Transviado

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

25945

Title

Transviado

Language

pt

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Set in rural Portugal, this illustrated romance follows Claudio, a young man torn between his rustic upbringing, religious piety, and the seductive allure of European travel. As he navigates love, political ambition, and family duty, Claudio confronts the painful contradictions of his soul, ultimately facing the tragic consequences of his choices in a poignant tale of idealism versus reality.

Summary up to 500 words

In the cold springs of the Mondego valley near Coimbra, Claudio de Souza Portugal arrives at a desolate train station, seeking refuge from a harsh journey abroad. He is met by a local couple, Ricardo and Emilia, who offer him a ride back to Albergaria. Claudio, a man of refined tastes and romantic imagination, contrasts the poverty of his native province with the artistic splendors of Paris and Vienna he has witnessed. Despite his wife Emilia's preference for city life, Claudio remains deeply attached to his homeland, finding beauty in its simple, albeit austere, landscapes. The narrative shifts to Claudio's childhood in the village of Villalva. Sent to a college in Braga, he struggles with the isolation of his wealthy but stern family and the mocking attitudes of his peers. His education instills in him a deep Christian piety and a fear of hell, yet he also develops a romantic, almost mystical view of the world. Upon returning home for holidays, he experiences a profound emotional crisis when his mother falls ill. Her recovery strengthens his faith, but the memory of her suffering leaves a lasting mark on his conscience. Back in the village, Claudio's life becomes a battleground between his spiritual ideals and his youthful passions. He falls in love with Conceição, a simple village girl, but his father, a former parish treasurer, opposes the match due to social and economic differences. Claudio, torn between his desire for a pure, angelic love and the pragmatic realities of his family's status, eventually breaks off the relationship to protect Conceição's future. Years later, he watches her marry a carpenter, a union he views as a tragic but necessary conclusion to his own sentimental errors. As an adult, Claudio faces pressure from local politicians to run for the presidency of the municipal council. Though he initially refuses, citing his desire for study and a quiet life, his father and community urge him to serve. He eventually accepts the role, only to find the political arena filled with corruption, petty interests, and the very vulgarity he despises. He attempts to retreat into the study of science and literature, filling his home with books and apparatus, but his rustic nature and the demands of his family pull him back into the world of action and social interaction. The story culminates in a somber realization of mortality. Claudio's father, once a pillar of the community, suffers a series of health declines following a severe illness. Despite the family's initial dismissal of his symptoms as mere weakness, the father's condition worsens until he passes away suddenly in his sleep. Claudio, now burdened by the weight of his father's death and his own unfulfilled ambitions, is left to reflect on the fleeting nature of life and the complex interplay between duty, love, and the inevitable decay that awaits all men. The novel ends with Claudio standing at the threshold of his own mortality, having traversed the full spectrum of human experience from the innocence of childhood to...

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Categories

• Classics
• Fiction