performance

agustina bessa-luís (1922-2019) was a portuguese novelist and short-story writer whose fiction diverged from the predominantly neorealistic regionalism of mid-20th-century portuguese literature to incorporate elements of surrealism. in bessa-luís’ fiction, notions of time and space become vague, and planes of reality flow together, dimming the sense of a logical order of events. her prose has been called “metaphysical” and “ultra-psychological,” and the influence of marcel proust and franz kafka may be distinguished in the fictional worlds she created.
transitioning from simone de beauvoir to agustina bessa-luís was a deliberate and purposeful choice, as both authors explored the feminine condition within deeply patriarchal societies. through their timeless narratives, they grappled with the pragmatic quest for self-discovery in distinct yet resonant ways.
drawing inspiration from bessa-luís’ body of work, particularly her portrayal of characters embroiled in perpetual societal conflict, bonneville embarked on a journey to unravel the complexities of portuguese identity.