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Five Days, Five Nights
The Portuguese Communist Party is, proportionate to the size of the country's population, one of the largest in the world, certainly in the capitalist world. It must have come as something of a surprise for Portuguese readers to learn that its longtime leader, Alvaro Cunhal, had made a sideline career for himself as a neorealist fiction writer. This book is the first to appear in English. International Publishers, renowned for its historic catalogue of publications of non-fiction, including Marxist theoretical studies, fiction, memoir and poetry, is proud to present this unusual novella as a long overdue expression of gratitude for Alvaro Cunhal's self sacrificing leadership of the Portuguese Communists during most of the half-century of fascism in his land.
Stylistically, Five Days, Five Nights approximates something of the 1940s and '50s noir writers' and filmmakers' hyperrealist sensibilities, though any direct influence on the writer is not likely, for Cunhal wrote this book while imprisoned in Portugal in the 1950s. He was able to slip it past the censors, who saw little specifically political in it, merely the story of an emigrant escaping the country, a common occurrence at the time. Notably, there is no reference to the Party as such, though readers are welcome to infer its presence in the background.
The manuscript of this novella was found in the archives of the Forte de Peniche, where Cunhal had been imprisoned. Cunhal had left it behind when he escaped on January 3, 1960, although he did take with him the manuscript to another, much longer and more specifically political novel, At� Amanh�, Camaradas. After the 25th of April 1974 Revolution that brought an end to fascism in Portugal, the military
officers in charge of the fort returned the manuscript to Cunhal, and he published it in 1975 under the pseudonym Manuel Tiago, with a fictitious indication that it had been found in the "author's" papers after his death (an explanation he also used for At� Amanh�, Camaradas). At the time the true authorship of these books was known only to the Party leadership. Only later in life, in 1994, did Cunhal acknowledge that he was "Manuel Tiago," pseudonymous author of several books (whose titles are noted in the biography of the
author).
Cunhal had obviously heard many stories of his comrades' clandestine emigration across the border. Possibly, too, there may be some autobiographical content to the story given the author's involvement in the Portuguese student movement in Lisbon in the very early years of Ant�nio Salazar's Estado Novo.
Estado Novo or-- "New State" was a version of fascism and a setting of the story in the early 1930s would seem probable. Furthermore, it seems to predate the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) and Francisco Franco's subsequent fascist regime, if we are to accept the logic of an escape over the border from the oppressive Portugal to an untroubled Spain as described in the book. However, If we understand the story as existing outside of a specific time, involving archetypal situations, relationships and circumstances, then to that extent it achieves a certain universality, standing in for similar, parallel conditions almost anywhere in the world at any time.
In the final analysis, Five Days, Five Nights surely was written to remind readers not only of the sacrifices made by fascism's resisters, but of the loss of creativity and intelligence that Portugal suffered due to fascism's
erosion of talented, hardworking citizens.
Stylistically, Five Days, Five Nights approximates something of the 1940s and '50s noir writers' and filmmakers' hyperrealist sensibilities, though any direct influence on the writer is not likely, for Cunhal wrote this book while imprisoned in Portugal in the 1950s. He was able to slip it past the censors, who saw little specifically political in it, merely the story of an emigrant escaping the country, a common occurrence at the time. Notably, there is no reference to the Party as such, though readers are welcome to infer its presence in the background.
The manuscript of this novella was found in the archives of the Forte de Peniche, where Cunhal had been imprisoned. Cunhal had left it behind when he escaped on January 3, 1960, although he did take with him the manuscript to another, much longer and more specifically political novel, At� Amanh�, Camaradas. After the 25th of April 1974 Revolution that brought an end to fascism in Portugal, the military
officers in charge of the fort returned the manuscript to Cunhal, and he published it in 1975 under the pseudonym Manuel Tiago, with a fictitious indication that it had been found in the "author's" papers after his death (an explanation he also used for At� Amanh�, Camaradas). At the time the true authorship of these books was known only to the Party leadership. Only later in life, in 1994, did Cunhal acknowledge that he was "Manuel Tiago," pseudonymous author of several books (whose titles are noted in the biography of the
author).
Cunhal had obviously heard many stories of his comrades' clandestine emigration across the border. Possibly, too, there may be some autobiographical content to the story given the author's involvement in the Portuguese student movement in Lisbon in the very early years of Ant�nio Salazar's Estado Novo.
Estado Novo or-- "New State" was a version of fascism and a setting of the story in the early 1930s would seem probable. Furthermore, it seems to predate the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) and Francisco Franco's subsequent fascist regime, if we are to accept the logic of an escape over the border from the oppressive Portugal to an untroubled Spain as described in the book. However, If we understand the story as existing outside of a specific time, involving archetypal situations, relationships and circumstances, then to that extent it achieves a certain universality, standing in for similar, parallel conditions almost anywhere in the world at any time.
In the final analysis, Five Days, Five Nights surely was written to remind readers not only of the sacrifices made by fascism's resisters, but of the loss of creativity and intelligence that Portugal suffered due to fascism's
erosion of talented, hardworking citizens.
84 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
2 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
Manuel Tiago
21 books24 followersPseudónimo literário de Álvaro Cunhal, que com ele assinou obras de ficção, designadamente Até Amanhã, Camaradas (1975), Cinco Dias, Cinco Noites (1975) e A Estrela de Seis Pontas (1994, adaptado para cinema por José Fonseca e Costa). A verdadeira identidade de Manuel Tiago só foi confirmada aquando da publicação deste último romance. Durante anos, muito se especulou acerca da autoria das obras.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 21, 2024
Mais uma leitura do tema
Cinco dias, cinco noites de Manuel Tiago, pseudónimo de Álvaro Cunhal, adaptado para cinema em 1996. Que eu vi não me lembro quando.
Dar o salto nos anos 40, dar o salto era passar a fronteira clandestinamente. Normalmente com ajuda de contrabandistas que conheciam o terreno.
É assim que André o personagem passa. Mas durante toda a viagem está desconfiado em relação ao contrabandista ....
Cinco dias, cinco noites de Manuel Tiago, pseudónimo de Álvaro Cunhal, adaptado para cinema em 1996. Que eu vi não me lembro quando.
Dar o salto nos anos 40, dar o salto era passar a fronteira clandestinamente. Normalmente com ajuda de contrabandistas que conheciam o terreno.
É assim que André o personagem passa. Mas durante toda a viagem está desconfiado em relação ao contrabandista ....
July 25, 2021
Personagens fortes, um ambiente tão bem retratado que se torna envolvente, diálogos muito curtos mais eficazes na mensagem. Muito bem escrito, mas carece de uma história melhor. A trama é pautada por vários momentos disconexos e confusos, que ficam sem explicação até ao final da obra.
June 30, 2023
Tá bem
December 23, 2021
Belo de tão cruo.
January 12, 2019
Na verdade é mais um 3,5.
Nunca tendo lido nada do autor, não tenho termo de comparação, mas parece-me que com uma última revisão o livro seria excelente. A base está lá: a paisagem, as personagens, o ritmo. Mas há vazios para adivinhar, o que não será fácil para quem não conheça esta parte da história portuguesa.
Nunca tendo lido nada do autor, não tenho termo de comparação, mas parece-me que com uma última revisão o livro seria excelente. A base está lá: a paisagem, as personagens, o ritmo. Mas há vazios para adivinhar, o que não será fácil para quem não conheça esta parte da história portuguesa.
March 6, 2025
No dia em que se assinalam os 104 anos da fundação do partido comunista português, termino a leitura desta novela de Manuel Tiago, pseudónimo de Álvaro Cunhal. A escrita é, como em todas as obras do autor, envolvente, crua, e real. Aqui, faltou história. Senti-me perdido algumas vezes.
November 24, 2025
Quem diria que o Álvaro Cunhal, (Manuel Tiago), também escrevia boas obras de ficção.
August 14, 2023
confuso. não foi do meu agrado para ser honesta
July 23, 2015
Manuel Tiago é como um pintor talentoso com falta de tinta. Traço curto mas expressivo. Porque escreve frases curtas, nomes precisos, e adjetivos aguarela que pintam o cenário e a cena numa só rajada. Sinto que este livro é um mero esboço da sua escrita, que promete muitas paisagens e bravos retratos por desbravar. Estou curiosíssimo por ler mais obras dele.
Tão bem escreve como chateia, sendo morosamente moralista. Os valores morais que ele constante e variadamente procura impugnar no leitor são o fio condutor do livro e é este mesmo fio que sufoca o livro, chegando à beira de enforcá-lo na história da trabalhadora sexual.
No final de contas sabe a pouco e deixa um aftertaste algo amargo. É como um café, não o aconselharia pelo sabor mas sim pelo efeito, que é rápido, curto e eficaz.
Tão bem escreve como chateia, sendo morosamente moralista. Os valores morais que ele constante e variadamente procura impugnar no leitor são o fio condutor do livro e é este mesmo fio que sufoca o livro, chegando à beira de enforcá-lo na história da trabalhadora sexual.
No final de contas sabe a pouco e deixa um aftertaste algo amargo. É como um café, não o aconselharia pelo sabor mas sim pelo efeito, que é rápido, curto e eficaz.
July 22, 2022
I really liked this little book, a coming of age story. Although written by a historical Portuguese communist leader, it reads more like a study of characters than a political manifesto and you can't help but feel Tiago's empathy and tenderness for is younger idealistic self, the shrewd smuggler Lambaca, and the dispossessed women they meet on their five day journey.
At times a very moving book and a very well written one.
At times a very moving book and a very well written one.
December 31, 2011
Foi o livro que menos gostei. Já o filme...
November 28, 2023
tão puro, simples e bonito 💓
este camarada descreve as coisas como se fossem pinturas e quanto menos as detalhada, mais as imaginamos.
este camarada descreve as coisas como se fossem pinturas e quanto menos as detalhada, mais as imaginamos.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews