Serpentine - A Good Example of Portuguese Literature

The available time to read is, unfortunately, much less than I would like to. Yet, I try to read every day, even if I can only read a single page at a time.

This time, I chose something in my first language, written by a renowned author.

Fancy writing, poor content

I’m not the biggest fan of Portuguese literature. You may find it odd. It would be expected that we would quickly identify with our country, culture, and language. Unfortunately, what I see in Portuguese literature most of the time is a whole lot of beautiful words and fancy sentences, with little ability to make us dream.

Beautifully arranged sentences and highly educated words seem more important than the story itself. It lacks the fantastic ability to transport us to other worlds, to make us live what we are reading, or to feel what the characters are feeling. Despite that, I try to stay up to date on what’s new or considered a ‘must-read.’

I must say, however, and with great joy, that the new generation of authors is slowly trying to invert this tendency. But the path is hard, and it takes time.

Technique over emotion

Back to Serpentine, this book was pretty much what I described earlier as the general run of Portuguese literature, without the fancy language. I must confess: I’m not sure of what I can say about it. I didn’t love it, and I don’t intend to reread it, but something kept me reading until the very last page.

It is not my kind of book or story. Said so, I tried to analyze it and understand why I didn’t just stop reading it. My conclusion: it’s an excellent author. His name is Mário Zambujal. He’s famous as a writer and as a journalist, and his writing qualities justify all his fame.

Serpentine has a good rhythm, many parts of dialogue with a sense of humor that will at least make you smile, and his genius shows in the way he writes each scene. They are good, no matter if you like them or not; every single scene is good.

That’s probably the reason why we keep turning pages, while we say to ourselves, “just one more.”

Keep trying

It’s definitely essential, and I’m speaking mostly to Portuguese people now, that we give some opportunities to Portuguese authors. Allow yourself to be surprised. Our language is beautiful, and we have great talent amongst us that is hidden due to the difficulties of promotion.

Especially if you are a writer, no matter the language you use in your work, you always have something to learn from every single author. Read, enjoy, analyze, and then follow your own path.

Comments

Gen V Season 2: From Cameos to Confidence

I wasn’t a huge fan of Gen V ’s first season . For me, it lived more on cameos and ties to The Boys than on its own merits. It often felt like an extended piece of world-building rather than a show that could stand on its own. Season 2, though, feels different. For the first time, Gen V is carving out its own identity. The storylines are more engaging, the stakes feel higher, and it’s not just hanging on the shadow of Homelander or Vought headlines. The Highs and Lows of Performance That said, not everything works. The acting is uneven—some scenes land with the intended emotional weight, but others feel awkward enough that I wondered how they made it past editing. On top of that, the show piles on so much interpersonal drama and mystery that it occasionally slips into Scooby-Doo territory: a gang of young heroes pulling at conspiratorial threads, but without enough grounding to keep every subplot compelling. A Thoughtful Tribute One aspect the show handles beautifull...

Zero Day (Netflix): When Power, Fear, and Truth Collide

What happens when society’s most terrifying vulnerability—our digital infrastructure—suddenly collapses? Netflix ’s political thriller Zero Day dares to explore exactly that. Starring Robert De Niro as former U.S. President George Mullen, alongside Angela Bassett , Lizzy Caplan , Jesse Plemons , and Dan Stevens , this six-part miniseries blends conspiracy, paranoia, and deeply human drama into a story that feels both timely and unsettling. A Premise That Feels Too Possible The series kicks off with a catastrophic cyberattack that leaves the nation in chaos. It’s not just thrilling entertainment—it’s frighteningly plausible. Watching events spiral out of control, you can’t help but ask yourself: could this actually happen? Twists That Keep You Guessing From backroom deals to sudden betrayals, Zero Day is packed with sharp turns. You might think you know where it’s going, but the finale delivers a conclusion that’s both surprising and thought-provoking. Jesse Plemo...

The Handmaid’s Tale – From Brilliant to Frustrating

When The Handmaid’s Tale first aired, it felt sharp, terrifying, and painfully necessary. I wrote about the first season as a dark and brilliant adaptation, one that used restraint, symbolism, and dread to tell its story. Now that I've finished the third season, my opinion has shifted — not wholly, but noticeably. The show is still good . Sometimes very good. But it also became frustrating, uneven, and less powerful than it could have been. June Osborne: From Survivor to Exhaustion Let’s talk about June (Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men ). I understand the idea behind her arc. She was meant to evolve — to become more confident, more assertive, more dangerous. A woman shaped by trauma who stops surviving and starts fighting back. On paper, it makes sense. On screen, however, it often doesn’t work. June becomes reckless to the point of irresponsibility. She repeatedly puts others in danger without seeming to fully care about who might be caught in the crossfire. Her actions feel impuls...

All Forms of Art

Search This Blog