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Empty Wardrobes
For ten years Dora has ritualistically mourned her husband's death, a pointless ritual that forced her to rely on support from old friends and acquaintances. Her beloved husband, a “Christ” so principled he rejected any ambition whatsoever as a construct of a corrupt society, succeeded only in leaving Dora and their daughter with nothing. When her mother-in-law reveals a shattering secret about their marriage one night, Dora’s narrative of her own life is destroyed. Three generations of women—Dora, her daughter, and mother-in-law—must navigate a world that has been shaped by the blundering men off in the distance, figures barely present who nonetheless define the lives of the women they would call mother, wife, or lover.
Narrated through the gritted teeth of an acquaintance, Empty Wardrobes—Maria Judite de Carvalho’s cutting 1966 novel, translated from Portuguese for the first time by Margaret Jull Costa and introduced by Kate Zambreno—is a tale of women who are trapped within the quiet devastation of a patriarchal society and preyed upon by the ambient savageries that perch in its every crevice.
Narrated through the gritted teeth of an acquaintance, Empty Wardrobes—Maria Judite de Carvalho’s cutting 1966 novel, translated from Portuguese for the first time by Margaret Jull Costa and introduced by Kate Zambreno—is a tale of women who are trapped within the quiet devastation of a patriarchal society and preyed upon by the ambient savageries that perch in its every crevice.
184 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
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4665 people want to read
About the author
Maria Judite de Carvalho
43 books74 followersMARIA JUDITE DE CARVALHO nasceu em Lisboa a 18 de Setembro de 1921. Estreou-se com o livro de contos Tanta Gente, Mariana (1959) e foi galardoada com o Prémio Camilo Castelo Branco pela colectânea As Palavras Poupadas (1961). Além de contos, publicou romances e crónicas, cultivando também o jornalismo. Na sua obra reflecte-se o dramatismo da solidão do mundo urbano, onde há muita gente e pouca alma. Publicou Paisagem Sem Barcos (1965), Os Armários Vazios (1966), Flores ao Telefone (1968), Os Idólatras (1969), Tempo das Mercês (1973), A Janela Fingida (1975), O Homem no Arame (1976), Além do Quadro (1983), Seta Despedida (1995), A Flor que Havia na Água Parada (1998) e Havemos de Rir? (1998). Reuniu parte das suas crónicas em Este Tempo (1992) e Diário de Emília Bravo (2002, póstumo). Foi condecorada pela Presidência da República com o Grande-Oficialato da Ordem do Infante D. Henrique, em 1992 e recebeu, a título póstumo, o Prémio Vergílio Ferreira, pelo conjunto da sua obra, em 1998.
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February 21, 2024
‘In my family, marriages aren’t a beginning, they’re an end.’
I should have learned by now not to finish novels while on the desk at work. Books such as this can deliver a swift and sudden gut punch of an ending, leaving you viscerally staggering—a trait I tend to look for in a short novel—and within seconds I’m smiling my customer service voice and resolving a problem that can never compare to the emotional devstation still blooming inside. Empty Wadrobes, Portuguese writer Maria Judite de Carvalho’s 1966 novel, sets its literary teeth to confronting the systemic patriarchal socializations that make women into objects in their own lives, like novelties in a museum or furnishings in the showroom of a man’s life. The story follows Dora Rosário, widowed at a young age by a man ‘whose sole activity’ was ‘being nothing,’ and luckily climbing out of poverty in order to raise her daughter Lisa, as a secret of her past shatters her world and inspires her to reinvent herself. Gorgeously translated by Margaret Jull Costa and told through a narrator seemingly a distance from the story but revealed to be much more emotionally close than expected, Carvalho writes with a sharp wit and dark humor across this quietly devastating novel that becomes an unflinching portrait of patriarchal society where uncomfortable truths are silenced and the lives and dreams of women are suppressed at the mercies of men.
‘When he died, Dora found her life transformed into a desert.’
As Kate Zambreno points out in the intro, the domestic setting of Empty Wardrobes only underscores it as a tale of how the political seeps into daily life, with the novel set ‘in the regime of a dictator who weaponized Catholicism and “family values,”’ of Portugal under Salazar. For instance, Dora Rosário’s name means “rosarie,” and she spends her life in memory of her late husband much like one slowly going bead by bead in prayer, remaining largely interior, humble in manners and dress, and most notably, rather compliant. This is a society ruled by men but also one where troubles, taboos, or anything deemed impolite for society is swept under the rug and left to fester. The novel opens recounting the years following the death of Duarte, Dora’s husband, and how the domestic insistence of women to only be homemakers has left her with no job skills and a hungry child is a society that, for all it’s religious gesturing, has no interest in actually helping her. By happy circumstances she is able to find work in an antique shop dubbed The Museum by her and her daughter, Lisa, and affords a manageable lifestyle, yet it is still one of modesty that doesn’t branch beyond caring for work, her daughter, or mother-in-law (she is at all times ‘under the simultaneously suspicious and reticent eye of her mother-in-law’). She is, as the now teenage Lisa says, ‘both ageless and hopeless,’ living her life as if always mourning Duarte, that is until a secret upends everything and she decides to begin anew.
‘ You refuse to see that it is the jungle. For you, it’s a paradise that you don’t want to lose.’
Feminist existentialist Simone de Beauvoir wrote that while society has always belonged to men ‘none of the reasons given for this have ever seemed sufficient.’ The disconnect between the opportunities and social graces given to men compared to women, much of what upholds patriarchy, are evident from the juxtaposition of Duarte and Dora. While she is an eyesore to those when in need and otherwise completely overlooked (until she begins to lean into a more male-gaze sexualized manner of dress and make-up), Duarte is spoken of as a saint despite having no accomplishments to his name. He spent his days refusing any sort of efforts to climb the social or corporate ladder, not wanting to participate in that world at all. Which, yea, great, but would his insistence of purity be applauded if he were a woman, or would be looked at as a leech or burden the way people look at Dora while she is struggling financially. She is not allowed ‘invisible pedestal on which he had placed himself’ the way a man is. ‘An egotistical Christ,’ Dora thinks of him, ‘a secular, unbelieving Christ who had only come into the world in order to save himself. But save himself from what, from what hell?’ Having social mobility and understanding allows Duarte to choose to see the world as being without predators, but as Dora think ‘ they exist. And while they may not devour us, they devour the food that should be ours.’ For her, optimist is a privilege she cannot have when seeing how at every opportunity those with wealth, power, and social standings ensure those without are decimated. Yet she is socialized to only blame herself:
For her, the world is bleak and she must silently suffer within it. She is ‘a gray woman, slightly bent, lost in a plundered city deserted after the plague,’ without Duarte, though we do see a transfiguration once her past becomes a broken idol, the crumbling producing a shockwave that will inevitably crumble the lives of all the women in the novel. This little book has some jaw-dropping twists, including the final moments where I wanted to shout “fuuuuuuuuuuck” into the void.
‘Men’s dominant positions in [society] allows them to be absolute subjects and to make women into absolute objects,’ wrote Mona Chollet in her book on the stigmas against women, In Defense of Witches, echoing the ideas set forth by Beauvoir. One of these ways is that men have positioned themselves so that ‘their decay is not counted against them’ the way it is for women. Or, as retweeted by Carrie Fisher while facing age-shaming when she appeared in the Star Wars sequels, ‘Men don’t age better than women, they’re just allowed to age.’ It is constantly thrown at the reader that Dora at age 36 is considered old and obsolete. This has even seeped into teenage Lisa who expresses that ‘by the time you’re thirty, it’s all over.’ Contrasted with this is Ernesto, the wealthy lawyer and pedophile who is able to be considered a sort of silver fox and productive member of society in his late 40s. Similarly, an act that could be a image-destroying moment for a woman is nothing by ‘looking around here and there for a little excitement,’ for a socially fixed man.
‘At the same time that young women are disadvantaged by age and gender, youth does carry currency, which can be mistaken for power. If you are a woman, however, this currency is not on your terms.’
- Tavi Gevinson
There is another aspect here where underaged girls are told they are mature and given access to social standings yet only for the purpose of abuse. ‘ If you can still be considered “mature for your age,” you are not an older person’s equal,’ Tavi Gevinson warns in her extraodinary article on power dynamics, ‘this observation can easily go from an act of respect to license for harm.’ We have Lisa, freshly 17, who is repeatedly characterized by her ‘love of life,’ her ‘ strange ability to turn people and things into glass or even air,’ and her faith in her hopes and dreams to escape the traps laid out for women. To the lecherous eyes of men, particularly men who have amassed wealth for the purpose of hoarding power over others, this becomes a commodity that they wish to hold. Men often mask their insecurities by dating women much younger than them (Leonardo Dicaprio has reduced himself to simply being a living meme about this) to hold onto the fleeting past of youth and because they can manipulate desire and their wealth to groom them into not noticing the glaring power imbalances. A woman who dates a younger man is considered suspect or unflatteringly called a cougar, but for a nearly-50 year old man to sleep with a teenage girl here they get congratulations at the office. This is particularly vile in a socio-religious community where women are preached at to want nothing beyond household duties and servitude to a husband, and readers here are forced to see the horrors coming of youthful dreams snuffed out to be commoditized into a sexual trophy, to be a housewife in a rich man’s home the ways a hunter hangs heads as decor on their walls. As Chollet writes, this is all another way social conditioning of patriarchy ‘locks women into their role as reproducers and disenfranchises them from participation in the world of work.’
Ana, the mother-in-law and ‘the main tower of the fortress,’ is often representative of the internalized misogyny that allows these conditions to persist generationally. In The Second Sex, Beauvoir warns against mothers becoming a mouthpiece for patriarchy by conditioning young girls into lives of domestic servitude (though she most effectively demonstrates this in her novella Inseparable), and we find that the most damning moments in Empty Wardrobes are not only condoned but encouraged by Ana.
We find this in other ways, too, such as the cult of silence around abuse or tragedy in the family. Aunt Julia has suffered horribly in the past, but nobody mentions it other than ‘that man,’ or ‘the child’ the same way Dora’s own suffering will be ‘that woman.’ Without giving voice to things, even if it isn’t ‘for polite society,’ it robs women the opportunity to speak out against them or use their voice to demand better. One is reminded of the opening to Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique where she describes a wife who ‘was afraid to ask even of herself the silent question—‘Is this all?’’
Which is, effectively, how these women become furniture in their own homes and lives. Or as the narrator says ‘I had ceased to be his companion and become, instead, the landscape to which he had grown accustomed.’ Carvalho’s sharp words force us to revile these realities in Empty Wardrobes, and the devastating conclusion will leave the reader seeing the necessity of speaking out against them. As [author:Kate Zambreno|3501330 writes in her intro, this captures ‘the consciousness of so many women familiar yet unknowable, no longer muted, not saturated with sanctimony but alive, alive with rage transmuting disdain into hilarity by sheer force, alive with intense paroxysms of sadness.’ It is a short book but it will certainly leave a hell of a bruise.
4.5/5
I should have learned by now not to finish novels while on the desk at work. Books such as this can deliver a swift and sudden gut punch of an ending, leaving you viscerally staggering—a trait I tend to look for in a short novel—and within seconds I’m smiling my customer service voice and resolving a problem that can never compare to the emotional devstation still blooming inside. Empty Wadrobes, Portuguese writer Maria Judite de Carvalho’s 1966 novel, sets its literary teeth to confronting the systemic patriarchal socializations that make women into objects in their own lives, like novelties in a museum or furnishings in the showroom of a man’s life. The story follows Dora Rosário, widowed at a young age by a man ‘whose sole activity’ was ‘being nothing,’ and luckily climbing out of poverty in order to raise her daughter Lisa, as a secret of her past shatters her world and inspires her to reinvent herself. Gorgeously translated by Margaret Jull Costa and told through a narrator seemingly a distance from the story but revealed to be much more emotionally close than expected, Carvalho writes with a sharp wit and dark humor across this quietly devastating novel that becomes an unflinching portrait of patriarchal society where uncomfortable truths are silenced and the lives and dreams of women are suppressed at the mercies of men.
‘When he died, Dora found her life transformed into a desert.’
As Kate Zambreno points out in the intro, the domestic setting of Empty Wardrobes only underscores it as a tale of how the political seeps into daily life, with the novel set ‘in the regime of a dictator who weaponized Catholicism and “family values,”’ of Portugal under Salazar. For instance, Dora Rosário’s name means “rosarie,” and she spends her life in memory of her late husband much like one slowly going bead by bead in prayer, remaining largely interior, humble in manners and dress, and most notably, rather compliant. This is a society ruled by men but also one where troubles, taboos, or anything deemed impolite for society is swept under the rug and left to fester. The novel opens recounting the years following the death of Duarte, Dora’s husband, and how the domestic insistence of women to only be homemakers has left her with no job skills and a hungry child is a society that, for all it’s religious gesturing, has no interest in actually helping her. By happy circumstances she is able to find work in an antique shop dubbed The Museum by her and her daughter, Lisa, and affords a manageable lifestyle, yet it is still one of modesty that doesn’t branch beyond caring for work, her daughter, or mother-in-law (she is at all times ‘under the simultaneously suspicious and reticent eye of her mother-in-law’). She is, as the now teenage Lisa says, ‘both ageless and hopeless,’ living her life as if always mourning Duarte, that is until a secret upends everything and she decides to begin anew.
‘ You refuse to see that it is the jungle. For you, it’s a paradise that you don’t want to lose.’
Feminist existentialist Simone de Beauvoir wrote that while society has always belonged to men ‘none of the reasons given for this have ever seemed sufficient.’ The disconnect between the opportunities and social graces given to men compared to women, much of what upholds patriarchy, are evident from the juxtaposition of Duarte and Dora. While she is an eyesore to those when in need and otherwise completely overlooked (until she begins to lean into a more male-gaze sexualized manner of dress and make-up), Duarte is spoken of as a saint despite having no accomplishments to his name. He spent his days refusing any sort of efforts to climb the social or corporate ladder, not wanting to participate in that world at all. Which, yea, great, but would his insistence of purity be applauded if he were a woman, or would be looked at as a leech or burden the way people look at Dora while she is struggling financially. She is not allowed ‘invisible pedestal on which he had placed himself’ the way a man is. ‘An egotistical Christ,’ Dora thinks of him, ‘a secular, unbelieving Christ who had only come into the world in order to save himself. But save himself from what, from what hell?’ Having social mobility and understanding allows Duarte to choose to see the world as being without predators, but as Dora think ‘ they exist. And while they may not devour us, they devour the food that should be ours.’ For her, optimist is a privilege she cannot have when seeing how at every opportunity those with wealth, power, and social standings ensure those without are decimated. Yet she is socialized to only blame herself:
‘“Some people got religion or killed themselves after losing someone, whether that person died or just left them. Dora Rosario, however, didn’t blame anyone else for her misfortune. Only herself. She loathed herself, but not enough to seek relief in death. No, she simply disliked herself, a more modest sentiment.’
For her, the world is bleak and she must silently suffer within it. She is ‘a gray woman, slightly bent, lost in a plundered city deserted after the plague,’ without Duarte, though we do see a transfiguration once her past becomes a broken idol, the crumbling producing a shockwave that will inevitably crumble the lives of all the women in the novel. This little book has some jaw-dropping twists, including the final moments where I wanted to shout “fuuuuuuuuuuck” into the void.
‘Men’s dominant positions in [society] allows them to be absolute subjects and to make women into absolute objects,’ wrote Mona Chollet in her book on the stigmas against women, In Defense of Witches, echoing the ideas set forth by Beauvoir. One of these ways is that men have positioned themselves so that ‘their decay is not counted against them’ the way it is for women. Or, as retweeted by Carrie Fisher while facing age-shaming when she appeared in the Star Wars sequels, ‘Men don’t age better than women, they’re just allowed to age.’ It is constantly thrown at the reader that Dora at age 36 is considered old and obsolete. This has even seeped into teenage Lisa who expresses that ‘by the time you’re thirty, it’s all over.’ Contrasted with this is Ernesto, the wealthy lawyer and pedophile who is able to be considered a sort of silver fox and productive member of society in his late 40s. Similarly, an act that could be a image-destroying moment for a woman is nothing by ‘looking around here and there for a little excitement,’ for a socially fixed man.
‘At the same time that young women are disadvantaged by age and gender, youth does carry currency, which can be mistaken for power. If you are a woman, however, this currency is not on your terms.’
- Tavi Gevinson
There is another aspect here where underaged girls are told they are mature and given access to social standings yet only for the purpose of abuse. ‘ If you can still be considered “mature for your age,” you are not an older person’s equal,’ Tavi Gevinson warns in her extraodinary article on power dynamics, ‘this observation can easily go from an act of respect to license for harm.’ We have Lisa, freshly 17, who is repeatedly characterized by her ‘love of life,’ her ‘ strange ability to turn people and things into glass or even air,’ and her faith in her hopes and dreams to escape the traps laid out for women. To the lecherous eyes of men, particularly men who have amassed wealth for the purpose of hoarding power over others, this becomes a commodity that they wish to hold. Men often mask their insecurities by dating women much younger than them (Leonardo Dicaprio has reduced himself to simply being a living meme about this) to hold onto the fleeting past of youth and because they can manipulate desire and their wealth to groom them into not noticing the glaring power imbalances. A woman who dates a younger man is considered suspect or unflatteringly called a cougar, but for a nearly-50 year old man to sleep with a teenage girl here they get congratulations at the office. This is particularly vile in a socio-religious community where women are preached at to want nothing beyond household duties and servitude to a husband, and readers here are forced to see the horrors coming of youthful dreams snuffed out to be commoditized into a sexual trophy, to be a housewife in a rich man’s home the ways a hunter hangs heads as decor on their walls. As Chollet writes, this is all another way social conditioning of patriarchy ‘locks women into their role as reproducers and disenfranchises them from participation in the world of work.’
Ana, the mother-in-law and ‘the main tower of the fortress,’ is often representative of the internalized misogyny that allows these conditions to persist generationally. In The Second Sex, Beauvoir warns against mothers becoming a mouthpiece for patriarchy by conditioning young girls into lives of domestic servitude (though she most effectively demonstrates this in her novella Inseparable), and we find that the most damning moments in Empty Wardrobes are not only condoned but encouraged by Ana.
We find this in other ways, too, such as the cult of silence around abuse or tragedy in the family. Aunt Julia has suffered horribly in the past, but nobody mentions it other than ‘that man,’ or ‘the child’ the same way Dora’s own suffering will be ‘that woman.’ Without giving voice to things, even if it isn’t ‘for polite society,’ it robs women the opportunity to speak out against them or use their voice to demand better. One is reminded of the opening to Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique where she describes a wife who ‘was afraid to ask even of herself the silent question—‘Is this all?’’
Which is, effectively, how these women become furniture in their own homes and lives. Or as the narrator says ‘I had ceased to be his companion and become, instead, the landscape to which he had grown accustomed.’ Carvalho’s sharp words force us to revile these realities in Empty Wardrobes, and the devastating conclusion will leave the reader seeing the necessity of speaking out against them. As [author:Kate Zambreno|3501330 writes in her intro, this captures ‘the consciousness of so many women familiar yet unknowable, no longer muted, not saturated with sanctimony but alive, alive with rage transmuting disdain into hilarity by sheer force, alive with intense paroxysms of sadness.’ It is a short book but it will certainly leave a hell of a bruise.
4.5/5
August 25, 2025
There is something off about the women in Empty Wardrobes - they wear too much black, they use too much make-up, their skirts are too short, their dress is too long, their voice is too high, their voice is too low, they are too young, they are too old.
Except there is nothing wrong with these women: the thing is that patriarchy, deeply ingrained in all the realms of society, has been nibbling at their confidence and sense of self since their early childhood.
Set during the times of Estado Novo, the Portuguese authoritarian regime with its self-explanatory motto Deus, Pátria e Familia (God, Fatherland and Family), Empty Wardrobes follows three generations of women, their decisions on marriage, dependence or independence, their relationship with men and each other.
Carvalho conveys the states of mind, thoughts, words and actions of her characters through a ruthlessly honest and ironic narrator. Although this is the only point of view available, there is a certain ambiguity about it. I think Carvalho deployed it brilliantly - at first it seems to be written in the third person omniscient point of view, yet, in a very subtle way, it turns out to be the first point of view and the narrator.
Through deceptively ordinary and straightforward scenes, the novel unfurls in a devastating slow-burn. The way men treat women is quite overwhelming, but the way women treat each other is even worse. Carvalho is a master of subtlety, and she doesn’t need to mention the political scene or give any other explanations, even once - the oppression feels almost voluntary. The uncomfortable truth lurks somewhere between the lines.
On top of that, Carvalho’s literary talent lies in her portrayal of loneliness, incomprehension, longing, resilience, hope and other fundamental dispositions of human nature. Even if in this novel it may seem that women exist without existing, they are never empty.
Maria Judite de Carvalho (1921-1998) is one of Portugal’s most important writers of the second half of the 20th century. A gifted painter and caricaturist, her professional career was spent in journalism, as an editor and columnist, and she translated several French works into Portuguese. For many years, the author remained forgotten. I think that, maybe because her main characters are women, her novels were considered chick-lit and not relevant enough for the serious readers, aka men, to read. After reading Carvalho’s novel and some short stories, I have checked her author profile here on Goodreads, her work was shelved under “Romance”. I have nothing against “Romance” literature, but I think her work is anything but “Romance”. Well, one is not a Goodreads librarian for nothing.
Although Carvalho’s novel Empty Wardrobes was written in 1966, its contemporary relevance is astonishing. A reality check is this way.
Thanks to the recent re-editions of Carvalho’s work and its English translation, it’s uplifting to see Carvalho getting the recognition she deserves. I didn’t read this novel in English, but having in mind Margaret Jull Costa’s superb renditions of Javier Marías’ work, I can trust her translation sensibility without the slightest hesitation. Good news, another translation is coming out soon.
From Rapture (1999) by Shirin Neshat
4.5/5
Excerpts/quotes:
Nesta altura não sei onde estou nem quem sou. Devo estar esfacelada, deve haver pedaços de mim por todos os cantos.
Na minha família os casamentos não são um princípio, são um fim.
Não tenho passado nem futuro e às vezes recuso-me a ter presente.
Continuava a vestir-se de preto ao fim de dez anos, e com aquelas saias amplas e compridas que usava e os sapatos de salto raso parecia mais uma religiosa sem hábito do que aquilo que era na realidade, uma viúva de carreira.
É um mau costume, esse de classificar as pessoas, espetá-las no sítio que nos parece adequado, como às borboletas. Boas e más, loucas e ajuizadas… Como se isso fosse possível! Entre um princípio e um fim, quantos lugares, quantos milhares deles. Nós, por exemplo, onde estaremos situadas? Sabes? Eu não sei. Mas olha que não é em nenhuma das extremidades.
Except there is nothing wrong with these women: the thing is that patriarchy, deeply ingrained in all the realms of society, has been nibbling at their confidence and sense of self since their early childhood.
Set during the times of Estado Novo, the Portuguese authoritarian regime with its self-explanatory motto Deus, Pátria e Familia (God, Fatherland and Family), Empty Wardrobes follows three generations of women, their decisions on marriage, dependence or independence, their relationship with men and each other.
Carvalho conveys the states of mind, thoughts, words and actions of her characters through a ruthlessly honest and ironic narrator. Although this is the only point of view available, there is a certain ambiguity about it. I think Carvalho deployed it brilliantly - at first it seems to be written in the third person omniscient point of view, yet, in a very subtle way, it turns out to be the first point of view and the narrator.
Through deceptively ordinary and straightforward scenes, the novel unfurls in a devastating slow-burn. The way men treat women is quite overwhelming, but the way women treat each other is even worse. Carvalho is a master of subtlety, and she doesn’t need to mention the political scene or give any other explanations, even once - the oppression feels almost voluntary. The uncomfortable truth lurks somewhere between the lines.
On top of that, Carvalho’s literary talent lies in her portrayal of loneliness, incomprehension, longing, resilience, hope and other fundamental dispositions of human nature. Even if in this novel it may seem that women exist without existing, they are never empty.
Maria Judite de Carvalho (1921-1998) is one of Portugal’s most important writers of the second half of the 20th century. A gifted painter and caricaturist, her professional career was spent in journalism, as an editor and columnist, and she translated several French works into Portuguese. For many years, the author remained forgotten. I think that, maybe because her main characters are women, her novels were considered chick-lit and not relevant enough for the serious readers, aka men, to read. After reading Carvalho’s novel and some short stories, I have checked her author profile here on Goodreads, her work was shelved under “Romance”. I have nothing against “Romance” literature, but I think her work is anything but “Romance”. Well, one is not a Goodreads librarian for nothing.
Although Carvalho’s novel Empty Wardrobes was written in 1966, its contemporary relevance is astonishing. A reality check is this way.
Thanks to the recent re-editions of Carvalho’s work and its English translation, it’s uplifting to see Carvalho getting the recognition she deserves. I didn’t read this novel in English, but having in mind Margaret Jull Costa’s superb renditions of Javier Marías’ work, I can trust her translation sensibility without the slightest hesitation. Good news, another translation is coming out soon.
From Rapture (1999) by Shirin Neshat
4.5/5
Excerpts/quotes:
Nesta altura não sei onde estou nem quem sou. Devo estar esfacelada, deve haver pedaços de mim por todos os cantos.
Na minha família os casamentos não são um princípio, são um fim.
Não tenho passado nem futuro e às vezes recuso-me a ter presente.
Continuava a vestir-se de preto ao fim de dez anos, e com aquelas saias amplas e compridas que usava e os sapatos de salto raso parecia mais uma religiosa sem hábito do que aquilo que era na realidade, uma viúva de carreira.
É um mau costume, esse de classificar as pessoas, espetá-las no sítio que nos parece adequado, como às borboletas. Boas e más, loucas e ajuizadas… Como se isso fosse possível! Entre um princípio e um fim, quantos lugares, quantos milhares deles. Nós, por exemplo, onde estaremos situadas? Sabes? Eu não sei. Mas olha que não é em nenhuma das extremidades.
February 13, 2024
“ Dora Rosario was a clockwork toy that had only been wound up enough to make it to the door.”
The empty wardrobes of the novel’s title are the women living in Portugal during the waning years of the Salazar regime. They are representative of countless generations of women who have been marginalized by the confines imposed in a patriarchal society.
Dora Rosario is the linchpin in a triangle of women who dominate the story.Her life has been defined by the rigid codifications of a male centric society.Dora was widowed at an early age. Her deceased husband, Duarte, was a man devoid of ambition who left his wife and young daughter Lisa mired in poverty. Dora has spent ten years revering the memory of a dysfunctional man while she wallowed in a cocoon of mourning. She existed in a state of penury until a fortuitous circumstance enabled her to find work in an antique store. Her employment helped her to transition to a slightly more manageable existence. However, her incremental progress was disrupted when her mother in law revealed a family secret that propelled Dora in a new direction.
Dora’s history is conveyed in stark and simple scenes through the voice of a seemingly omniscient narrator. However, as the chronology unfolds, our narrator identifies herself as Manuela and reveals more investment in Dora’s story than was previously apparent.In fact, the lives of Manuela, Dora and Lisa interconnect and form a triangular relationship that highlight the misogyny rampant in their lives.
These women, and generations before them, have repeatedly placed their trust in men who have consistently betrayed them.The women have internalized their society’s paternalistic values, preventing them from forming bonds of solidarity and trust with each other. Chillingly, the author portrays the men in the women’s lives as ghastly, spectral effigies. The male figures are shadowy presences who pass through the women’s lives and leave a residue of devastation upon their departure.The men’s lack of substantial presence underscores the women’s casual acceptance of patriarchal values and emphasizes the lack of female empowerment in the social fabric.
The narrative is related in a matter of fact fashion that eschews melodrama. There is a code of silence that enshrouds the tragedies experienced by the women in this society. The simplicity of the presentation intensifies the devastation that is rife within this short but powerful work.We are left musing about how far many must travel to achieve a modicum of dignity.4.5 stars
The empty wardrobes of the novel’s title are the women living in Portugal during the waning years of the Salazar regime. They are representative of countless generations of women who have been marginalized by the confines imposed in a patriarchal society.
Dora Rosario is the linchpin in a triangle of women who dominate the story.Her life has been defined by the rigid codifications of a male centric society.Dora was widowed at an early age. Her deceased husband, Duarte, was a man devoid of ambition who left his wife and young daughter Lisa mired in poverty. Dora has spent ten years revering the memory of a dysfunctional man while she wallowed in a cocoon of mourning. She existed in a state of penury until a fortuitous circumstance enabled her to find work in an antique store. Her employment helped her to transition to a slightly more manageable existence. However, her incremental progress was disrupted when her mother in law revealed a family secret that propelled Dora in a new direction.
Dora’s history is conveyed in stark and simple scenes through the voice of a seemingly omniscient narrator. However, as the chronology unfolds, our narrator identifies herself as Manuela and reveals more investment in Dora’s story than was previously apparent.In fact, the lives of Manuela, Dora and Lisa interconnect and form a triangular relationship that highlight the misogyny rampant in their lives.
These women, and generations before them, have repeatedly placed their trust in men who have consistently betrayed them.The women have internalized their society’s paternalistic values, preventing them from forming bonds of solidarity and trust with each other. Chillingly, the author portrays the men in the women’s lives as ghastly, spectral effigies. The male figures are shadowy presences who pass through the women’s lives and leave a residue of devastation upon their departure.The men’s lack of substantial presence underscores the women’s casual acceptance of patriarchal values and emphasizes the lack of female empowerment in the social fabric.
The narrative is related in a matter of fact fashion that eschews melodrama. There is a code of silence that enshrouds the tragedies experienced by the women in this society. The simplicity of the presentation intensifies the devastation that is rife within this short but powerful work.We are left musing about how far many must travel to achieve a modicum of dignity.4.5 stars
August 27, 2025
Apie gyvenimo pašalėje atsidūrusią moterį pasakojanti knyga, kuri greičiausiai niekada neatsidurs bestselerių sąrašuose, nes su jos heroje nelengva susitapatinti (nors manau, kad vertinga). Su kartėliu permieštu humoru pasakojama apie Dorą – gedinčią, pasyvią, aplinkinių norų ir aplinkybių auką, bet sunku jausti jai empatiją, nes kas čia per auka, kuri niekada net nebandė pasipriešinti?..
Iš tiesų knyga nėra kažkokia tragiška ar liūdna – priešingai, netgi visai šmaikšti, prie ko smarkiai prisideda guvus pasakotojos (ne herojės) balsas. Perskaičiau greitai, o norėdama geriau suprasti, parsisiunčiau kitą autorės knygą – apsakymų rinkinį „So Many People, Mariana“. Apsakymai iškart pasirodė labai paveikūs (nors daugiau liūdni negu šmaikštūs), o perskaičius keletą jų galvojau, ką gi primena. Tada supratau – Shirley Jackson! Aplinka visai kitokia (Portugalija vs JAV), nėra vaiduokliško / siurrealaus dėmens, bet ir viena, ir kita autorė pasakoja nepritapėlių istorijas – daugiausia keistų ir neurotiškų moterų. Šiaip privertė susimąstyti, kad literatūroje reta sutikti „nevykėlę“ moterį kaip pagrindinę heroję – ne žaviai ekscentrišką, o nepastebimą, negeidžiamą, atrodytų, silpnavalę, kol supranti, kad ji gyvena pagal tam tikras taisykles, pagal kurias keisti herojės poelgiai atrodo paprasčiausiai logiški.
„Tuščias spintas“ rekomenduoju besierzinantiems dėl kitų (ar savo pačių) pasyvumo. Nerekomenduoju, jei kaip tik šiuo metu jaučiate gyvenimo monotoniją ir kasdienių darbų pilkumą. Bet jei dar liko atostogų dienų, paskaitykite, gal tapsime pakantesni prie giminės stalo atėjus Kalėdoms.
Iš tiesų knyga nėra kažkokia tragiška ar liūdna – priešingai, netgi visai šmaikšti, prie ko smarkiai prisideda guvus pasakotojos (ne herojės) balsas. Perskaičiau greitai, o norėdama geriau suprasti, parsisiunčiau kitą autorės knygą – apsakymų rinkinį „So Many People, Mariana“. Apsakymai iškart pasirodė labai paveikūs (nors daugiau liūdni negu šmaikštūs), o perskaičius keletą jų galvojau, ką gi primena. Tada supratau – Shirley Jackson! Aplinka visai kitokia (Portugalija vs JAV), nėra vaiduokliško / siurrealaus dėmens, bet ir viena, ir kita autorė pasakoja nepritapėlių istorijas – daugiausia keistų ir neurotiškų moterų. Šiaip privertė susimąstyti, kad literatūroje reta sutikti „nevykėlę“ moterį kaip pagrindinę heroję – ne žaviai ekscentrišką, o nepastebimą, negeidžiamą, atrodytų, silpnavalę, kol supranti, kad ji gyvena pagal tam tikras taisykles, pagal kurias keisti herojės poelgiai atrodo paprasčiausiai logiški.
„Tuščias spintas“ rekomenduoju besierzinantiems dėl kitų (ar savo pačių) pasyvumo. Nerekomenduoju, jei kaip tik šiuo metu jaučiate gyvenimo monotoniją ir kasdienių darbų pilkumą. Bet jei dar liko atostogų dienų, paskaitykite, gal tapsime pakantesni prie giminės stalo atėjus Kalėdoms.
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March 2, 2024the patriarchy mandates that men will hurt women, and also that women will hurt each other :/
July 2, 2018
Não se pode gostar das mulheres d'Os Armários Vazios. Amam os homens com loucura e por eles se anulam; deixam-se seduzir pelos amantes das amigas. São traídas e perdoam. Sonham com a independência, recusam o destino das mães e casam sem amor, só por dinheiro. São velhas amargas, que não aceitam a decadência física e se mascaram com ridículas "tintas". São sonhadoras e morrem suspirando por um amor perdido e impossível.
Dora, Manuela, Lisa, Ana, Júlia. Mulheres complicadas e bizarras.
Não se pode gostar dos homens d'Os Armários Vazios. Apaixonam-se por uma mulher que traem, ou abandonam, quando se apaixonam por outra.
Duarte, Ernesto. Homens simples e normais.
Pode-se gostar de Maria Judite de Carvalho. Da sua escrita, aparentemente simples, com que constrói a cela da solidão feminina.
Dora, Manuela, Lisa, Ana, Júlia. Mulheres complicadas e bizarras.
Não se pode gostar dos homens d'Os Armários Vazios. Apaixonam-se por uma mulher que traem, ou abandonam, quando se apaixonam por outra.
Duarte, Ernesto. Homens simples e normais.
Pode-se gostar de Maria Judite de Carvalho. Da sua escrita, aparentemente simples, com que constrói a cela da solidão feminina.
October 18, 2021
This amazing novel was originally published in Portuguese in 1966 and has only just been translated into English for publication in 2021. I did not for a minute feel as if I were reading a book written nearly 60 years ago. In decades past, this would likely have been considered literature for women, because all of the important characters in it are women, and men would probably not have bothered reading it or taken it seriously. I certainly hope those days are behind us now.
The story is narrated by a person whom we eventually learn is named Manuela and is in her early 40s at the time of the telling. She relates a series of events that were told to her by a friend Dora, who at the start of the story is in her early 20s and recently widowed with a young daughter Lisa, and at the end of the story is approximately 37. Dora's world is very small, almost claustrophobically so, revolving around her husband and her daughter, and by extension including her mother-in-law Ana and her husband's aunt Julia. It is impossible (for me at least) to describe the plot without giving away all the best reasons for reading the book. From the very start, you know that something ominous lies ahead, but this is not a horror story involving mythical monsters or ghosts -- rather it is a deep study of the lives of women, in particular their own self-attributed identities and their relationships to other women and to men. I was far into the book before I began to have the tiniest notion of what the conclusion might be, and I could barely hold off from reading it all in a single sitting.
I believe there is unlikely to be a woman living today (or a man for that matter) who won't recognize themselves or someone they know in the thoughts, words, or actions of one or more of the characters in this novel. I'm not sure whether that is a good or bad thing, but it speaks to the timelessness of de Carvalho's writing. Also, there are laughs to be had, breaking up the rising feeling that something . . . something unexpected . . . is going to happen.
The story is narrated by a person whom we eventually learn is named Manuela and is in her early 40s at the time of the telling. She relates a series of events that were told to her by a friend Dora, who at the start of the story is in her early 20s and recently widowed with a young daughter Lisa, and at the end of the story is approximately 37. Dora's world is very small, almost claustrophobically so, revolving around her husband and her daughter, and by extension including her mother-in-law Ana and her husband's aunt Julia. It is impossible (for me at least) to describe the plot without giving away all the best reasons for reading the book. From the very start, you know that something ominous lies ahead, but this is not a horror story involving mythical monsters or ghosts -- rather it is a deep study of the lives of women, in particular their own self-attributed identities and their relationships to other women and to men. I was far into the book before I began to have the tiniest notion of what the conclusion might be, and I could barely hold off from reading it all in a single sitting.
I believe there is unlikely to be a woman living today (or a man for that matter) who won't recognize themselves or someone they know in the thoughts, words, or actions of one or more of the characters in this novel. I'm not sure whether that is a good or bad thing, but it speaks to the timelessness of de Carvalho's writing. Also, there are laughs to be had, breaking up the rising feeling that something . . . something unexpected . . . is going to happen.
March 21, 2025
This is a very good 'rediscovered' feminist novella by the Portuguese author Maria Judite de Carvalho, who appears to have been widely read in her homeland but somewhat forgotten since her death in 1998.
If you liked Alba de Cespedes' Forbidden Notebook you will appreciate this as well. It makes the same indictment against the limitations of women in postwar Mediterranean societies, but does so in an elegant way.
The book tells the story of a young widow and her daughter after the father has died. The father was not a very ambitious man - to say the least - and has left his wife and daughter with very little. The widow is only 36 but, in the conservative Portugal of the 1960s, she is half-expected to passively spend the rest of her days dressed in black.
However, from early on we learn that something's happened that will dramatically change the course of events.
There is an interesting narrative device which is that the mysterious I-narrator gradually takes on a greater role as the story progresses.
If you liked Alba de Cespedes' Forbidden Notebook you will appreciate this as well. It makes the same indictment against the limitations of women in postwar Mediterranean societies, but does so in an elegant way.
The book tells the story of a young widow and her daughter after the father has died. The father was not a very ambitious man - to say the least - and has left his wife and daughter with very little. The widow is only 36 but, in the conservative Portugal of the 1960s, she is half-expected to passively spend the rest of her days dressed in black.
However, from early on we learn that something's happened that will dramatically change the course of events.
There is an interesting narrative device which is that the mysterious I-narrator gradually takes on a greater role as the story progresses.
January 10, 2024
Γκρίζα μέρα η σημερινή ακριβώς σαν τον γκρίζο κόσμο της Ντόρα Ροζάριο στην Πορτογαλία του '60.
Αυτό το υπέροχο σύντομο μυθιστόρημα που διαβάζεται σε δυο ωρίτσες δημοσιεύτηκε στα πορτογαλικά το 1966 και μεταφράστηκε την περασμένη χρονιά στα ελληνικά (στα αγγλικά μόλις το 2021). Δεν ένιωσα ούτε λεπτό ότι διαβάζα ένα βιβλίο που γράφτηκε πριν από 60 σχεδόν χρόνια. Λίγα χρόνια πριν το μικρό αυτό μυθιστόρημα πιθανότατα θα είχε θεωρηθεί "γυναικεία λογοτεχνία", επειδή όλοι οι σημαντικοί χαρακτήρες είναι γυναίκες και οι άνδρες πιθανότατα δεν θα είχαν μπει στον κόπο να το διαβάσουν ή να το πάρουν στα σοβαρά. Ευτυχώς -ευελπιστώ πως- αυτές οι μέρες να είναι πίσω μας πια.
Την ιστορία μας αφηγείται μια γυναίκα γύρω στα 40 που τελικά μαθαίνουμε ότι ονομάζεται Μανουέλα. Αναφέρεται στη ζωή της φίλης της Ντόρα Ροζάριο, η οποία στην αρχή της ιστορίας είναι 20 ετών, στη συνέχεια νεαρή χήρα στα 40 με μια νέα κόρη, τη Λίζα. Ο κόσμος της Ντόρα Ροζάριο είναι πολύ μικρός, σχεδόν κλειστοφοβικός, καθώς περιστρέφεται γύρω από τον σύζυγό της και την κόρη της, και εν συνεχεία συμπεριλαμβάνει την πεθερά της, Άνα, και τη θεία του άντρα, της Τζούλια.
Από την αρχή της ιστορίας γνωρίζουμε ότι κάτι κακόβουλο βρίσκεται μπροστά μας, δε διαβάζουμε όμως μια ιστορία τρόμου με μυθικά τέρατα ή φαντάσματα αλλά μάλλον μια βαθιά μελέτη-ψυχογράφημα των γυναικείων χαρακτήρων και των σχέσεων μεταξύ τους και με τους άντρες στη ζωή τους.
Πιστεύω ότι πολύ δύσκολα θα υπάρξει αναγνώστρια ή και αναγνώστης που δε θα αναγνωρίσει τον εαυτό της/του ή κάποιον που γνωρίζει στενά στις σκέψεις, λέξεις ή πράξεις ενός ή περισσότερων χαρακτήρων του μυθιστόρημα. Δεν είμαι σίγουρη αν αυτό είναι καλό ή κακό, αλλά επιβεβαιώνει τη διαχρονικότητα της γραφής της de Carvalho.
Αυτό το υπέροχο σύντομο μυθιστόρημα που διαβάζεται σε δυο ωρίτσες δημοσιεύτηκε στα πορτογαλικά το 1966 και μεταφράστηκε την περασμένη χρονιά στα ελληνικά (στα αγγλικά μόλις το 2021). Δεν ένιωσα ούτε λεπτό ότι διαβάζα ένα βιβλίο που γράφτηκε πριν από 60 σχεδόν χρόνια. Λίγα χρόνια πριν το μικρό αυτό μυθιστόρημα πιθανότατα θα είχε θεωρηθεί "γυναικεία λογοτεχνία", επειδή όλοι οι σημαντικοί χαρακτήρες είναι γυναίκες και οι άνδρες πιθανότατα δεν θα είχαν μπει στον κόπο να το διαβάσουν ή να το πάρουν στα σοβαρά. Ευτυχώς -ευελπιστώ πως- αυτές οι μέρες να είναι πίσω μας πια.
Την ιστορία μας αφηγείται μια γυναίκα γύρω στα 40 που τελικά μαθαίνουμε ότι ονομάζεται Μανουέλα. Αναφέρεται στη ζωή της φίλης της Ντόρα Ροζάριο, η οποία στην αρχή της ιστορίας είναι 20 ετών, στη συνέχεια νεαρή χήρα στα 40 με μια νέα κόρη, τη Λίζα. Ο κόσμος της Ντόρα Ροζάριο είναι πολύ μικρός, σχεδόν κλειστοφοβικός, καθώς περιστρέφεται γύρω από τον σύζυγό της και την κόρη της, και εν συνεχεία συμπεριλαμβάνει την πεθερά της, Άνα, και τη θεία του άντρα, της Τζούλια.
Από την αρχή της ιστορίας γνωρίζουμε ότι κάτι κακόβουλο βρίσκεται μπροστά μας, δε διαβάζουμε όμως μια ιστορία τρόμου με μυθικά τέρατα ή φαντάσματα αλλά μάλλον μια βαθιά μελέτη-ψυχογράφημα των γυναικείων χαρακτήρων και των σχέσεων μεταξύ τους και με τους άντρες στη ζωή τους.
Πιστεύω ότι πολύ δύσκολα θα υπάρξει αναγνώστρια ή και αναγνώστης που δε θα αναγνωρίσει τον εαυτό της/του ή κάποιον που γνωρίζει στενά στις σκέψεις, λέξεις ή πράξεις ενός ή περισσότερων χαρακτήρων του μυθιστόρημα. Δεν είμαι σίγουρη αν αυτό είναι καλό ή κακό, αλλά επιβεβαιώνει τη διαχρονικότητα της γραφής της de Carvalho.
February 3, 2022
First published in 1966, this remarkable novella by the acclaimed Portuguese writer Maria Judite de Carvalho was recently translated into English by Margaret Jull Costa. It’s a work of great precision and compression – a quietly devastating story of three generations of women, confined and subsumed by the men who surround them. There are similarities with Anita Brookner’s novels here – both thematically and stylistically – as Carvalho goes deep into the inner lives of her female protagonists, conveying them unflinchingly for the reader to see.
The story centres on Dora Rosário – a widow who we see over the course of ten years from the age of twenty-five through to thirty-six. For ten years, Dora mourns her husband Duarte’s death, making a career out of grief and widowhood, effectively building a shrine to him through the memories in her mind. Duarte – a lazy, unambitious man – left Dora virtually penniless, forcing her to embark on a humiliating round of visits, searching for handouts from family and friends. These are ‘the others’, separated from Dora and her daughter, Lisa, by the nature of their circumstances.
Many of Duarte’s friends and acquaintances distance themselves from Dora, fearing she will ask for help or financial support. Even Duarte’s mother – the forthright, morally powerful Ana – is reluctant to provide any money, despite her conspicuous wealth. While Ana is happy to look after Lisa, caring for her while Dora looks for a job, she draws the line at anything else.
…all this happened under the simultaneously suspicious and reticent eye of her mother-in-law, the eye of someone who “in her place” would have done things differently. However, this suddenly easy life didn’t smooth any corners or heal any riffs. She and her daughter continued to be on one side and the others on the other side. (p. 15)
Carvalho quickly conveys a striking portrait of Dora, a woman suppressed by the hand that life has dealt her, an inward-looking individual who seems old before her time.
She never said more than was strictly necessary—the bare indispensable minimum—or else she would begin to say only what was necessary, then quickly grow tired, or stop mid-stream, as though she suddenly realized that it wasn’t worth going on and was a waste of effort. She would sit quite still then, her face a blank, like someone poised on the edge of an ellipsis or standing hesitantly at the sea’s edge in winter, and at such moments, all the light would go out of her eyes as if absorbed by a piece of blotting paper; (p. 5)
Luckily for Dora, a friend finds her a suitable job, managing an antique shop while the owner is abroad. ‘The Museum’, as her daughter Lisa calls it, seems a fitting environment for Dora, with its collection of vintage tables, desks and chairs, ‘gathered together like decaying aristocrats in a home for superior elderly folk’.
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2022...
The story centres on Dora Rosário – a widow who we see over the course of ten years from the age of twenty-five through to thirty-six. For ten years, Dora mourns her husband Duarte’s death, making a career out of grief and widowhood, effectively building a shrine to him through the memories in her mind. Duarte – a lazy, unambitious man – left Dora virtually penniless, forcing her to embark on a humiliating round of visits, searching for handouts from family and friends. These are ‘the others’, separated from Dora and her daughter, Lisa, by the nature of their circumstances.
Many of Duarte’s friends and acquaintances distance themselves from Dora, fearing she will ask for help or financial support. Even Duarte’s mother – the forthright, morally powerful Ana – is reluctant to provide any money, despite her conspicuous wealth. While Ana is happy to look after Lisa, caring for her while Dora looks for a job, she draws the line at anything else.
…all this happened under the simultaneously suspicious and reticent eye of her mother-in-law, the eye of someone who “in her place” would have done things differently. However, this suddenly easy life didn’t smooth any corners or heal any riffs. She and her daughter continued to be on one side and the others on the other side. (p. 15)
Carvalho quickly conveys a striking portrait of Dora, a woman suppressed by the hand that life has dealt her, an inward-looking individual who seems old before her time.
She never said more than was strictly necessary—the bare indispensable minimum—or else she would begin to say only what was necessary, then quickly grow tired, or stop mid-stream, as though she suddenly realized that it wasn’t worth going on and was a waste of effort. She would sit quite still then, her face a blank, like someone poised on the edge of an ellipsis or standing hesitantly at the sea’s edge in winter, and at such moments, all the light would go out of her eyes as if absorbed by a piece of blotting paper; (p. 5)
Luckily for Dora, a friend finds her a suitable job, managing an antique shop while the owner is abroad. ‘The Museum’, as her daughter Lisa calls it, seems a fitting environment for Dora, with its collection of vintage tables, desks and chairs, ‘gathered together like decaying aristocrats in a home for superior elderly folk’.
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2022...
August 5, 2023
30 Books in 30 Days / Book #5
WiT 2023 / Book #2
3.5*
WiT 2023 / Book #2
3.5*
October 26, 2025
Maria Judite de Carvalho retrata, em Os Armários Vazios, o universo feminino da pequena burguesia lisboeta dos anos 50 e 60, um mundo onde o silêncio se confunde com decoro. Dora Rosário e as mulheres que a rodeiam vivem num tempo imóvel, presas entre o dever e o vazio. A autora observa-as com frieza e elegância, construindo uma prosa limpa, mas emocionalmente estéril. Nada verdadeiramente acontece, e talvez seja essa a sua tese: num país anestesiado, o nada é o quotidiano.
Reconheço a precisão da escrita e a coerência do retrato social, mas senti o livro distante, fechado sobre si. Faltam-lhe corpo e consciência. Queria ter encontrado uma Alba de Céspedes portuguesa, mas encontrei apenas o reflexo imóvel de um país que não vive. Um retrato fiel, sim, mas incapaz de nos fazer respirar dentro dele.
Reconheço a precisão da escrita e a coerência do retrato social, mas senti o livro distante, fechado sobre si. Faltam-lhe corpo e consciência. Queria ter encontrado uma Alba de Céspedes portuguesa, mas encontrei apenas o reflexo imóvel de um país que não vive. Um retrato fiel, sim, mas incapaz de nos fazer respirar dentro dele.
January 3, 2022
I'd not heard of Maria Judite de Carvalho (1921-1998) before recently reading something about this novel and have since learned she is a towering figure of Portuguese literature and this is her first and thus far only book to be translated into English. Written in 1966, it feels nearly as modern today. A story of domestic disorder, of patriarchy, of men betraying their women, and women betraying each other. Dora Rosario has been a widow for a decade, mourning her dead husband Duarte, burnishing his memory all these years, caring for her beautiful, bubbly and intelligent high school student daughter, Lisa, attending the weekly Sunday dinners at her interfering, wealthy and tight-fisted mother-in-law's. Duarte, a man so principled he rejected any ambition for himself as a construct of a corrupt society, left his small family impoverished, and Dora has had to rely on support from old friends and acquaintances, leaving her isolated and mostly friendless, and yet her dire circumstances have not altered her love for Duarte. It is a surprise to learn that Dona Rosario is only in her thirties - her daughter has never seen her dress up or wear makeup or live at all, and Lisa is set on not being a woman like her mother. The structure of the novel is interesting - Dora's story is told secondhand - recounted by an old friend named Manuela, who throws in her own asides because she is touched directly by the later aspects of Dora's story and life; it is Manuela who got Dora a job running an antique store for an absentee owner. Dora's days go on in this way until her mother-in-law reveals a secret that alters Dora's perception of her life and her past and the man she has revered all these empty years. Three generations of women - mother-in-law, Dora, and Lisa - in very Catholic Lisbon, navigating a world in which blundering men shape women's lives, make their messes and mostly disappear.
October 12, 2021
When I saw that this was translated by Margaret Jill Costa I had to read it right away.
Written in 1966, this is a novel of women: the widowed Dora, her mother-in-law Ana, sister-in-law Julia, teenage daughter Lisa, and Dora’s friend Manuela, all women whose lives have been colored by selfish, thoughtless men.
Ana is not aging gracefully, desperate to hold onto fading beauty. She’s stronger than her husband, stronger than her son, the type of woman who would have been a CEO if born in a different era. Her hopes lie in the beautiful, vivacious granddaughter, Lisa.
Julia, Ana’s sister, is also widowed; she’s haunted, almost to the point of madness, not by memories of her husband and children who have died, but by the memories and shame of a lover who decades ago, left her after she had his child
Dora centers her life around mourning her feckless husband, Duarte, “making a Christ of him,” and erasing herself in the process, for ten years following his death. One night Ana, in an attempt of create a fixation abscess, an abscess created artificially to draw in all the bacteria, for her daughter-in-law, reveals a secret about her beloved, but disappointed son that changes everything for Dora.
Lisa, a bright and determined 16 year old, with dreams of seeing the world and having it all, is close to her mother, grandmother and great-aunt, she has watched and learned.
The story of this family of women is told by Manuela who has her own heartache.
This is the type of quietly devastating novel I love, it’s simple told, but deep, and lingers after the story ends. I recommend it
Written in 1966, this is a novel of women: the widowed Dora, her mother-in-law Ana, sister-in-law Julia, teenage daughter Lisa, and Dora’s friend Manuela, all women whose lives have been colored by selfish, thoughtless men.
Ana is not aging gracefully, desperate to hold onto fading beauty. She’s stronger than her husband, stronger than her son, the type of woman who would have been a CEO if born in a different era. Her hopes lie in the beautiful, vivacious granddaughter, Lisa.
Julia, Ana’s sister, is also widowed; she’s haunted, almost to the point of madness, not by memories of her husband and children who have died, but by the memories and shame of a lover who decades ago, left her after she had his child
Dora centers her life around mourning her feckless husband, Duarte, “making a Christ of him,” and erasing herself in the process, for ten years following his death. One night Ana, in an attempt of create a fixation abscess, an abscess created artificially to draw in all the bacteria, for her daughter-in-law, reveals a secret about her beloved, but disappointed son that changes everything for Dora.
Lisa, a bright and determined 16 year old, with dreams of seeing the world and having it all, is close to her mother, grandmother and great-aunt, she has watched and learned.
The story of this family of women is told by Manuela who has her own heartache.
This is the type of quietly devastating novel I love, it’s simple told, but deep, and lingers after the story ends. I recommend it
June 19, 2025
1966 m. pirmą kartą išleista knyga, taigi XX a. klasika. Trumpa, talpi, negailestinga. Kertanti svajonei apie moterų solidarumą. Nes gyvenimas retai panašus į svajonę. Knyga neabejotinai feministinė, bet be pamokymų ar moralizavimo. Puslapiuose sudėliojamos aplinkybės, išdėstyti įvykiai, o išvadas ir vertinimus turi padaryti skaitytojas. Matome su namų šeimininkės vaidmeniu vyro prašymu sutikusia žmona, kuri po jo mirties lieka be pajamų sunkioje finansinėje padėtyje. Matome, kaip skirtingai vertinama moteris, sulaukusi penkto dešimtmečio, ir tokio pat amžiaus vyras. Matome santuoka kaip finansinį sandorį.
September 19, 2025
Trumpas, bet savyje daug talpinantis kūrinys, kuriame, tikiu, kiekvienas rastų daug peno apmąstymams, klausimų diskusijoms ir nemažai vietų, kuriose nesutiktų su veikėjais, priimtų visiškai kitokius sprendimus. Tarsi nieko labai naujo neišrandanti istorija apie moterį, visą save atidavusią vyrui ir taip iššvaisčiusią gražiausius gyvenimo metus, o galiausiai likusią be nieko.
Itin ryškūs personažai, labai pagaulus, ironiškas ir humoru persmelktas pasakojimas (patiko, kad pasakotoja pasirinkta ne pagrindinė veikėja, net ne jos dukra, o žmogus „iš šalies“, taip istorijai suteikiant dar kitokį atspalvį) apie turbūt ne vieną skaitytoją suerzinusią ar bent iššaukusią norą ją už pečių papurtyti Dorą Ruzariju. Išskirtinė ir labai mylima Lisabona, kuri čia gal ir nėra tokia viliojanti ir kviečianti, kaip išlikę mano atsiminimuose, bet tuo tik dar įdomesnė ir intriguojanti. Sena ir paprasta kaip pasaulis istorija, kurią sau kartais pasikartoti tikrai verta. Apie šeimą, ištikimybę, visų savo vilčių sudėjimą į tą vieną vienintelį žmogų, gyvenimą ne sau, o dėl kitų, pasiaukojimą, kuris galiausiai ištrina visą tavo savastį. Gana tragiška lemtis, papasakota taip, kad visgi apie ją galvodama nesijaučiau prislėgta ar apimta melancholijos. Galbūt todėl, kad kūrinys trumpas, o vartojau jį audio formatu, o gal dėl to, kad labai patiko pasakotoja ir jos minčių dėstymas, o ir autorės sugebėjimas viską sudėlioti būtent taip, kaip mėgstu – tikroviškai, problemas atsveriant ironija, bet nuo jų nebėgant.
Itin ryškūs personažai, labai pagaulus, ironiškas ir humoru persmelktas pasakojimas (patiko, kad pasakotoja pasirinkta ne pagrindinė veikėja, net ne jos dukra, o žmogus „iš šalies“, taip istorijai suteikiant dar kitokį atspalvį) apie turbūt ne vieną skaitytoją suerzinusią ar bent iššaukusią norą ją už pečių papurtyti Dorą Ruzariju. Išskirtinė ir labai mylima Lisabona, kuri čia gal ir nėra tokia viliojanti ir kviečianti, kaip išlikę mano atsiminimuose, bet tuo tik dar įdomesnė ir intriguojanti. Sena ir paprasta kaip pasaulis istorija, kurią sau kartais pasikartoti tikrai verta. Apie šeimą, ištikimybę, visų savo vilčių sudėjimą į tą vieną vienintelį žmogų, gyvenimą ne sau, o dėl kitų, pasiaukojimą, kuris galiausiai ištrina visą tavo savastį. Gana tragiška lemtis, papasakota taip, kad visgi apie ją galvodama nesijaučiau prislėgta ar apimta melancholijos. Galbūt todėl, kad kūrinys trumpas, o vartojau jį audio formatu, o gal dėl to, kad labai patiko pasakotoja ir jos minčių dėstymas, o ir autorės sugebėjimas viską sudėlioti būtent taip, kaip mėgstu – tikroviškai, problemas atsveriant ironija, bet nuo jų nebėgant.
March 23, 2013
Esta é uma leitura escondida nas estantes da literatura portuguesa. Como refere Augustina Bessa-Luís, Maria Judite de Carvalho é uma “flor discreta” da literatura portuguesa.
Antes de mais, este livro pode ser sujeito a interpretações múltiplas. Esta é um livro que nos revela um mundo, um espaço-tempo “sem idade e sem solução”. Tudo é luto, é desluto e é solidão. Para mim, este é o epicentro da narrativa. Pode-se atentar mais para a ideia de amor quanto mais volátil de acordo com cada personagem, ou, por outro lado, pode-se focalizar mais a questão da solidão quasi-natural à existência humana – a mim, marcou-me esta solidão, a forma como ela chega às pessoas, as absorve, as envolve num manto que a vida faz por não descobrir, mas, pelo contrário, faz desejar tê-lo a cada dia de isolamento e desligamento da vida. E quando desejamos descobrir esse manto, essa solidão, já estamos envolvidos em demasia.
Marcado por uma escrita simples, adequada à simplicidade e calmaria do seu conteúdo, este livro leva-nos ao ventre da vida e do amor vivido. Enquanto se lê é-se levado ao de leve por esta simplicidade, no desejo de mais uma informação, de mais uma angústia, de mais um isolamento. Toda esta simplicidade face ao que se pretende contar, por ser simples-simples, imprime um toque ligeiro de intimidade e profundidade à obra.
À medida que a leitura se vai desenrolando, existe neste livro um jogo com as questões temporais que, sem complicações para quem lê, atribuem uma cronologia interessante à narrativa, ora com avanços ora com retrocessos muito bem delineados.
Este jogo ainda se torna mais interessante quando nos apercebemos que parte do que lemos poderá ser imaginação ou memória real da narradora omnipresente (Manuela). A partir desta perceção, vale tudo nesta narrativa. Como nos diz esta narradora omnipresente: “Tudo podia, no entanto, ter sido assim. É mesmo natural que o tenha sido”.
Entre estes ligeiros jogos de tempo, de avanços e de retrocessos, a determinada altura percebe-se que a história ganha novos contornos, que se pretende contar outras e mais histórias, todas elas interligadas. Assim, em meados da obra, é de destacar a reviravolta na narrativa aquando da passagem de Dora Rosário de personagem principal a “personagem pano de fundo» para a história de Manuela que, no final, se vem a revelar a personagem principal de toda a narrativa – essa foi a sensação com que fiquei. Embora declare em vários momentos que não está ali para contar a sua história, Manuela acaba sempre, sobretudo nas etapas finais, onde se nota acentuação uma maior, por cruzá-la com a história de Dora Rosário. De forma um tanto surpreendente, gera-se um triângulo amoroso (Dora Rosário-Ernesto-Manuela) que vem a culminar com a interferência de uma quarta personagem, Lisa Rosário, filha de Dora Rosário – para muitos leitores esta interferência pode mesmo ser sentida como o cume de suspense e drama da obra. Assim, não é relatada uma história de solidão e de desgostos, mas várias histórias, cada uma no seu registo e sujeita ao entendimento de cada leitor. Cada armário com o seu vazio
Um livro simples e bom de se ler…
Antes de mais, este livro pode ser sujeito a interpretações múltiplas. Esta é um livro que nos revela um mundo, um espaço-tempo “sem idade e sem solução”. Tudo é luto, é desluto e é solidão. Para mim, este é o epicentro da narrativa. Pode-se atentar mais para a ideia de amor quanto mais volátil de acordo com cada personagem, ou, por outro lado, pode-se focalizar mais a questão da solidão quasi-natural à existência humana – a mim, marcou-me esta solidão, a forma como ela chega às pessoas, as absorve, as envolve num manto que a vida faz por não descobrir, mas, pelo contrário, faz desejar tê-lo a cada dia de isolamento e desligamento da vida. E quando desejamos descobrir esse manto, essa solidão, já estamos envolvidos em demasia.
Marcado por uma escrita simples, adequada à simplicidade e calmaria do seu conteúdo, este livro leva-nos ao ventre da vida e do amor vivido. Enquanto se lê é-se levado ao de leve por esta simplicidade, no desejo de mais uma informação, de mais uma angústia, de mais um isolamento. Toda esta simplicidade face ao que se pretende contar, por ser simples-simples, imprime um toque ligeiro de intimidade e profundidade à obra.
À medida que a leitura se vai desenrolando, existe neste livro um jogo com as questões temporais que, sem complicações para quem lê, atribuem uma cronologia interessante à narrativa, ora com avanços ora com retrocessos muito bem delineados.
Este jogo ainda se torna mais interessante quando nos apercebemos que parte do que lemos poderá ser imaginação ou memória real da narradora omnipresente (Manuela). A partir desta perceção, vale tudo nesta narrativa. Como nos diz esta narradora omnipresente: “Tudo podia, no entanto, ter sido assim. É mesmo natural que o tenha sido”.
Entre estes ligeiros jogos de tempo, de avanços e de retrocessos, a determinada altura percebe-se que a história ganha novos contornos, que se pretende contar outras e mais histórias, todas elas interligadas. Assim, em meados da obra, é de destacar a reviravolta na narrativa aquando da passagem de Dora Rosário de personagem principal a “personagem pano de fundo» para a história de Manuela que, no final, se vem a revelar a personagem principal de toda a narrativa – essa foi a sensação com que fiquei. Embora declare em vários momentos que não está ali para contar a sua história, Manuela acaba sempre, sobretudo nas etapas finais, onde se nota acentuação uma maior, por cruzá-la com a história de Dora Rosário. De forma um tanto surpreendente, gera-se um triângulo amoroso (Dora Rosário-Ernesto-Manuela) que vem a culminar com a interferência de uma quarta personagem, Lisa Rosário, filha de Dora Rosário – para muitos leitores esta interferência pode mesmo ser sentida como o cume de suspense e drama da obra. Assim, não é relatada uma história de solidão e de desgostos, mas várias histórias, cada uma no seu registo e sujeita ao entendimento de cada leitor. Cada armário com o seu vazio
Um livro simples e bom de se ler…
January 1, 2015
(Viver e não perceber)
As portas que batem
nas casas que esperam.
Os olhos que passam
sem verem quem está.
O talvez um dia
Aos que desesperam.
O seguir em frente.
O não se me dá.
O fechar os olhos
a quem nos olhou.
O não querer ouvir
quem nos quer dizer.
O não reparar
que nada ficou.
Seguir sempre em frente
E nem perceber.
As portas que batem
nas casas que esperam.
Os olhos que passam
sem verem quem está.
O talvez um dia
Aos que desesperam.
O seguir em frente.
O não se me dá.
O fechar os olhos
a quem nos olhou.
O não querer ouvir
quem nos quer dizer.
O não reparar
que nada ficou.
Seguir sempre em frente
E nem perceber.
September 17, 2023
A perfect short novel.
May 23, 2024
Belíssima obra que nos fala do que adiamos em nome ou por causa de alguém ou de um acontecimento.
Nada vale a vida de ninguém .
Nada vale a vida de ninguém .
March 12, 2025
Dora Rosario es una mujer anodina, moldeada por la resignación y la rutina, sin opiniones propias ni un propósito claro. Su vida ha estado marcada por la sumisión y las expectativas frustradas. Cuando su esposo, Duarte, falleció hace unos años, dejó a Dora y a su hija en una precaria situación económica, obligándola, por primera vez, a salir al mundo y buscar su propio sustento. En un principio, la protagonista puede parecer carente de interés y de vida, pero pronto se hace evidente que esa es precisamente la intención de Maria Judite de Carvalho: presentarnos a una mujer que se ha diluido por completo en la sombra de su marido, hasta el punto de no saber quién es realmente. A pesar de su muerte, Duarte sigue condicionando sus pensamientos y decisiones, como un fantasma que la asfixia, impidiéndole respirar con libertad.
Todo cambia una tarde, cuando un comentario casual de su suegra la obliga a reevaluar su vida, su matrimonio y las decisiones que la han llevado hasta ese punto. En contraste con Dora, su hija, una joven de unos diecisiete años, encarna otra forma de estar en el mundo: una postura más firme, menos resignada, que sugiere la posibilidad de un futuro distinto.
Uno de los aspectos más llamativos de la novela es la original elección de narrador. La historia no nos llega directamente a través de Dora, sino a través de una voz de alguien que la conoce pero de quien no sabremos su identidad hasta el último tercio de la novela. Esta técnica refuerza la sensación de alienación de Dora, convirtiéndola casi en una espectadora de su propia vida y subrayando su falta de agencia.
Los armarios vacíos es una crítica sutil al papel de la mujer en una sociedad patriarcal que la reduce a la dependencia emocional y económica. Con una prosa austera y sencilla, Carvalho construye una atmósfera opresiva de soledad y desconcierto, donde sus personajes parecen atrapados en un ciclo interminable de frustración y renuncia. La novela no solo cuestiona los roles impuestos a las mujeres, sino que también invita a una reflexión más amplia sobre el vacío existencial, el peso del pasado y las cargas invisibles que muchas veces se llevan en silencio.
Todo cambia una tarde, cuando un comentario casual de su suegra la obliga a reevaluar su vida, su matrimonio y las decisiones que la han llevado hasta ese punto. En contraste con Dora, su hija, una joven de unos diecisiete años, encarna otra forma de estar en el mundo: una postura más firme, menos resignada, que sugiere la posibilidad de un futuro distinto.
Uno de los aspectos más llamativos de la novela es la original elección de narrador. La historia no nos llega directamente a través de Dora, sino a través de una voz de alguien que la conoce pero de quien no sabremos su identidad hasta el último tercio de la novela. Esta técnica refuerza la sensación de alienación de Dora, convirtiéndola casi en una espectadora de su propia vida y subrayando su falta de agencia.
Los armarios vacíos es una crítica sutil al papel de la mujer en una sociedad patriarcal que la reduce a la dependencia emocional y económica. Con una prosa austera y sencilla, Carvalho construye una atmósfera opresiva de soledad y desconcierto, donde sus personajes parecen atrapados en un ciclo interminable de frustración y renuncia. La novela no solo cuestiona los roles impuestos a las mujeres, sino que también invita a una reflexión más amplia sobre el vacío existencial, el peso del pasado y las cargas invisibles que muchas veces se llevan en silencio.
April 9, 2020
Mais um livro que fica entre as 3 e as 4 estrelas, e que, apesar de ser pequeno tem muito conteúdo e pode levar a diferentes interpretações. Ressalvo, desde já, que não podemos esquecer que a época em que esta história decorre é totalmente diferente à de hoje, e que, por isso mesmo, fica difícil, compreender as atitudes e o lugar destas mulheres numa sociedade tão castradora.
É uma historia que fala sobre mulheres e o seu desgaste prematuro, sobre manipular e ser manipulada, sobre sonhar e desistir de sonhar por interesses maiores, sobre a racionalidade extrema e a loucura! No meu ponto de vista, estas mulheres, apenas existem numa vida curta de tempo e sentido, assim como armários vazios, aceitam tudo, desde o preenchimento ao descarte, e mesmo os seus sonhos são efémeros quando de algo maior se apropriam. Se esta história se prolongasse daria pano para mangas, mas a personalidade destas mulheres vazias, para mim personagens principais, não justificava fim diferente para o seu enredo. É uma leitura interessante e faz perceber o quanto foi e é importante para nós, mulheres, fazer frente e lutar para ter a nossa liberdade e um lugar mais digno na sociedade.
É uma historia que fala sobre mulheres e o seu desgaste prematuro, sobre manipular e ser manipulada, sobre sonhar e desistir de sonhar por interesses maiores, sobre a racionalidade extrema e a loucura! No meu ponto de vista, estas mulheres, apenas existem numa vida curta de tempo e sentido, assim como armários vazios, aceitam tudo, desde o preenchimento ao descarte, e mesmo os seus sonhos são efémeros quando de algo maior se apropriam. Se esta história se prolongasse daria pano para mangas, mas a personalidade destas mulheres vazias, para mim personagens principais, não justificava fim diferente para o seu enredo. É uma leitura interessante e faz perceber o quanto foi e é importante para nós, mulheres, fazer frente e lutar para ter a nossa liberdade e um lugar mais digno na sociedade.
October 20, 2023
Υπάρχουν άνθρωποι που το ρίχνουν στη θρησκεία ή αυτοκτονούν γιατί κάποιος, ζωντανός ή νεκρός, τους άφησε. Η Ντόρα Ροζάριο όμως δεν απέδιδε σε κανέναν τη δυστυχία της. Μόνο στον εαυτό της. Τον μισούσε, αλλά όχι με τόση δύναμη ώστε να αναζητήσει παρηγοριά στον θάνατο. Τα ’βαζε απλά μαζί του, ήταν ένα ταπεινό συναίσθημα.
February 27, 2024
Lege kasten was nummer 5 van dit jaar. Ik moet zeggen dat het vrij traag op gang kwam. Het hoofdpersonage is een rouwende vrouw, die ik moeilijk kon begrijpen. Vastgeroest in haar verdriet, leek ze niet verder te kunnen met haar leven. Het boek kwam meer op gang toen ze haar (deadbeat) man achter zich liet. Het boek begon me meer te boeien en ik kreeg ook meer sympathie voor de personages. Uiteindelijk gaat het over 5 vrouwen, wiens leven bepaald wordt door de mannen rondom hen. De ene man nog onsympathieker dan de andere. Het gaat over het leven dat zij proberen te leiden, als ze worden achtergelaten door de man waar ze van houden. Hoewel dit niet voor alle vrouwen even goed verloopt. Geen gigantische hoogvlieger, maar kon er al bij al wel mee door.
April 12, 2022
"Dizia o necessário mas reduzido ao mínimo indispensável, ou então um necessário que depressa se cansava, se detinha a meio caminho, como se ela se desse subitamente conta de que não valia a pena prosseguir, porque isso era um esforço inútil."
September 9, 2022
A portrait of the economic powerlessness and forced domesticity of women in a more Catholic Portugal. From the introduction by Kate Zambreno:
rec: East Bay Booksellers
[The] empty monologue of Catholicism, which serves to erase by anointing the woman at home, who only exists in service to others but not to herself. Does she even exist, I often have wondered, to herself?
rec: East Bay Booksellers
November 22, 2023
Γραμμένο το 1966, το «Άδειες Ντουλάπες» της Μαρία-Ζουντίτε ντε Καρβάλιο είναι το μοναδικό μυθιστόρημά της ανάμεσα σε μια πληθώρα από διηγήματα και χρονικά που την κατέστησαν μια από τις σημαντικότερες λογοτεχνικές φωνές της Πορτογαλίας του προηγούμενου αιώνα και το πρώτο της έργο που μεταφράζεται στα ελληνικά.
Ξεκινά με το στίχο «Φύλαξα ψεύτικους θησαυρούς μέσα σε άδειες ντουλάπες» του Πολ Ελιάρ προιωνίζοντας και πρωθύστερα συνοψίζοντας τη ζωή της κεντρικής ηρωίδας Ντόρα Ροζάριο, αλλά και όλων των γυναικών που περνούν από τις σελίδες του.
Τρεις γενιές γυναικών, μητέρες, κόρες, ερωμένες, αποκτούν μόνο την αξία που τους προσδίδεται από τους άντρες, παγιδευμένες μέσα στην αθόρυβη απελπισία των ετικετών στις οποίες τις εγκλωβίζει η πατριαρχική κοινωνία, μεσούσης της δικτατορίας του Σαλαζάρ και οκτώ χρόνια πριν από την Επανάσταση των Γαρυφάλλων.
Με την αποστασιοποίηση μιας αυτοψίας, η Καρβάλιο δεν χαρίζει στην Ντόρα Ροζάριο ούτε καν τον έλεγχο πάνω στο δικό της αφήγημα, αλλά παρουσιάζει τη ζωή της μέσα από την οπτική γωνία μιας άλλης, εξ ορισμού αναξιόπιστης, αφηγήτριας, η οποία γίνεται και αυτή θύμα ενός λανθάνοντος και εσωτερικευμένου μισογυνισμού.
Οι αλήθειες μέσα στο βιβλίο ξεστομίζονται μόνο ως υστερικά ξεσπάσματα ή χαριτωμένες εκκεντρικότητες, δειλές εκφράσεις μιας καταπνιγμένης και αδιέξοδης οργής και της αγριότητας που παραμονεύει σε κάθε έκφανση της κοινωνικής τους ζωής.
Δουλεμένο μέχρι την πιο μικρή λεπτομέρεια, όπως πχ τα σταματημένα ρολόγια στην αντικερί των αντικειμένων ξεπερασμένης χρησιμότητας, όπου δουλεύει ως άλλο αχρηστευμένο έπιπλο η μόλις 36 χρονών χήρα Ντόρα Ροζάριο, τις νευρικές κρίσεις της θείας Ζούλια, την ανάλαφρη τοξικότητα της έφηβης Λίζα, αλλά και την φαρμακερή μέσα στην ανωτερότητά της πίκρα της ίδιας της αφηγήτριας, το «Άδειες Ντουλάπες» είναι ένα υποδόρια καταστροφικό βιβλίο, που αντηχεί ακόμα την πνιγμένη κραυγή της συγγραφέα του και της γενιάς της.
Κι αν μαρτυρά σε κάποια σημεία την ηλικία του, αποδεικνύει στο τέλος τη διαχρονικότητα του.
Ξεκινά με το στίχο «Φύλαξα ψεύτικους θησαυρούς μέσα σε άδειες ντουλάπες» του Πολ Ελιάρ προιωνίζοντας και πρωθύστερα συνοψίζοντας τη ζωή της κεντρικής ηρωίδας Ντόρα Ροζάριο, αλλά και όλων των γυναικών που περνούν από τις σελίδες του.
Τρεις γενιές γυναικών, μητέρες, κόρες, ερωμένες, αποκτούν μόνο την αξία που τους προσδίδεται από τους άντρες, παγιδευμένες μέσα στην αθόρυβη απελπισία των ετικετών στις οποίες τις εγκλωβίζει η πατριαρχική κοινωνία, μεσούσης της δικτατορίας του Σαλαζάρ και οκτώ χρόνια πριν από την Επανάσταση των Γαρυφάλλων.
Με την αποστασιοποίηση μιας αυτοψίας, η Καρβάλιο δεν χαρίζει στην Ντόρα Ροζάριο ούτε καν τον έλεγχο πάνω στο δικό της αφήγημα, αλλά παρουσιάζει τη ζωή της μέσα από την οπτική γωνία μιας άλλης, εξ ορισμού αναξιόπιστης, αφηγήτριας, η οποία γίνεται και αυτή θύμα ενός λανθάνοντος και εσωτερικευμένου μισογυνισμού.
Οι αλήθειες μέσα στο βιβλίο ξεστομίζονται μόνο ως υστερικά ξεσπάσματα ή χαριτωμένες εκκεντρικότητες, δειλές εκφράσεις μιας καταπνιγμένης και αδιέξοδης οργής και της αγριότητας που παραμονεύει σε κάθε έκφανση της κοινωνικής τους ζωής.
Δουλεμένο μέχρι την πιο μικρή λεπτομέρεια, όπως πχ τα σταματημένα ρολόγια στην αντικερί των αντικειμένων ξεπερασμένης χρησιμότητας, όπου δουλεύει ως άλλο αχρηστευμένο έπιπλο η μόλις 36 χρονών χήρα Ντόρα Ροζάριο, τις νευρικές κρίσεις της θείας Ζούλια, την ανάλαφρη τοξικότητα της έφηβης Λίζα, αλλά και την φαρμακερή μέσα στην ανωτερότητά της πίκρα της ίδιας της αφηγήτριας, το «Άδειες Ντουλάπες» είναι ένα υποδόρια καταστροφικό βιβλίο, που αντηχεί ακόμα την πνιγμένη κραυγή της συγγραφέα του και της γενιάς της.
Κι αν μαρτυρά σε κάποια σημεία την ηλικία του, αποδεικνύει στο τέλος τη διαχρονικότητα του.
May 27, 2025
Dora Ruzariju, dar nė nesulaukusi keturiasdešimtmečio, tampa našle ir visa širdimi pasineria į gedulą. Dešimt metų šventai saugoja mirusio vyro atminimą, paverčia tą gedulą bene vienintele savo gyvenimo prasme. Naivoka, pasyvi moteris, dukters vadinama „žmogumi be amžiaus ir be vilties“, Tačiau vieną dieną anyta Dorai atskleidžia paslaptį, kuri sugriauna jos susikurtą pasaulį ir paradoksaliai pakreipia moters likimą.
Pasakojimas apjungia trijų kartų moteris – pačią Dorą, jos dukrą Lizą ir anytą Aną. Epizodiškai šmėkšteli dar teta Žulija. Ir, žinoma, moteris „už kadro“, kurios lūpomis pasakojama visa istorija. Kas ji ir koks jos vaidmuo, ims aiškėti tik gerokai persiritus per pasakojimo vidurį. Nors iš pradžių atrodo, kad rašoma trečiojo visažinio asmens požiūriu, tačiau labai subtiliai paaiškėja, kad tai pirmasis asmuo. Ir anaiptol ne paskutinis šioje istorijoje. Bet visa ko centre – Dora. Dora Ruzariju ir jos pasaulis. Vyrų jame kaip ir nėra. Tik velionis Doros vyras – tarsi šešėlis, kuriame skendi visas jos gyvenimas. Na, ir dar vienas, suvaidinęs savo trumpą, bet skausmingą vaidmenį šiame tragiškame pasakojime. Ir nors tai, kaip vyrai elgiasi su moterimis, pribloškia, bet negalėčiau pasakyti, kad tai kaip jos elgiasi viena su kita – geriau.
Knyga nedidukė (pakako vos porai valandų), glausta, bet tuo pat metu neįtikėtinai talpi.
Pasakojimas apjungia trijų kartų moteris – pačią Dorą, jos dukrą Lizą ir anytą Aną. Epizodiškai šmėkšteli dar teta Žulija. Ir, žinoma, moteris „už kadro“, kurios lūpomis pasakojama visa istorija. Kas ji ir koks jos vaidmuo, ims aiškėti tik gerokai persiritus per pasakojimo vidurį. Nors iš pradžių atrodo, kad rašoma trečiojo visažinio asmens požiūriu, tačiau labai subtiliai paaiškėja, kad tai pirmasis asmuo. Ir anaiptol ne paskutinis šioje istorijoje. Bet visa ko centre – Dora. Dora Ruzariju ir jos pasaulis. Vyrų jame kaip ir nėra. Tik velionis Doros vyras – tarsi šešėlis, kuriame skendi visas jos gyvenimas. Na, ir dar vienas, suvaidinęs savo trumpą, bet skausmingą vaidmenį šiame tragiškame pasakojime. Ir nors tai, kaip vyrai elgiasi su moterimis, pribloškia, bet negalėčiau pasakyti, kad tai kaip jos elgiasi viena su kita – geriau.
Knyga nedidukė (pakako vos porai valandų), glausta, bet tuo pat metu neįtikėtinai talpi.
November 8, 2025
An utterly human and devastating novella first published in Portugal in 1966. With echoes of The Days of Abandonment, Empty Wardrobes renders the cycles of pain common to women (aging, men, and family) brilliantly. A great read for those looking to experience an entire human life in less than 200 pages.
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