Pascal Mercier · 2004 · rail

Pascal Mercier's 2004 novel. Raimund Gregorius, a Swiss teacher of ancient languages whose life is ruled by routine, has a chance encounter on a Bern bridge and, that same day, walks out of his classroom and boards a night train to Lisbon. There he loses himself in the life and writings of Amadeu de Prado, a doctor and resistance figure under Salazar's dictatorship. A meditation on language, memory and the roads not taken, carried along the rails from Bern through Geneva, Paris and Irun to the Atlantic.

1. 1
   Bern

   Gregorius, a classics teacher of unbroken routine, abruptly abandons his life and boards a train south.

2. 2
   Geneva

   The morning train to Geneva.

3. 3
   Paris

   Through Paris,

4. 4
   Irun

   and on to Irun on the Spanish frontier, where he takes the night train.

5. 5
   Coimbra

   Across Spain and into Portugal, by way of Coimbra.

6. 6
   Lisbon

   And at last Lisbon, to trace the life of a long-dead Portuguese doctor whose book has undone him.