Cousin Basilio

Cousin Basilio is a novel by José Maria Eça de Queiroz which was first published in 1878 under the title O Primo Basílio . Although the entire work cannot be clearly assigned to a literary epoch, Eça de Queiroz is an important narrator of Portuguese realism. This is especially true for the present novel, which can also be read in contemporary history.

Cousin Basilio is one of the great romance, seduction and adultery novels of the 19th century. He is on an equal footing with Tolstoy's Anna Karenina , Flaubert's Madame Bovary , Fontane's Effi Briest and Clarins La Regenta (German: The President ). Vetter Basilio was published in 2003 in a translation from the Portuguese by Rudolf Krügel as Insel Taschenbuch ISBN 978-3-458-34624-1 .

content

Luísa has been married to mining engineer Jorge Carvalho for years in a childless but happy marriage. Before the marriage she was engaged to the playmate of her childhood, her cousin Basilio. Basilio had fled from believers in South America and had dissolved the engagement to Luísa from there in writing. Jorge has to leave his job in the ministry because of an assignment and travel for a longer period of time. At home he leaves Luísa with her cook and the unloved housemaid Juliana, who had already served with Jorge's parents. Luísa would like to dismiss the maid, but Jorge feels obliged to her because she cared for his sick mother until her death and has so far protected her.

Shortly after Jorge's departure, Basilio, who had meanwhile made fortunes in South America, returns to Portugal and pays his cousin Luísa an unexpected visit. He involved Luísa, who was reluctant at first, in a love affair and promised to flee together if their affair became known. In the frenzy of passion, Luísa neglects all precautionary measures. The neighborhood is rumoring about the affair. Luísa surrenders to Juliana's hatred by carelessly letting two treacherous letters get into her hand. Juliana promptly begins attempting blackmail. She threatens her knowledge and betrayal of secrets. On the advice of a matchmaker, she demands a fortune from Luísa to return the letters and for her silence.

Luísa does not have any assets, however, and Basilio offers a ridiculous amount of money in relation to the claim. He refuses to flee with the desperate Luísa as promised and travels to France solely because of alleged business that cannot be postponed. Juliana realizes that her demands are unrealistic. She now begins daily blackmailing of money, clothes, a new apartment and furniture and also claims other freedoms that are unusual for servants. Desperate, Luísa accepts Juliana's demands as far as she can and lets them have their way. Out of shame, she gives up the plan to reveal her situation to a friend and ask for his help.

Luísa falls seriously ill as a result of the pressure on her. Jorge returns home after months of absence. He has no explanation for his wife's behavior and condition. In growing desperation, Luísa confides in her friend and asks for advice and help. With threats and surprise he succeeds in getting the possession of the treacherous letters and returning them to Luísa. Juliana, whose health was also badly affected, dies as a result of the events on the evening of the surprise. Luísa's situation has thus changed for the better.

In this situation, a messenger delivers a letter from Basilio for Luísa, which Jorge accepts and puts in his coat pocket, unnoticed. A short time later he found the letter after an accidental grip in his pocket and opened it himself because of Luísa's illness. In it Basilio announced his return to Portugal and made compromising statements regarding their mutual affair. Jorge, who in the course of his absence has hardly been a monk himself, makes massive reproaches to his seriously ill wife. Luísa's illness worsens. Jorge is ready to forgive his wife's misstep and continue to live with her. This change comes too late for Luísa. She is no longer recovering from the suffering and the severe fever that the circumstances have caused her and is carried away by death before Basilio's arrival.

Basilio finds Jorge and Luísa's apartment abandoned and learns of Luísa's recent death from neighbors. With little reverence, he leaves the place where the misfortune brought him. His reply to the remark of an acquaintance “So you are without a woman ...” reveals his lousy character: “How annoying! I could have taken Alphonsine with me! "

Film adaptations

The novel was filmed several times. In 1969 the German director Wilhelm Semmelroth staged a two-part series with Hans von Borsody and Diana Körner for WDR under the title Der Vetter Basilio . A Brazilian film adaptation from 2007 (director: Daniel Filho ) moves the plot to São Paulo in the 1950s.