Reading list

Lisbon in Books

Books with scenes in Lisbon, each with places marked on the map.

6 books · 6 with Lisbon scenes, 0 chosen for their mood · Lisbon places on the map

What books are set in Lisbon?

6 books on Storyland have scenes in Lisbon: Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier, The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa, The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis by José Saramago, The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon by Richard Zimler, A Small Death in Lisbon by Robert Wilson, and Estoril by Dejan Tiago-Stanković — each pinned to a Lisbon location you can visit.

  • Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier
  • The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa
  • The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis by José Saramago
  • The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon by Richard Zimler
  • A Small Death in Lisbon by Robert Wilson
  • Estoril by Dejan Tiago-Stanković

  1. Night Train to Lisbon

    Pascal Mercier

    Lisbon scenes

    A teacher follows a dead Portuguese writer into the heart of Lisbon and the Salazar years.

    Places: Lisbon

  2. The Book of Disquiet

    Fernando Pessoa

    Lisbon scenes

    Pessoa's clerk drifts the Baixa's streets and trams — the city's restless soul on the page.

    Places: The Baixa

  3. The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis

    José Saramago

    Lisbon scenes

    Saramago's Nobel-winning ghost story walks a rain-grey Lisbon on the edge of dictatorship.

    Places: 1936 Lisbon

  4. The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon

    Richard Zimler

    Lisbon scenes

    The 1506 massacre seen from within Lisbon’s hidden Jewish community.

    Places: 16th-century Lisbon (the old Jewish quarter)

  5. A Small Death in Lisbon

    Robert Wilson

    Lisbon scenes

    A crime that ties wartime Lisbon's intrigues to the modern city.

    Places: Lisbon, wartime & 1990s

  6. Estoril

    Dejan Tiago-Stanković

    Lisbon scenes

    Spies and exiles wait out WWII in the grand hotel at Estoril, down the coast from Lisbon.

    Places: Estoril, near Lisbon

Reading your way into Lisbon

From Pessoa's Baixa to Saramago's rain-grey hills, Lisbon writes itself in saudade. The books below are drawn from Storyland's book↔place engine and checked against real locations.

Frequently asked

What books are set in Lisbon?

Storyland lists 6 books with scenes in Lisbon: Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier, The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa, The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis by José Saramago, The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon by Richard Zimler, A Small Death in Lisbon by Robert Wilson, and Estoril by Dejan Tiago-Stanković. Their Lisbon places are marked on the map.

What should I read before visiting Lisbon?

Before visiting Lisbon, read Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier (Lisbon), The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa (The Baixa), The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis by José Saramago (1936 Lisbon), The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon by Richard Zimler (16th-century Lisbon (the old Jewish quarter)), A Small Death in Lisbon by Robert Wilson (Lisbon, wartime & 1990s), and Estoril by Dejan Tiago-Stanković (Estoril, near Lisbon). Each has scenes in Lisbon, with the places marked on the map.