Shelf Unbound October/November 2013 October 2013 | Page 24
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The Woman of Porto Pim
by Antonio Tabucchi
translated from the Italian by Tim Parks
The Woman of Porto Pim
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italian
Antonio Tabucchi
The Woman of Porto Pim
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Antonio Tabucchi
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Translated from the Italian by Tim Parks
a rc h i p e l a go
b o o k s
Archipelago Books
www.archipelagobooks.org
22
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013
Postscript
A Whale’s View of Man
By Antonio Tabucchi, one of the most
renowned voices in European literature and
the foremost Italian writer of his generation,
The Woman of Porto Pim is made up of enchanting, hallucinatory fragments that take place
on the Azores Islands off the coast of Portugal.
Told by a visiting Italian writer unearthing
legends, relics, and histories of the inhabitants,
the tales shed light on a local restaurant proprietress’s impossible love with an Azorean fisherman during the Second World War, a dazzling
whaling expedition of eras past, shipwrecks
both metaphorical and real, and a playful look
at humankind from the perspective of a whale.
A
lways so feverish, and with
those long limbs waving
about. Not rounded at all, so
they don’t have the ma ?\? H????\]K ??[?Y ?\\? ?Y??X?Y[? [?? [\?[ ?\??]] B?[?[??XY ? ?\?H[ Z\??? ?[??HY?H ?Y[\? ??H???[? ?]Y ?^H\??]?H ?Y[??X???H ?XK?]?? ??[[Z[??\?Y? ^H ?\?H?\? ?[[?? [??^H??[??X] ?]??Z[ B?[??X?Y?[?\???] K?^x?&\?B??[[????? \?[? ??] [????]]XX??\? ?] [?^ X?Y?\?KH [??H? ??[? ]\? H ?\?H[???&]]?B?H \??X?[???\??\?X??Y\??H?[ H?H?K HX]?[Y[? ?[??? ]Y?[ Z\???[XZ?[??]\??N?[???\? K??\?]YH[[?? [[YYX]K??]?]H ????\?[????] ?XYHX\?H?H Z\? ?XYZ?B??\H ?X?^? Y\? H\??X?Y??X?[ Y\?? [?[?[? B? MB??XY?Y?X?[?[? [?\?Y??? ?X?Y]?H] ??^H??&]Z?H ?]\? ^x?&\?B?Y??ZY?] [?]8?&\?\? [?\??[? ? H ^H??\???]] ?Z?H \? ^H ?]?[[??\? ??] ^H??&]??[?? Z\???[X[\??H[XY?[?\? ^H]\???H[ ?]?\?K?][ ?^\?[??\?X?K???Y][Y\? ^H ?[???]?? H?? [\?[ ?\?[? Z\?????\??&]H?[ ??\???]?H ?????[??[Y[? ?^B?????] \?Y[? ?[?]?[?[???[ ? ^HYH??? H] B?\?[? ? ] Z?H [HX??][??\?\ ??[\?Y\? ?]? B?[???^H ?YH ?[[? H?H[??[?H ?X[^?H ^H\?H ?Y ?????HH??X[????[B??H[??[?X?X??K ?[??]Y???B?H][X[??H[H\???\??\[Y?????? ? L? ???\??\[Y??????????\ ?[?Y ?] \?Z\??[??[??Y? ? ?\?\??Y ???