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Crónica de uma Travessia - A Época do Ai Dik- Funam
Segundo Urbano Tavares Rodrigues, in Leitur@Gulbenkian (1997), este livro de Luís Cardoso narra as peripécias do autor, desde a infância timorense, no campo, à viagem com o pai, enfermeiro, para a ilha de Ataúro, à vinda para o exílio em Portugal, os estudos de Agronomia, a participação no Conselho Nacional da Resistência Maubere, o convívio com os timorenses do Vale do Jamor. Pelo meio da narrativa, em que se equilibram o relato e o comentário de acontecimentos, aparecem pessoas e nomes como o de Ramos Horta, o de Manuel Carrascalão e se fala em Zeca Afonso, em Adriano Correia de Oliveira, etc., equilibram o realismo e o fantástico (…). Passa neste livro um sopro de mistério, através do entrosamento de duas culturas, uma delas ainda carregada de elementos mágicos.
140 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
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590 people want to read
About the author
Luís Cardoso
32 books20 followersLuís Cardoso nasceu no Timor-Leste. Formou-se em silvicultura pelo Instituto Superior de Agronomia de Lisboa e fez pós-graduação em Direito e Política do Ambiente pela Universidade Lusófona. Foi representante do Conselho Nacional da Resistência Maubere em Lisboa. É autor de Crónica de uma travessia (1997), Olhos de coruja, olhos de gato bravo (2002) e A última morte do coronel Santiago (2003). Requiem para o navegador solitário (2007) é seu primeiro livro publicado no Brasil. Suas obras já foram traduzidas para vários idiomas, como o alemão, francês, holandês, inglês e sueco.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 23, 2015
This book’s chief merit is that it is set in East Timor. If, like me, you are doing a world books challenge, or if you have a particular interest in that country, that is not inconsequential, because there are very few options. Unfortunately, there’s nothing about its content or style to recommend it.
Luis Cardoso grew up in East Timor under Portuguese rule, lived in various places around the country and attended various schools, until around the time the country became independent; he was off to study in Portugal on scholarship before the subsequent Indonesian invasion. This book purports to be his memoir, though we learn little about the author and his life; he spends much more time on random information about the lives of people whose connection to him is unclear (many of whom turned out to be political figures, apparently), and describing the political situation in ways that do little to elucidate for those not already familiar with East Timorese history.
Because the hallmarks of The Crossing are a lack of focus – jumping between seemingly unrelated ideas even within a single paragraph – and a lack of clarity, it’s often difficult to tell just what the author is trying to communicate. The attempts at figurative language only hinder that project. Take for instance: “He went back to reading the big dictionary to decipher the words heard over the crackling radio, as if they were coffee beans defecated by a palm civet.” What? What does a palm civet (whatever that is) defecating coffee beans (as they do?) have to do with looking up unfamiliar words in the dictionary, and/or the sound of the radio? Do palm civets make crackling sounds when they defecate? Is looking up unfamiliar words being compared to poking through scat to see what animals have been eating? Who knows? Figurative language is supposed to aid readers’ understanding, not distract us with bizarre and nonsensical comparisons.
If you do need to read a book set in East Timor, The Crossing does have one additional merit: it is short, at 152 pages with generous margins and spacing. That’s the best I can say for it.
Luis Cardoso grew up in East Timor under Portuguese rule, lived in various places around the country and attended various schools, until around the time the country became independent; he was off to study in Portugal on scholarship before the subsequent Indonesian invasion. This book purports to be his memoir, though we learn little about the author and his life; he spends much more time on random information about the lives of people whose connection to him is unclear (many of whom turned out to be political figures, apparently), and describing the political situation in ways that do little to elucidate for those not already familiar with East Timorese history.
Because the hallmarks of The Crossing are a lack of focus – jumping between seemingly unrelated ideas even within a single paragraph – and a lack of clarity, it’s often difficult to tell just what the author is trying to communicate. The attempts at figurative language only hinder that project. Take for instance: “He went back to reading the big dictionary to decipher the words heard over the crackling radio, as if they were coffee beans defecated by a palm civet.” What? What does a palm civet (whatever that is) defecating coffee beans (as they do?) have to do with looking up unfamiliar words in the dictionary, and/or the sound of the radio? Do palm civets make crackling sounds when they defecate? Is looking up unfamiliar words being compared to poking through scat to see what animals have been eating? Who knows? Figurative language is supposed to aid readers’ understanding, not distract us with bizarre and nonsensical comparisons.
If you do need to read a book set in East Timor, The Crossing does have one additional merit: it is short, at 152 pages with generous margins and spacing. That’s the best I can say for it.
March 10, 2024
Ai Timor
Calam-se as vozes
Dos teus avós
Ai Timor
Se outros calam
Cantemos nós
Ai Timor - Luís Represas
Em Crónica de Uma Travessia, as fronteiras do romance diluem-se, dando lugar a um livro de memórias onde o esquecimento e a recordação se confrontam, e lançam luz sobre a intrincada relação que mantemos com o nosso passado.
Este relato comovente, por vezes lírico, narra a busca por identidade numa terra que teve apenas 9 dias de independência em 1975, antes de ser invadida pela Indonésia e finalmente alcançar a independência em 2002.
76/198 – Timor
December 1, 2021
I read this for a personal account of East Timor, and it not only gave me everything I could have hoped for (insight into old beliefs and traditions, a sense of East Timor under Portuguese rule, a sense of what it was like to be in Portugal while the Indonesian invasion and occupation were occurring and what expats got up to), but it was also just beautifully written, so full of feeling, so emotionally evocative, that I was left really moved by it. It's framed by memories and thoughts about his father, who, in the present of the book's writing, is suffering from old-age dementia, and the sense of love and loss there is beautiful too.
Here's a flavor of it. First, a quote that shows the beauty of the language:
Thoughts on revolution and everyday life:
It's interesting, he mentions growing up with all the people who became revolutionary leaders. About one guy, he says,
He recalls Xanana Gusmão, the current prime minister of East Timor, as a soccer-playing youth sprawled on the soccer pitch. It reminded me of how in any generation, the people involved in a certain something will tend to know one another--like how all the lost-generation authors knew each other, or how the fantasy and science-fiction-writing community is so tight. So too with revolutionary youth.
Here's a moving quote from when he asks his dad, who had been in East Timor all through the Indonesian predations but who then joined him in Portugal, what it had been like:
And here, a small gesture that means so much:
Beautiful book (and very, very good for retroactive research for Pen Pal and future research for who knows what?)
Here's a flavor of it. First, a quote that shows the beauty of the language:
After his long absence, his son had been struck dumb. They gave him the position of chief of the suku as a way of forcing him to speak. They did not understand that he had left behind him all the tricks in which men wrap their intentions. He wanted to invent a new language without those traps and obstacles. The old man only realized this later, when he began sailing at night and was the only one awake. He read the language of the stars, of colours and of the sea. And now his son was right there in front of him, talking. They understood each other's words, pauses and silences.
Thoughts on revolution and everyday life:
Whenever reality killed one of my illusions, it was immediately replaced by another, like a bead on a rosary. I used to walk by the river at the hour when others were leaving the city, especially if it was raining and the square was empty. I would watch the path followed by people leaving their ofices and heading for home where there domestic duties awaited them. I was not bound by routine, but I longed for it. In the end, war, heroism and betrayals were all extreme acts carried out in order to attain precisely that kind of normality. Remaining on the outside could only lead to madness.
It's interesting, he mentions growing up with all the people who became revolutionary leaders. About one guy, he says,
He was no longer the Platonist who used to try to persuade catechumens of the need for resignation, arguing the existence of an extraterrestrial paradise; now this hard-line militant wanted to impose a belief in an earthly paradise, tested and proved fruitful in other latitudes under a different name and open to all those who had been marginalized ... Secretly, I noted that he remained immune to happiness.
He recalls Xanana Gusmão, the current prime minister of East Timor, as a soccer-playing youth sprawled on the soccer pitch. It reminded me of how in any generation, the people involved in a certain something will tend to know one another--like how all the lost-generation authors knew each other, or how the fantasy and science-fiction-writing community is so tight. So too with revolutionary youth.
Here's a moving quote from when he asks his dad, who had been in East Timor all through the Indonesian predations but who then joined him in Portugal, what it had been like:
Sometimes I got the feeling that my father wanted to talk about what had happened in the bush. On the maubere radio I had heard news about the Indonesian campaigns and about the atrocities committed. He had been there and I longed to know the truth. Acts of heroism and betrayal, people dying and abandoned, suicides and murders. But he was travelling further back in time, avoiding my questions and mixing up the war against the Japanese with the war of Manufahi. When I tried to broach the subject of his painful experiences in the bush, he would shut up like a rock. Then he would weep silently. Like morning dew falling on stone.
And here, a small gesture that means so much:
The dead fish left behind by the retreating tide lay intact on the sand. With no one to eat them, they were swimming onto dry land. He picked them up, one by one, and put them back in the water. He was not trying to restore them to life. He knew they were dead. As a former nurse, he had a very clear idea about what death was. The river was behaving like time, discarding the weakest ones along its shores. It simply horrified him to see something dying out of its natural element.
Beautiful book (and very, very good for retroactive research for Pen Pal and future research for who knows what?)
January 15, 2024
Around the World Reading Challenge: EAST TIMOR
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1.5 rounded up
I was quite interested to read this one, as this is an account of the author's life growing up in East Timor under Portuguese rule before the country became independent, and was subsequently invaded by Indonesia--none of which I was at all familiar with. Unfortunately, despite--or perhaps because of--the book's brevity, I found this a bit of a slog. The narrative is totally baffling, with massive time jumps with no explanation and chapters that pick up in the middle of events without context, to the point where I thought I'd skipped a chapter. There is so much interesting history happening here, but I didn't feel like I got any sense of the author's life or what was going on, as the style felt nonsensical and opaque. Can't recommend this one.
===
1.5 rounded up
I was quite interested to read this one, as this is an account of the author's life growing up in East Timor under Portuguese rule before the country became independent, and was subsequently invaded by Indonesia--none of which I was at all familiar with. Unfortunately, despite--or perhaps because of--the book's brevity, I found this a bit of a slog. The narrative is totally baffling, with massive time jumps with no explanation and chapters that pick up in the middle of events without context, to the point where I thought I'd skipped a chapter. There is so much interesting history happening here, but I didn't feel like I got any sense of the author's life or what was going on, as the style felt nonsensical and opaque. Can't recommend this one.
January 25, 2021
My reaction to this book is complicated because I was fascinated by the content and parts of it were superbly written, then other sections felt rushed and confused. Overall though a very worthwhile read.
June 25, 2018
"Nonostante sapessi benissimo che non avrei mai potuto visitare il Portogallo che mi veniva illustrato nelle guide turistiche, nei nostri manuali di scuola, ne sognavo estasiato le città, le montagne, i costumi, la gente e la lingua. Mi incantava sapere che esistevano tali paradisi in terra, dal momento che quell'altro, quello vero, mi era precluso durante la vita. (...) A volte dubitavo dell'esistenza di queste terre, ricordando i sospetti di mia madre. Ma l'incanto mi faceva credere in quelle cose lontane, come al paradiso perduto per colpa di Adamo e riscattato dalla morte. Avrei dovuto credere anche nei paradisi terreni, più vicini e più reali".
Mi sono avvicinata a questo titolo con tantissima curiosità, pur non avendone mai sentito parlare, però purtroppo l'ho trovato un po' deludente... Cardoso ci fornisce tantissimi spunti di riflessione interessanti e una marea di informazioni ma il problema è che secondo me lo fa in modo confusionario, tanto che soprattutto all'inizio ho fatto fatica a seguire il filo del discorso a volte. Essendo una studentessa di lingua e cultura portoghese, mi era già capitato di studiare le vicende dolorose di questa ex colonia e se io ho avuto qualche difficoltà, immagino quanto il testo possa risultare ostico per chi della storia di questa piccola parte del mondo sfruttata, maltrattata e abbandonata non ha mai letto.
Timor Est era l'estrema propaggine del cosiddetto "impero ultramarino" portoghese resasi indipendente assieme alle altre colonie nel 1974, ma immediatamente invasa dall'Indonesia che per decenni si è resa responsabile di un vero e proprio genocidio nei confronti della popolazione locale, uno sterminio dinanzi al quale il resto del mondo per troppo tempo è rimasto muto ed immobile. Timor ha ottenuto l'indipendenza solo nel 2002 ed è tutt'ora uno dei Paesi più poveri al mondo. Qui Cardoso ci parla di tante cose, si sente l'eco di quella madrepatria agognata che si è comportata da matrigna nei confronti dei timoresi, ci sono suggestive descrizioni della natura meravigliosa dell'isola, della società, ci viene spiegata la nascita dei primi movimenti di indipendenza, il sogno di molti ragazzi di raggiungere Lisbona, il ruolo dei missionari nell'educazione dei giovani e nella diffusione della lingua e cultura portoghese, la presenza di lingue indigene, la semplicità e la povertà della vita, però avrei preferito più chiarezza e anche un numero maggiore di pagine per approfondire ulteriormente questa terra per me estremamente affascinante.
Cercherò altre letture riguardanti questa tematica!
Mi sono avvicinata a questo titolo con tantissima curiosità, pur non avendone mai sentito parlare, però purtroppo l'ho trovato un po' deludente... Cardoso ci fornisce tantissimi spunti di riflessione interessanti e una marea di informazioni ma il problema è che secondo me lo fa in modo confusionario, tanto che soprattutto all'inizio ho fatto fatica a seguire il filo del discorso a volte. Essendo una studentessa di lingua e cultura portoghese, mi era già capitato di studiare le vicende dolorose di questa ex colonia e se io ho avuto qualche difficoltà, immagino quanto il testo possa risultare ostico per chi della storia di questa piccola parte del mondo sfruttata, maltrattata e abbandonata non ha mai letto.
Timor Est era l'estrema propaggine del cosiddetto "impero ultramarino" portoghese resasi indipendente assieme alle altre colonie nel 1974, ma immediatamente invasa dall'Indonesia che per decenni si è resa responsabile di un vero e proprio genocidio nei confronti della popolazione locale, uno sterminio dinanzi al quale il resto del mondo per troppo tempo è rimasto muto ed immobile. Timor ha ottenuto l'indipendenza solo nel 2002 ed è tutt'ora uno dei Paesi più poveri al mondo. Qui Cardoso ci parla di tante cose, si sente l'eco di quella madrepatria agognata che si è comportata da matrigna nei confronti dei timoresi, ci sono suggestive descrizioni della natura meravigliosa dell'isola, della società, ci viene spiegata la nascita dei primi movimenti di indipendenza, il sogno di molti ragazzi di raggiungere Lisbona, il ruolo dei missionari nell'educazione dei giovani e nella diffusione della lingua e cultura portoghese, la presenza di lingue indigene, la semplicità e la povertà della vita, però avrei preferito più chiarezza e anche un numero maggiore di pagine per approfondire ulteriormente questa terra per me estremamente affascinante.
Cercherò altre letture riguardanti questa tematica!
March 2, 2014
The Crossing: A Story of East Timor: http://readwithstyle.wordpress.com/20...
All of this trivia aside, East Timor is a country of extremes and a country of transitions. Its search for a national identity is beautifully accounted for in Luís Cardoso’s The Crossing: A Story of East Timor. The destiny of the country is mirrored through the destiny of the little boy, who is forced to leave in exile from his home for a large part of his life. As Takas (his nickname) crosses from childhood to adulthood, from Dili to Lisbon, from life to death, so does East Timor cross between Portuguese and Timorese, between tolerance and repression, between occupation and freedom. East Timor through the eyes of an author that clearly adores it, seems an exotic land, where the magical rituals still prevail over the rational thinking. A place of constant clashes and rebellions, which however managed to preserve hope and happiness in its people. A beautiful land that is just waiting for its chance to flourish beyond colonialism and oppression. And brave people, who refuse to abandon their dream for a free and independent state.
Read more: http://readwithstyle.wordpress.com/20...
All of this trivia aside, East Timor is a country of extremes and a country of transitions. Its search for a national identity is beautifully accounted for in Luís Cardoso’s The Crossing: A Story of East Timor. The destiny of the country is mirrored through the destiny of the little boy, who is forced to leave in exile from his home for a large part of his life. As Takas (his nickname) crosses from childhood to adulthood, from Dili to Lisbon, from life to death, so does East Timor cross between Portuguese and Timorese, between tolerance and repression, between occupation and freedom. East Timor through the eyes of an author that clearly adores it, seems an exotic land, where the magical rituals still prevail over the rational thinking. A place of constant clashes and rebellions, which however managed to preserve hope and happiness in its people. A beautiful land that is just waiting for its chance to flourish beyond colonialism and oppression. And brave people, who refuse to abandon their dream for a free and independent state.
Read more: http://readwithstyle.wordpress.com/20...
August 9, 2017
East Timor
"How could he live and survive on a corner of the earth to which others were sent to die?"
"Manly fruit gave strength to me brought low by women."
"I loved knowing of the existence, the possibility, of earthly paradises and promised lands, perhaps especially since there was no chance of such a thing in my own life."
"We had all agreed and sworn that none of us would renounce the old ways."
"Electricity allowed for innovation."
"The family was purging itself of neutral non-native elements and fortifying itself behind the rigid structures of alliances and oaths."
"Although we knew that the routine of daily life could not last much longer, no one dared to question it."
"Common sense told me that a wounded animal heals its wounds by sharpening its claws."
"Denouncing the genocide that was being practiced was far more important than grammar."
"It isn't their job to rescue people who were lost in time."
"He used to say that the only benefit the earth gets from its children is when they die."
"How could he live and survive on a corner of the earth to which others were sent to die?"
"Manly fruit gave strength to me brought low by women."
"I loved knowing of the existence, the possibility, of earthly paradises and promised lands, perhaps especially since there was no chance of such a thing in my own life."
"We had all agreed and sworn that none of us would renounce the old ways."
"Electricity allowed for innovation."
"The family was purging itself of neutral non-native elements and fortifying itself behind the rigid structures of alliances and oaths."
"Although we knew that the routine of daily life could not last much longer, no one dared to question it."
"Common sense told me that a wounded animal heals its wounds by sharpening its claws."
"Denouncing the genocide that was being practiced was far more important than grammar."
"It isn't their job to rescue people who were lost in time."
"He used to say that the only benefit the earth gets from its children is when they die."
May 31, 2017
[#37 East Timor] 2.5/5 I’m not going to lie, I struggled reading this book despite the fact it’s quite short. The narrator is basically telling us his life story but the writing was dense and went all over the place, making it hard to follow. The story was jumping from a topic to another and overall lacked clarity for someone not familiar with the politics of East Timor.
October 27, 2013
This is an informative book about the culture and history of East Timor, and also the author's personal story. It was hard to get into, perhaps because it was a little intense with so much packed into such a concise book. I might need a few more readings to fully appreciate it.
January 16, 2012
Nice insight into the history and culture of Timor Leste but the writing was a bit too flowery for me.
January 1, 2018
Beautifully written book, but you would probably need some previous knowledge about the history to fully appreciate the story.
November 26, 2023
This book had no idea what it was trying to be. It was in part a fictional story that had something to do with someone's ancestors being sharks. It was in part memoir of growing up and traveling. It was in part political history with the Portuguese leaving East Timor and the Indonesians coming in and finally gaining independence. But it was told all out of order, and was really confusing to try to figure out when things were happening in relation to other things. It was also a really short book which didn't quite manage to give enough information on any of the other things it was trying to be. Maybe if it had been a bit longer it could have pulled off all three, but as it was it kind of just failed at being three different things. I don't feel like there were really any characters in this book it was all just sort of floating information. The description says this may have been on purpose to set the book in aboriginal dream time, but I don't like it. This is definitely the weirdest book I've read either this year or for my round the world reading challenge.
December 9, 2022
156📙🇹🇱TIMOR LESTE /EAST TIMOR 🇹🇱It was difficult finding a book written by an East Timorese author, so I was happy to get my hands on this. As an Australian and a former Army Officer, many of my colleagues went to East Timor as part of the UN’s Operation INTERFET. I was on maternity leave, so missed out on the opportunity for deployment. However, one evening I was having dinner with my family and young daughter at the Hyatt Hotel in Canberra and we met José Ramos-Horta. Amazing 🤩 Fast forward 8 years when I was working in the foreign service and I remember an esteemed international relations academic discussing Timor’s tricky relationship with their colonisers, Portugal, particularly amongst the upper echelon. This book is all about that. The first book published by a Timorese author, it’s a good read if you can follow a metaphor that is overdone (the crossing). It’s not a story about refugees making treacherous boat crossing into Australia…that is coming. #🌏📚#readingworldtour2021 #readtheworld #worldliterature #readingworldliterature #reading #readingwomenchallenge #readersofinstagram #readmorebooks #bookstagram #booklover #book #booknerd #bibliophile #travel #travelogue #fiction #nonfiction #nonfictionreads #travelbooks #ayearofreadingaroundtheworld #easttimor #timorleste
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November 15, 2025Desafío "Leyendo a través de Asia": Timor Oriental(créditos a Lee (Books With Lee)).
Lo siento, pero no me ha gustado. Lo terminé por pura fuerza de voluntad y porque es muy corto.
La narración es confusa: frases larguísimas, párrafos interminables y cambios abruptos de tema que dificultan seguir la historia. Los personajes aparecen sin contexto, y a veces tienes que adivinar de quién está hablando.
Hay momentitos “graciosos” donde se vislumbra una sátira afilada, pero se pierden entre referencias políticas sin explicación que no comprendí.
Aun así, aprendí cosas y me alegró conocer puntos de vista de alguien de ese país, entrever su historia y su política. Pero, en general, no ha sido un libro para mí.
Lo siento, pero no me ha gustado. Lo terminé por pura fuerza de voluntad y porque es muy corto.
La narración es confusa: frases larguísimas, párrafos interminables y cambios abruptos de tema que dificultan seguir la historia. Los personajes aparecen sin contexto, y a veces tienes que adivinar de quién está hablando.
Hay momentitos “graciosos” donde se vislumbra una sátira afilada, pero se pierden entre referencias políticas sin explicación que no comprendí.
Aun así, aprendí cosas y me alegró conocer puntos de vista de alguien de ese país, entrever su historia y su política. Pero, en general, no ha sido un libro para mí.
December 11, 2018
Oh it was tricky, and for a short book it seemed to go forever. Jumping about from idea to idea, person to person and place to place made it very hard to follow. Oddly enough I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was twice as long so things could have been elaborated on and given more of a sense of time and place which, as someone who knew little of East Timor, I felt was missing and left me knowing little more than when I started.
November 3, 2021
Around the world in 80 books #80: Timor-Leste 🇹🇱
I am not sure what I have just read: a novel, a personal memoir or a historico-political essay. In all cases, I missed the references to put events into context, despite the frequent name-dropping of Timorese politicians.
That said, the poetic Portuguese language is beautiful here, but the content is simply lacking.
I am not sure what I have just read: a novel, a personal memoir or a historico-political essay. In all cases, I missed the references to put events into context, despite the frequent name-dropping of Timorese politicians.
That said, the poetic Portuguese language is beautiful here, but the content is simply lacking.
September 19, 2019
Intressant om ett väldigt okänt land. Länk till recensionen: https://ewelinasbokblogg.blogspot.com...
January 11, 2023
It wasn't what I expected and I am glad it was a short book.
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January 15, 2023An memoir that reminds you how lucky we are in the uk
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April 12, 2023East Timor
Pleasing poetic prose.
Pleasing poetic prose.
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July 31, 2024Reading the World #117: East Timor
March 10, 2025
Honestly I understood nothing.
May 6, 2025
Uma autobiografia romanceada interessante, que atravessa um país em convulsão antes e depois do 25 de abril. Uma oportunidade rara de ler um escritos timorense e, só por isso, vale a pena a leitura.
July 2, 2025
Reading around the world: Timor-Leste
September 2, 2025
Crónica de Uma Travessia is a hybrid work that blends novel, personal memoir, and historical-political essay. Traversing a Timor in turmoil before and after the April 25th Revolution, the book reflects on identity and memory, illuminating both collective history and individual experience, while offering a moving and lyrical view of a country marked by occupation and the struggle for independence.
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May 29, 2018Cronica de una travesia
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