José Cardoso Pires
José Cardoso Pires was a notable Portuguese author born on October 2, 1925, in São João do Peso, Portugal. He studied mathematics at the University of Lisbon but left to serve in the merchant marines, from which he was later discharged. Pires moved to London, where he taught Portuguese and Brazilian literature at King's College and began his serious writing career. His literary contributions include a range of short stories, novels, plays, and satires, often characterized by a moralistic and allegorical tone that explores themes of alienation across different social classes. His first published work was a collection of short stories in 1949, leading to significant novels like "O delfim" and "Balada da praia dos caes." A stroke in 1995 profoundly impacted his later writing, particularly in his final novel, "De profundis, valsa lenta," where he incorporated his personal experiences of alienation and recovery. Pires also published a nonfiction work, "Lisboa, livro de bordo," featuring detailed sensory impressions of Lisbon. He received multiple national awards for his literary contributions before passing away in Lisbon on October 26, 1998.
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Subject Terms
José Cardoso Pires
Writer
- Born: October 2, 1925
- Birthplace: San Joao do Peso, Portugal
- Died: October 26, 1998
- Place of death: Lisbon, Portugal
Biography
Portuguese author José Cardoso Pires was born on October 2, 1925, in the city of São João do Peso in the Castelo Branco district of eastern Portugal. Pires attended the University of Lisbon and studied mathematics, but he left school early to join the merchant marines. He was later discharged from the marines for disciplinary reasons. He moved to London, where he taught Portuguese and Brazilian literature at King’s College, and he began writing seriously.
Pires is the author of numerous short stories, plays, novels, and satires. Much of his writing possesses a moralistic, allegorical tone and expresses the alienation felt by both upper- class and lower-class members of society. His first published work, a collection of short stories entitled Os caminantes y otros cuentos, came out in 1949. He wrote several novels, including O delfim (1968), Dinossauro excelentissimo (1972), and Balada da praia dos caes (1982; Ballad of Dogs’ Beach: Dossier of a Crime, 1986).
Pires suffered a stroke in 1995, and this debilitating experience formed the backdrop of his final novel, De profundis, valsa lenta (1997). He made himself a character in this novel, describing a profound sense of alienation following the stroke and the loss and eventual recovery of his self- identity. Lisboa, livro de bordo, also published in 1997, was a nonfictional account of his wanderings throughout Lisbon. In this work, he meticulously described his sensory impressions of the city, incorporating smells, light, atmosphere, and slang. He received numerous national awards for his literary achievements, including the prestigious Fernando Pessoa award. Pires died in Lisbon on October 26, 1998, following another stroke.