Rate = original in portuguese = 6 stars (in terms of the Goodreads' rating system, I gave it 5 stars)
Rate = Zenith's translation (the one I've just read) = 3 stars
I’ve read this book in Portuguese a long time ago, and I still remember vividly some of the passages, eg, “ Deus é existirmos e isto não ser tudo” (God is being and this is not all”- my translation)… Marvelous or what????
I find a strong resemblance between Rilke and Pessoa, but I never really thought about it, that is, I cannot demonstrate why I think that … It’s worth thinking about.
This is one of the rare books, where the fact that you like it (or not), depends on who you are.
The persons who think it’s just plain drivel, belong to one side of the barricade. The persons, who feel changed just by reading it, belong to the other side.
In terms of translation from Portuguese into English, I prefer the William Boyd's and Margaret Costa's versions (especially the latter). Zenith's take on Pessoa seems somehow stilted... Costa's version is much more poetic (at least to me).
Enough said. Do yourself a favour and read one of the other translations in english.
