A dark and compelling story with elements of magic realism and Greek tragedy from prize-winning Portuguese novelist José Luis Peixoto'Peixoto's evocation of pathos is tempered by a keen sense of the absurd' Financial Times'Brilliantly rendered ... Peixoto's ironic sensibility shines through beautifully' James Robertson'An impressive and unusual feat ... Intensely beautiful writing packed with startling and memorable images' IndependentAgainst a backdrop of rural Portuguese poverty, a handful of magical characters are living out their destiny: José, a shepherd, who is visited by a devil whispering violent words in his ear; Moises and Elias, Siamese twins joined at the tip of their little fingers; Gabriel, a wise man, who is over one hundred years old; and an unnamed character who sits writing alone in a windowless room.The characters are universal, and they are all at the mercy of fate - their lives are pulled in different directions and sometimes even suffocated and snuffed out ...