Night Train to Lisbon
Original German cover
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| Author | Pascal Mercier |
|---|---|
| Translator | Barbara Harshav |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Language | German |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Carl Hanser Verlag |
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Publication date
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2004 |
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Published in English
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2008 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 438 pp first paperback English Edition |
| ISBN | (German) (English Paperback) |
Night Train to Lisbon is a philosophical novel by Swiss writer Pascal Mercier. It recounts the travels of Swiss Classics instructor Raimund Gregorius as he explores the life of Amadeu de Prado, a Portuguese doctor, during António de Oliveira Salazar's right-wing dictatorship in Portugal. Prado is a serious thinker whose active mind becomes evident in a series of his notes collected and read by Gregorius.
The book was originally published in German as Nachtzug nach Lissabon in 2004 and was first published in English in 2008. The novel became an international bestseller. Danish film director Bille August adapted the book into a 2013 film of the same name, starring Jeremy Irons as Raimund Gregorius.
Raimund "Mundus" Gregorius, 57 years old, is a teacher at a Swiss gymnasium in modern-day Bern. He is an expert in ancient languages (Greek, Latin and Hebrew) and a man very comfortable in his routine. One morning on his way to work, he saves a mysterious Portuguese woman from what he assumes is a suicide attempt. Although the woman disappears shortly afterwards, their chance-encounter marks the beginning of Raimund's journey. Later that day, he visits an antiquarian bookshop where he discovers Um ourives das palavras (A Goldsmith of Words (may refer to Gil Vicente formidable playwright and poet of the Portuguese Renaissance who had possibly been a goldsmith), a book by Amadeu de Prado who ponders the philosophical issue of going back in time and making various different choices, resulting in a completely different life. Raimund is immediately intrigued by the author's somber musings. The book is in Portuguese, a language Raimund doesn't speak, so he begins translating with the help of a dictionary. Sensing a kindred spirit in Amadeu, he is suddenly gripped by the fear of not living his life to its full potential. The next morning, he abandons his teaching position, turns his back on Bern and sets out for Lisbon. There, he begins investigating the fate of the Prado family.
Amadeu de Prado is a doctor during the Salazar Dictatorship (1928-1974). He has an expressed interest in literature and begins questioning his world, his experiences and the words contained in conversation and written thought. His life and thoughts are strongly influenced by living under an oppressive regime. Maria João Ávila, a girl he adores since childhood, seems to be the only person Amadeu can relate to. His father, a stern man and a judge loyal to the government, later crumbles under the pressure of his conscience and commits suicide. Amadeu, who is by now an accomplished and well-liked doctor, saves the life of Mendez, the "Butcher of Lisbon" and Chief of Secret Police. In the public eye, Amadeu's actions mark him down as a traitor, resulting in him being shunned and secretly joining the resistance to ease his conscience. After his premature death (aneurysm), Amadeu's notes and journal entries are edited and published by his sister Adriana. She owes her life to Amadeu and religiously devotes her energy to preserving her brother's legacy.
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