The Book of Disquiet

Soares offers advice to women in unhappy marriages. He insists they shouldn’t cheat on their husbands but should invent sexual fantasies to alleviate their frustrations. He hopes his advice will help them experience more sensual pleasures without infidelity.

Soares experiences an apocalyptic feeling. He is overwhelmed by life’s futility. He feels lonely but can’t stand being around people. He feels most content when he’s lying in bed. He looks out at the flowers in his garden and dreams of the country. He becomes lost in thought, dreams, and himself. He tries focusing on life’s simple pleasures, like smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee.

Soares writes notes on how best to dream. He thinks avoiding drugs is important to effective dreaming but notes that drinking does fuel his dream life. He stresses the importance of inaction to dreaming. Disdaining life also helps facilitate effective dreaming, as does reading books and writing. Soares surrenders to his own dreams, lets go of reality, and writes. He feels like God.