Cousin Bazilio — Eca de Queiros / Jose Maria Eca De Queiros

Cousin Bazilio is a tale of sexual folly and hypocrisy and vividly depicts bourgeois life in 19th-century Lisbon. "Sauciness and scandal come as part of the enticing package in this 1878 European classic by Portugal's most celebrated 19th century writer. Cousin Bazilio might not be his best work, but it certainly drew the most attention when it was originally published, for all the wrong reasons;specifically deceitful lusts, a series of characters - some aristocratic hedonistic socialites, others colourful aspiring servants, but all connected by a string of naughty secrets. The tale rips along at a pace that could outdo any modern soap, while the social realist side of de Queiroz shows up the hypocritical limitations laid down by society, particularly on female morality. A classic then, but distinctly alternative in every way." The Scotsman