius and his political activity, the secretary, who lives in his house and knows how the Poet writes, is downplaying his talent. There's a passage where he compares the creative process to vomiting or diarrhea, which is both absurdly grotesque and hilarious. Also, the novel is filled with meta-commentary, with the secretary often questioning the meaning or relevance of events he’s just narrated. From this point of view, "O Meu Poeta" reminded me of Nabokov’s "Pale Fire", where the commentator slowly becomes the subject of the story.
I found the book brilliant, albeit sometimes difficult to read, due to its nonlinear narration. It mocks the myth of the heroic intellectual while at the same time speaking about the futility of trying to live with a certain integrity in a corrupt society.
July 31, 2021
O livro é quase uma tese de avaliação sobre o processo de independência de Cabo Verde, o que as vezes prejudica sua fruição, mas afora isso o bom humor e leveza de Germano nos dão um respiro e uma crítica cerrada de toda forma de abuso de poder, autoritarismo e personalismo.
May 17, 2019
"Sabes, disse sorrindo, nenhuma mulher resiste a sentir-se amada. E deixei que ele me amasse. E agora sou feliz porque ele me ama."
(Capítulo VIII)
"Não há nada como falar em abstracto, ameaçar em abstracto. Porque todas as pessoas acabam por se sentirem ameaçadas e todas se atemorizam."
(Capítulo X)
"A generalidade das pessoas ainda não se capacitou que tem direitos pelo simples facto de serem pessoas. Por exemplo a polícia chega pela noite, invade uma casa, faz buscas, prende pessoas. No entanto ninguém protesta porque pensam que legalmente tudo o que não é proibido é permitido. E está certo porque no fundo a lei não é senão um sistema de cerceamento das liberdades inerentes ao homem. Ora, não há nenhuma lei a proibir oposição a seja o que for."
(Capítulo X)
"E não te esqueças que, não obstante a toga, o juiz continua homem com um buraco no fundo das costas."
(Capítulo XI)
(Capítulo VIII)
"Não há nada como falar em abstracto, ameaçar em abstracto. Porque todas as pessoas acabam por se sentirem ameaçadas e todas se atemorizam."
(Capítulo X)
"A generalidade das pessoas ainda não se capacitou que tem direitos pelo simples facto de serem pessoas. Por exemplo a polícia chega pela noite, invade uma casa, faz buscas, prende pessoas. No entanto ninguém protesta porque pensam que legalmente tudo o que não é proibido é permitido. E está certo porque no fundo a lei não é senão um sistema de cerceamento das liberdades inerentes ao homem. Ora, não há nenhuma lei a proibir oposição a seja o que for."
(Capítulo X)
"E não te esqueças que, não obstante a toga, o juiz continua homem com um buraco no fundo das costas."
(Capítulo XI)
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews