Inventory of Solitude

A book that confirms the literary maturity of an author who has mastered the art of transforming introspection into narrative. In this collection of texts, at once confessional and reflective, Tordo explores the various forms of isolation that pervade the contemporary human experience: silence, absence, incommunicability, and the melancholy of cities.

The writing, restrained yet emotionally resonant, oscillates between chronicle and personal essay, revealing a rare attention to detail and the fragility of everyday gestures.  The prose, marked by a calm rhythm and clear language, is at once analytical and poetic. 

João Tordo (b. 1975) is one of the most consistent and acclaimed authors in contemporary Portuguese literature. Trained in Philosophy and Journalism, he made his fiction debut in 2001 and has been building a cohesive body of work in which existential dimensions are combined with a critical view of modern society. He won the José Saramago Prize in 2009 for As Três Vidas, and has published titles such as O Bom Inverno, Biografia Involuntária dos Amantes, and Felizes os Que Choram.