Saint Christopher: A Novella (Adamastor Series) by José Maria de Eça de Queirós

by Eça de Queirós

Set in the Middle Ages but written in the early twentieth century, Eça de Queirós's novella, Saint Christopher , is a powerful indictment of those who profess the value of morality but who do not practice it. The narrative is just as relevant today—when issues of religion, hypocrisy, and social justice are more urgent than ever—as it was when it first appeared in 1912. Written as though it were the product of a dialogue between Jesus and Proudhon (whose theories animate much of the narrative), Saint Christopher challenges today's ethically motivated reader to do what the narrative's protagonist does, that is, take up the cause of the wretched and abused of this earth.

Paperback

First published January 1, 1900

About the author

José Maria Eça de Queirós was a novelist committed to social reform who introduced naturalism and realism to Portugal. He is often considered to be the greatest Portuguese novelist, certainly the leading 19th-century Portuguese novelist whose fame was international. The son of a prominent magistrate, Eça de Queiroz spent his early years with relatives and was sent to boarding school at the age of five. After receiving his degree in law in 1866 from the University of Coimbra, where he read widely French, he settled in Lisbon. There his father, who had since married Eça de Queiroz' mother, made up for past neglect by helping the young man make a start in the legal profession. Eça de Queiroz' real interest lay in literature, however, and soon his short stories - ironic, fantastic, macabre, and often gratuitously shocking - and essays on a wide variety of subjects began to appear in the "Gazeta de Portugal". By 1871 he had become closely associated with a group of rebellious Portuguese intellectuals committed to social and artistic reform and known as the Generation of '70. Eça de Queiroz gave one of a series of lectures sponsored by the group in which he denounced contemporary Portuguese literature as unoriginal and hypocritical. He served as consul, first in Havana (1872-74), then in England, UK - in Newcastle upon Tyne (1874-79) and in Bristol (1879-88). During this time he wrote the novels for which he is best remembered, attempting to bring about social reform in Portugal through literature by exposing what he held to be the evils and the absurdities of the traditional order. His first novel, "O crime do Padre Amaro" (1875; "The Sin of Father Amaro", 1962), describes the destructive effects of celibacy on a priest of weak character and the dangers of fanaticism in a provincial Portuguese town. A biting satire on the romantic ideal of passion and its tragic consequences appears in his next novel, "O Primo Basílio" (1878; "Cousin Bazilio", 1953). Caustic satire characterizes the novel that is generally considered Eça de Queiroz' masterpiece, "Os Maias (1888; "The Maias", 1965), a detailed depiction of upper middle-class and aristocratic Portuguese society. His last novels are sentimental, unlike his earlier work. "A Cidade e as Serras" (1901; "The City and the Mountains", 1955) extols the beauty of the Portuguese countryside and the joys of rural life. Eça de Queiroz was appointed consul in Paris in 1888, where he served until his death. Of his posthumously published works, "Contos" (1902) is a collection of short stories, and "Últimas Páginas" (1912) includes saints' legends. Translations of his works persisted into the second half of the 20th century.

Source: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0211055/bio

Reviews

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

“There was a legend circulating that Cristóvão defeated the emperor of Ocitânia, killed the grand dragon that plagued the Algarve, and easily destroyed a tower constructed by the Devil for Robert of Normandy.” p. 122

Wow, the man did some amazing things, didn’t he? Cristóvão is the Portuguese name for Christopher, as in Saint Christopher. The only thing that I know about him is that he was the patron saint of travellers and I once had a medal given to me (possibly by my mom). According to the story, Christopher carries a small child across a river, “bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders.” That child was Jesus Christ and so in the Greek we have Ἅγιος Χριστόφορος (Hágios Christóphoros) or literally “Christ-bearer.” Originally the story was found in 3rd century Greece but later surfaced in 9th century France.

This story was written by the Portuguese author Eça de Queirós in the 1890s. It remained unpublished until a decade after his death in 1912. It’s a remarkable tale, not so much as a religious tale, which is still there, but rather for the telling of a man struggling to find himself. Cristóvão was born to a woodcutter and his wife living in a small village somewhere in possibly France in the Middle Ages. The child that was born was deformed, slow to develop mentally and became a giant “monster” in the eyes of his village. His mother loved him but died too soon and his father did his best to raise him. It didn’t last long.

Being the village freak grabbed a lot of unwelcome attention. The boy loved nature but understanding people was an uphill battle. The church wasn’t receptive and as much as he helped, he caused problems. He left his home and stumbled across a great many “evil” things that made the giant question humanity. People made fun of him, exploited him, and generally took advantage of the man. Wars, starvation and greed led him to question god’s absence in the world.

Eventually the giant finds his calling, carrying people across the river. One could say there is a lot of symbolism here but it actually comes down to a simple thing, do good to others. We all good benefit from this.