In general, reviewers have not thought highly of the quality of the editing of his father’s books and his work in the case of To the Capital is no exception.

[2] To the Capital is the story of Artur Corvelo, a young man who has literary ambitions and has a desire to be known by intellectuals and by the society of Lisbon.

He is sent to the historic University of Coimbra, but spends most of his time there dreaming of becoming a poet, and moving in literary circles where he is accepted for his devotion to culture rather than for his talent.

[3][4] The Complete Review sees the novel as an entertaining satire of small-time literary life in Portugal, with a “nice mix of engaging characters”.

[3] Paulo Neves da Silva considers Eça’s description of Artur’s time in Lisbon to be “hilarious and sarcastic”, leading to an “unforgettable novel”.