This book, Slackers, is a collection of short stories, part of International Publisher's ongoing Manuel Tiago series
The title story, "The Slackers," deals humorously with a mixed bag of misfits who are forced to report to a military correctional camp to complete their obligatory service. As in several of his other works of fiction, Tiago, (Álvaro Cunhal), based his tale on his own life. For a time, in late 1939 and early 1940, Cunhal was forced to complete his military service in a Disciplinary Company.
"Hand in Hand" is a teenage love story set against the background of the post-1974 public flowering of the Communist Party as a significant partner in the democratic reconstruction of the country. In this story the author once again calls upon his own memories, having served as a very young man as leader of the Federation of Portuguese Communist Youth.
"Parallel Stories" is the centerpiece of the collection, the longest and most developed story in this volume, essentially a novella. Set in contemporary democratic times, we see a small regional Communist Party organization struggling with its past as primarily a party of the working class at a time when the working class itself was undergoing profound changes.
The final story, "Lives," reads like the treatment of an epic-long family saga, or even a
sprawling multi-season TV miniseries. Its timeframe is deliberately obscure, although to be sure, there is an automobile that plays a small part toward the end. Otherwise, we seem to
hover anywhere between the late 19th century all the way up through the mid-20th.
This book, Slackers, is a collection of short stories, part of International Publisher's ongoing Manuel Tiago series
The title story, "The Slackers," deals humorously with a mixed bag of misfits who are forced to report to a military correctional camp to complete their obligatory service. As in several of his other works of fiction, Tiago, (Álvaro Cunhal), based his tale on his own life. For a time, in late 1939 and early 1940, Cunhal was forced to complete his military service in a Disciplinary Company.
"Hand in Hand" is a teenage love story set against the background of the post-1974 public flowering of the Communist Party as a significant partner in the democratic reconstruction of the country. In this story the author once again calls upon his own memories, having served as a very young man as leader of the Federation of Portuguese Communist Youth.
"Parallel Stories" is the centerpiece of the collection, the longest and most developed story in this volume, essentially a novella. Set in contemporary democratic times, we see a small regional Communist Party organization struggling with its past as primarily a party of the working class at a time when the working class itself was undergoing profound changes.
The final story, "Lives," reads like the treatment of an epic-long family saga, or even a
sprawling multi-season TV miniseries. Its timeframe is deliberately obscure, although to be sure, there is an automobile that plays a small part toward the end. Otherwise, we seem to
hover anywhere between the late 19th century all the way up through the mid-20th.
The Slackers
144
The Slackers
144Paperback
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780717808847 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | International Publishers Company, Incorporated |
| Publication date: | 05/15/2022 |
| Pages: | 144 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.34(d) |