Gonçalo M. Tavares

The novel Jerusalem is part of the Kingdom cycle, which the author describes as “black books” – works of prose intended to bury illusions. In a nonlinear narrative featuring a skillfully interwoven mosaic of characters, the author circles around two fundamental themes – pain and memory. Here, pain takes on both destructive and empowering forms, while memory and forgetting offer the possibility of salvation but also the threat of a repetition of past horrors. The main character, Mylia, a patient in a psychiatric hospital, embodies the thesis that one cannot forget – even painful memories serve as a warning against the return of human cruelty. The novel’s dark atmosphere, permeated by references to the Holocaust and dictatorial regimes, underscores its relevance today.

Published by Rubato, 2025