José de Risso wird in eine von magischen Vorstellungen geprägte Welt hineingeboren, in der man mit Hilfe von streng einzuhaltenden Ritualen die bösen Geister zu besänftigen versucht. Seine merkwürdigen Gaben und seherischen Fähigkeiten könnten Teufelswerk sein, doch manche Menschen verehren ihn als wahren Heiligen. José Riço Direitinho gilt als eine der wichtigsten Stimmen der jungen portugiesischen Literatur.
Teodorico Raposo, the novel's anti-hero, is a master of deceit; one minute feigning devotion in front of his rich, pious aunt, in order to inherit her money, the next indulging in debauchery. Spurred on by the desire to please his aunt, and in order to get away from his unfaithful mistress, he embarks on a journey to the Holy Land in search of a holy relic. The resulting fiasco is a masterpiece of comic irony as religious bigotry and personal greed are mercilessly ridiculed. 'Eca de Queiroz wrote in an elegant, clear prose. He was also a satirist with great eye for details who described in his novels the absurdities of the society around him, and living in Portugal he was never short of absurd things to make fun of. Here he attacks religion, greed, gullibility and hypocrisy, always with irony and humor, which makes The Relic a very light and enjoyable 'experience. -' World Literature Forum