About this book
A Engomadeira Novela Vulgar Lisboeta by José Sobral de Almada Negreiros cracks open the alleys of early 20th‑century Lisbon with a sharp, intimate portrait of working‑class life. This modernist novella—part streetwise social realism, part avant‑garde experiment—follows the figure of the engomadeira (the woman who irons) and the crowded, noisy world around her, rendered in vivid dialogue and sensory detail.
Almada Negreiros, a leading voice of Portuguese modernism and futurist circles, uses colloquial language, ironic humor, and sympathetic observation to explore class, gender, and the rhythms of everyday labor. The work captures the tensions of a city in transition: traditional neighborhoods, theatrical flourishes, and a new urban modernity that pulses beneath ordinary routines. Though compact, the narrative brims with theatrical energy and the aesthetic daring that connected Almada to the Orpheu generation and early 20th‑century European avant‑gardes.
Ideal for listeners of classic literature, modernist fiction, and cultural history, this audiobook offers a vivid, character‑driven glimpse of Lisbon’s popular life and an accessible introduction to Almada Negreiros’s bold, distinctive voice.
