Blank gaze

by José Luís Peixoto

In a village in the Portuguese region of Alentejo, against a background of severe rural poverty, this book tells the tale of men and women hardened by hunger and toil, but prey to love, jealousy, violence and the overwhelming power of dynastic fate.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?