The best love stories

Miguel Esteves Cardoso wrote in one of the texts that make up this book that it is commonly said that there is no love like the first. There are greater loves, better loves, loves more thoughtfully considered and passionately lived. There are more lasting loves (almost all of them), but there is no love like the first.

For MEC, it is the first love that is the only one that breaks the heart and leaves it broken. There are better loves, but they are tired loves, loves that have already been knocked around, loves that know how to say "enough is enough", loves that already make concessions, loves that are afraid of getting hurt, democratic loves that are discussed and debated. All of them give greater pleasure than the first.

It is in these chronicles about first loves, passions, romances, jealousies, marriages, compliments, sadness, hatred, soulmates, or simply about love - especially because, for MEC, everything good that has been said about love needs to be said again - that we find many of the most memorable pages - of those that are sent to the people we love - by one of the greatest writers in the Portuguese language.

Miguel Esteves Cardoso (b. 1955) is a writer, columnist, and an influential figure in contemporary Portuguese culture. With a background in Economics and a long career in journalism and communications, he became known for his singular voice, capable of combining humor, lucidity, and a precise observation of everyday life. His work - which includes books such as A Causa das Coisas, Os Meus Problemas and O Amor é Fodido - evolved over the decades into a more intimate and refined writing style, where reflection on love and time takes center stage.