👶👶 The Shelf Life of Happiness, by David Machado

As a popular author from Portugal, I was excited to read David Machado’s work. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t at all what I’d anticipated based on the novel’s description. Written as a letter to an old friend, the story plays out through misfortune after misfortune in Daniel’s life. Throughout much of the novel, the reader is expecting a reprieve from the protagonist's constant adversity, primarily based on his insipient optimism, but this thirst is never quite quenched (aside from a dim light at the end of the novel). The cast of characters is diverse, but none of them very endearing or realistic. Perhaps the content for which Machado was awarded literary prizes in Portugal, was somehow lost in translation.

Read 10/2/17