Loves and longings of a homesick Portuguese man

“Miguel describes what, at a cursory glance, seems as though everyone else has already described. The thing is, no one has done it like he has. That is the talent of someone with a great deal of talent: we have already seen ourselves in that situation, already heard someone speak in that way, already felt that kind of indignation about something or other, but it is only when we read the words of someone who knows how to write very well, like Miguel, that we are able to complete our thoughts.

It is as if he were closing the gate on that subject, so that we might tire ourselves out with another. For someone has finally managed to express what we have always felt but never been able to explain. He managed to make the phrase so concise that it became exactly what was required of it. It had always been before our eyes, within arm’s reach, but he alone managed to grasp it, and had the generosity to put it in writing to show it to us and unsettle us.

And, in doing so, he had the delicacy never to want to shine more brightly than the thought itself had to say. That is the most effective of weapons in the target practice that is writing. And it is also the most difficult.”

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 humour, lucidity, and a precise observation of everyday life. His body of work—which includes books such as A Causa das Coisas, Os Meus Problemas and O Amor é Fodido—has evolved over the decades into a more intimate and refined style of writing, in which reflections on love and time take centre stage.