In The Blue Portuguese: A Little Novel, we join Annie-Claire and Everett the rat who come to know, step by step, a land with its funny rules and weird dwellers. At once, we find ourselves in an unusual and at times grotesque fantasy world. Here is the Chronicler, who walks about with a paint roller called Penzel, and the upright General who dispenses orders like Do not sneeze with your nose full, Do not eat with a full stomach, Do not laugh at bad jokes, but we move on and find ourselves in grave danger: Guilia Government is the commander of a camp of forgotten children …
Using well-considered and ingenious linguistic means, the author brings about a finely imagined world imperceptibly mirroring the moral and ethical questions of every day. With a great deal of wit, and even a kindness towards human oddities and weaknesses, the author cuts into the deepest problems of the present moment, while he also very clearly points out the solution.
Peter Svetina subtly knows a child’s soul as well as the human soul in general, with his books remaining open as to who they are addressing, while time and again, their quality is confirmed by the feedback of reviewers and academics, in addition to the enthusiastic feedback of both young and adult readers. Nonsense in The Blue Portuguese engages in a dialogue with the worldwide literary tradition, and the writer seduces readers with a charming imaginary story while imperceptibly challenging them to give thought to problems that mark the world of today’s children.
