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Baltasar and Blimunda

by José Saramago, Giovanni Pontiero (Translator)

3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 · rating details · 5,020 ratings · 271 reviews

From the recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature, a “brilliant...enchanting novel” (New York Times Book Review) of romance, deceit, religion, and magic set in eighteenth-century Portugal at the height of the Inquisition. National bestseller. Translated by Giovanni Pontiero.

When King and Church exercise absolute power what happens to the dreams of ordinary people? I...more

Paperback, 343 pages

Published October 16th 1998 by Mariner Books (first published 1982)

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Dec 09, 2012 Henry Avila rated it 4 of 5 stars

King John V of Portugal needs children, to continue the royal dynasty,set back in the year of our Lord,1711.Married two years to Austrian Princess Maria Ana and still no babies.At twenty -one, the monarch feels a little insulted, because of his failures. But the House of Braganza will eventually rule for almost 500 years,in this land!Besides, other women have proved, that it's not his fault. So when a Franciscan friar promises that God will grant the King his wish, if a convent,(monastery)is bui...more King John V of Portugal needs children, to continue the royal dynasty,set back in the year of our Lord,1711.Married two years to Austrian Princess Maria Ana and still no babies.At twenty -one, the monarch feels a little insulted, because of his failures. But the House of Braganza will eventually rule for almost 500 years,in this land!Besides, other women have proved, that it's not his fault. So when a Franciscan friar promises that God will grant the King his wish, if a convent,(monastery)is built for that religious order.John the Fifth agrees.As soon as the Queen gives birth.Which happily occurs later in the year.Just a daughter though, but next time a son...The vast Portuguese Empire in Asia,Africa and South America, is very rich.Money keeps on flowing into the royal treasury.They are the envy of the rest of Europe.The king can do anything he wants. Mafra a small town, about 17 miles outside Lisbon, is chosen for the project's site. At the lower end of the totem pole is an ex, one armed soldier, by the name of Baltasar Mateus,nicknamed "Seven Suns". Who fought for his Royal Highness against arch enemy Spain.And left, his left hand somewhere in that country.But not on the plain.He meets a young woman in Lisbon by the name of Blimunda. It isn't the most enjoyable event,her mother,found guilty of heresy, is being exiled to Angola.But first a public flogging.And never to return back home,the mother.It's the time of the Inquisition. Baltasar has been trying to get a government pension. With the help of Padre Bartolomeu Lourenco,a historical figure,known as the "Flying Man". Because he was building a flying machine.With the King's support.The former soldier had became friends with the brilliant but unstable priest.The two help assemble the flying machine for the padre..But kings have short memories,no pension, and so the new couple decide to go back to Mafra,Baltasar home town.His parents and sister live there and greet him with tears in their eyes,after so many years apart.With up to 45,000 workers, employed in this massive project,which gets bigger and bigger.The King is like a kid in a candy shop.A palace for the royals also will be erected, even a one hand man can get a job here.By the way, Blimunda has a secret, she can see inside the bodies of people,with X ray eyes and check their health. If found out by the Inquisition,she'll be burned, but not to a very pretty color, as a witch.(less)

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May 16, 2007 Silvia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: highly-recommended, portuguese-literature

Esse livro foi meu primeiro contato com a obra de José Saramago. No começo estranhei a falta de pontos finais pra fechar as sentenças, entre outras normas da gramática portuguesa, mas isso é nada mais que forma e traço de um escritor cheio de estilo. A personagem Blimunda é pura poesia - come o pão pela manhã, mesmo antes de abrir os olhos, para não ver o que as pessoas carregam no íntimo mais verdadeiro; sai colhendo as vontades dos outros para alimentar uma passarola que subirá aos céus... Lin...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Emanuela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-book, narrativa-straniera

Dentro la storia della costruzione del convento di Mafra c'é la storia di Baltasar e Blimunda e dentro ancora, con un processo dove Saramago spoglia in successione i vari personaggi dagli orpelli materiali e pseudo spirituali, c'é la storia della regina e dell'eremita, un racconto che lascia tutti perplessi tranne Baltasar, che individua nella regina, colei che vuole essere solo donna, la sua Blimunda ed egli stesso l'uomo che diventerebbe "forse volando".

Nel contrasto tra i fasti e le etichette...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Silletta rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e, narrativa-portoghese

La scrittura di Saramago è una delle più belle, coinvolgenti e complesse che io abbia mai incontrato. Non è semplice. Cominciare a leggere Memoriale del convento è un po' come entrare in un paesaggio ricco, ricchissimo, denso, a cui il nostro occhio deve fare l'abitudine per poter cogliere tutti gli elementi, perché non può bastare un colpo d'occhio con Saramago, assolutamente no. Ogni frase, a volte ogni termine utilizzato, ha un valore non da poco, e cela uno stile affascinante, un uso disinvo...more

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Mar 25, 2007 khashayar rated it 3 of 5 stars

An 'intellectual hodgepodge' is the best term I could come across to describe the book. However, as I put this, I should also abnegate further connotations, which could be possibly evoked by the suggested tag, no matter what that supposed connotations would be: positive or negative.

This is a book embracing magical realism and socialist realism at once, even though there is a romantic thread running all across the text and one might even say that this is a simple love story. Anyway, I certainly r...more

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Mar 04, 2011 Ardesia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, xxx

La volontà di uno scrittore è riuscita a far volare nei cieli del Portogallo un amore di uomo e di donna, un'unione di soli e di lune. Volatore è padre Bartolomeu Lourenco col progetto del suo uccellaccio costruito da un uncino e da uno sfinimento di occhi sanato poi dalle note 'scarlatte' di un clavicembalo che ora suona sul fondo di un pozzo. Volatrice è colei che per anni e anni ha misurato passo dopo passo tutte le strade di una nazione. Si può volare anche in terra perché le ali non sono so...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Graciela rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: yes

Shelves: nobel-prize-winner-authors

I picked up this book while traveling through Portugal this fall. Last summer, I read my first Saramango book, Blindness, and loved it. Walking along the riverfront in Lisbon, I ran into the José Saramango Foundation where there was an exhibit on his work and that of the famous Brazilian author Jorge Amado. It was as though I were a kid in a candy store! There were thousands of Saramango books in the library, and the bookshop carried many of his major works; unfortunately, it only had one in en...more I picked up this book while traveling through Portugal this fall. Last summer, I read my first Saramango book, Blindness, and loved it. Walking along the riverfront in Lisbon, I ran into the José Saramango Foundation where there was an exhibit on his work and that of the famous Brazilian author Jorge Amado. It was as though I were a kid in a candy store! There were thousands of Saramango books in the library, and the bookshop carried many of his major works; unfortunately, it only had one in english. I asked the attendant which was her favorite and she said, without hesitation, “Memorial do Convento” ( the original title for Baltasar and Blimunda). This was, per her knowledge, what made Saramango famous in Portugal. I picked up a Spanish translation, as my knowledge of Portuguese is nonexistent.
The Memorial do Convento is a wonderful portrait of eighteenth century Portugal. As in the typical Saramango style, there is a mixture of reality, history, fantasy, humor, and endless descriptions of contextual facts and surroundings. For those new to Saramango, there will be the initial uphill battle of deciphering and decoding sentences four or five pages long, a lack of paragraph indentation and periods, and a plethora of commas separating dialogues, questions, and answers, of one to various characters– Saramango leaves it up to the reader to identify the speaker. Sometimes, one has to finish a pages-long sentence and re-read it to finally grasp the idea, all this being a surprisingly addictive exercise of the mind.
I must confess, though, that I found his complex style frustrating initially; I blamed the translations (so far I have read Blindness in French and this one in Spanish) and often doubted my capacity to understand what I read. After finally overcoming these frustrations, I must confess that I am now totally hooked on this style. How can I go back to reading orthodox literature with beautiful, easy, and predictable punctuation; long pauses to rest the mind between paragraphs and take a breath between numbered chapters as opposed to this breathless marathon of words, flight of ideas, numerous characters and circumstances dancing around endlessly between commas, and the constant demand to figure out who said what or whether it happens now, it already happened, it will never happen, or is it only a dream?!!!! Without a doubt, I will choose the latter –a thousand times over.
After reading this book, I feel as though I had lived in Portugal in the 1700’s. Saramango’s treatment of five distinct but intertwined themes, including history, personal relationships, socio-economic struggle, religion and persecution, and magic is impeccable. The love story is real, poetic, passionate, romantic, transcendental, and even eternal; a beautiful tool for linking the unbelievable, the ugly, the cruel, the unjust, the hopeful, the scientific, the despicable, the surreal, and the downright mad. A book that will definitively leave you thinking and thirsty for more...(less)

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Sep 10, 2007 Amari rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

i don't know what happened, but this is one of the few books i've not been able to finish. although i revere saramago, i was not at all drawn in to this book. with a heavy heart, i put it down. i hope that i can read it someday and see what i missed the first time.

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Apr 03, 2012 Su Evenstar rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Foi o primeiro contacto que tive com a escrita de Saramago e deveu-se a uma leitura obrigatória de 12ºano.

Pois bem, estava assustada porque todos me diziam que a leitura deste autor era difícil devido à sua forma peculiar de escrita.
E no início realmente foi um tanto complicado perceber onde começa uma frase e acaba outra, para não falar dos diálogos.

Acontece que gostei muito deste livro, depois de me entender com a escrita, foi uma leitura bastante calma e feliz.

Existem vários planos neste livr...more

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Mar 10, 2011 Jacqui rated it 5 of 5 stars

Set in the backdrop of Lisbon during the 18th century Portuguese inquisition is a love story between two peasants: Baltasar, a war veteran with a hook for a hand and Blimunda, with her ability to literally see inside of people. Throw in a Brazilian priest (based on the historical figure of Bartolomeu de Gusmão) with a flying machine and you have some of the most delicious magical realism out there that's tempered with historical splashes that ground this book. These include bed bug infestations,...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jun 09, 2010 Teresa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: livros-que-tenho-em-português, owned-and-read, historical-fiction, autores-portugueses, favourites

Adorei tudo neste livro, a maneira como está escrito, os personagens, a história... Aprendi imenso sobre história de Portugal, sobre a vida do povo em Portugal no século dezoito. Blimunda e Baltazar são dos personagens mais fascinantes que já encontrei num livro. É cru como o era a vida daquele tempo. O esplendor de uns, a miséria e abnegação de quase todos. E o fim... nem sei o que hei-de dizer... Fico por aqui... Leiam e julguem por vós próprios. Acredito que não seja do gosto de todos, mas de...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Write rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Este foi o livro que fez com todos os livros tivessem sido lidos. Sem este não teria havido outros. Só posso dar nota máxima ao livro que me despertou o apetite pela leitura.
5 estrelas. É pura poesia.

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Sep 23, 2012 Francesco Marchetti rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Adoro Saramago. L'anno della morte di Ricardo Reis, Cecita', l'uomo duplicato, Storia dell'assedio di Lisbona, Saggio sulla lucidita', sono alcuni dei capolavori di questo autore straordinario. questo memoriale pero' non mi ha convinto. ho faticato tremendamente a finirlo e l' ho fatto solo per la mia ammirazione per Saramago. Blimunda e' l'unico personaggio che mi ha catturato. Troppo poco...

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Sep 17, 2007 Emile rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sarramago's writing, which foregoes the normal stylistic emphasis on the change from one character's voice to another (quotes and new paragraphs), allows us to view them all collectively rather than having the 'camera' zoom in on each speaker in turn. This communal effect brings the reader into immediate and intimate contact with the characters. This story, in particular, tells of such a compelling love that the magical realism of the characters appears to be the only way to do it justice. As al...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Sergey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Опять в слякотную пасмурную субботу меня выручил Сарамаго, вот уж действительно универсальный рецепт: Drink coffee, read Saramago, be happy.

"Не только беседы женщин удерживают мир на орбите, но еще и сонные мечтания. Они-то, сонные мечтания, и венчают мир лунной короной, а потому рай небесный и есть то сияние, что таится в мыслях человека, а может, мысли человека и есть истинный и единственный рай."

"Каждый ищет свой собственный путь к благодати, каким бы он ни был, простой пейзаж с клочком неба...more Опять в слякотную пасмурную субботу меня выручил Сарамаго, вот уж действительно универсальный рецепт: Drink coffee, read Saramago, be happy.

"Не только беседы женщин удерживают мир на орбите, но еще и сонные мечтания. Они-то, сонные мечтания, и венчают мир лунной короной, а потому рай небесный и есть то сияние, что таится в мыслях человека, а может, мысли человека и есть истинный и единственный рай."

"Каждый ищет свой собственный путь к благодати, каким бы он ни был, простой пейзаж с клочком неба над ним, какое-то время дня или ночи, два дерева, три, если пейзаж писан Рембрандтом, какие-то смутные звуки, мы даже не знаем, конец ли дороги тут или, напротив, начало и куда поведет она, к какому другому пейзажу, дереву, времени..."

"... взять хоть этого музыканта, только такую музыку и умеет сочинять и не доживет до той поры, через сотню лет, когда смог бы услышать первую симфонию, созданную человеком и ошибочно именуемую девятой..."

:) "если сей король не будет соблдать осторожность. он кончит дни свои в святости"

:) "говорится, пятьсот человек, пятьсот кирпичей, считается, есть разница между кирпичом и человеком, а между пятьюстами и пятьюстами нет ее"

"попадала она в снежные вьюги, лишь потому выжила, что еще не хотела умирать"(less)

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Dec 28, 2012 Iceman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

José Saramago, enquanto pessoa, gera amores e ódios. De uma personalidade irascível, alia a sua experiência de vida ao seu pedantismo o que, com o status adquirido, o torna uma das maiores personalidade do panorama português dos sécs. XX e XXI.

Esse pedantismo a roçar por vezes o exagero, é transportada para a maioria das suas obras, onde e com uma mestria que lhe granjeia invejas, alia o seu dom de contador de estórias à de crítico de toda uma sociedade (fundamentalmente a portuguesa) e também a...more José Saramago, enquanto pessoa, gera amores e ódios. De uma personalidade irascível, alia a sua experiência de vida ao seu pedantismo o que, com o status adquirido, o torna uma das maiores personalidade do panorama português dos sécs. XX e XXI.

Esse pedantismo a roçar por vezes o exagero, é transportada para a maioria das suas obras, onde e com uma mestria que lhe granjeia invejas, alia o seu dom de contador de estórias à de crítico de toda uma sociedade (fundamentalmente a portuguesa) e também ao da escrita ou, se quisermos, uma construção do texto e da narração inovadora e difícil de acompanhar.

Pessoalmente gosto e muito do Saramago crítico, não me identifico com a sua ideologia política nem compreendo, por vezes, as suas observações, mas e mesmo vivendo em Espanha, não se contenta com o rumo do nosso país e gosto especialmente quando ele resolve arrasar nos seus romances, como são os casos do "Ensaio sobre a cegueira" e "Evangelho segundo J.C.".

No entanto e desta vez, proponho-me opinar sobre o Memorial do Convento que é, quanto a mim, uma das Grandes Obras da literatura portuguesa do séc. XX, um portento de inspiração e de uma beleza artística apenas ao alcance dos Maiores.

Ler Saramago, como anteriormente referi, não é fácil. Porém à medida que começamos a compreender o seu estilo, a leitura torna-se fluída e todo aquele aglomerado de letras, aparentemente sem pontuação, deixa de ter importância, porque a pontuação está lá e o homem tem mesmo jeito para contar estórias.

Quanto ao livro:

Temos duas personagens principais que já correram mundo: Blimunda e Baltasar. Ela "Sete Luas" e ele "Sete Sóis", ela uma mulher que consegue ver os corpos à transparência quando em jejum e ele, um ex-soldado que regressa da guerra sem uma mão e quase sem alma, apenas o seu corpo lhe dá a aparência de ser humano.

Numa época dominada pela inquisição, um padre constrói ume estranho artefacto a que lhe chama Passarola e tenta convencer o rei que aquilo pode voar, esse rei (D. João V) bem tenta que a sua mulher, a rainha D. Maria Josefa, engravide, no entanto "se quiseres um infante, manda construir um convento" diz-lhe um monge e o rei, temente a Deus, faz nascer a principal figura do livro: O Convento de Mafra.

Acompanhamos então toda a construção e ao mesmo tempo as aventuras e desventuras dos personagens antes mencionados, para, no fim, ficarmos estupidificados com a surpresa que Saramago nos guarda. Já li o livro três vezes e fico sempre com um nó na garganta com as páginas finais.

Um livro que já deu uma ópera que e pelo que tenho lido, deve ser arrepiante, pois no fim existe um coro de padecimento e martírios...

Um romance extraordinário!(less)

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Aug 28, 2012 Guido rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Non posso negare di aver faticato tanto per terminare questo libro. Qui manca, decisamente, quell'elemento che nel caso degli altri suoi romanzi mi faceva pensare, una volta finiti: e adesso, come farò a leggere un libro "normale"? Lo stile era già il suo, inconfondibile, ma ancora lontano dalla piacevolezza dei suoi capolavori come Cecità: in questo Memoriale del convento la sua scrittura densa di virgole e povera di punteggiatura superflua sembra studiata per confondere, non per raccontare. No...more

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Oct 18, 2009 Steve rated it 5 of 5 stars

HEADLINE: Being John Malkovich . . . . Excuse me. . . .I mean, Being José Saramago.

As I mentioned once before, I have given up that tedious worry as to whether the book in translation that I am reading is a faithful translation of the original or not. The book in front of me in English is either a dandy or it is not. I no longer care whether it bears any resemblance to the original. I will let others tease that out.

Baltasar and Blimunda in English is one of those dandies. It is perfectly consist...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Robert Vander rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a long time favorite of mine. If you read and enjoyed Marquez or Calvino, this may be right down your alley. The narrative is short on brevity and conventional punctuation and for that reason, the story may be a bit tasking on the patience of some readers. Fortunately, it suites me fine. The story is rooted in the tradition of historical fiction and magical realism. For being a story so far removed from our collective time and place in the world, this tale feels vibrant and lived in. All...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Joana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Those who enjoy challenging books, with complex writing

Análise em português e inglês / Review in portuguese and english

Português:

Confesso que não sou grande fã das obras de Saramago. Já tinha tentado ler o "Ensaio sobre a Cegueira", tendo acabado por desistir a meio (coisa que raramente faço, até porque nem gosto de deixar um livro a meio.).
Acima de tudo, aquilo que me fez desistir foi o tipo de escrita utilizado: para além de ter uma construção frásica complexa, a maneira como os diálogos são colocados dificultam o fluir da leitura, acabando por fa...more Análise em português e inglês / Review in portuguese and english

Português:

Confesso que não sou grande fã das obras de Saramago. Já tinha tentado ler o "Ensaio sobre a Cegueira", tendo acabado por desistir a meio (coisa que raramente faço, até porque nem gosto de deixar um livro a meio.).
Acima de tudo, aquilo que me fez desistir foi o tipo de escrita utilizado: para além de ter uma construção frásica complexa, a maneira como os diálogos são colocados dificultam o fluir da leitura, acabando por fazer com que o leitor se perca, se não estiver 100% concentrado.
A principal razão que me levou a ler o "Memorial do Convento" foi o ser de leitura obrigatória no 12º Ano de escolaridade. E confesso que de início estava com receio.
O início da narrativa é bastante complicado, e os primeiros capítulos custaram um bocado a ler; penso que o leitor só começa a entrar na história quando surge pela primeira vez Baltazar Sete-Sóis.
O livro vai tendo altos e baixos, partes mais interessantes e outras que parece que lá estão só para complicar. Estive tentada a dar apenas 3 estrelas, aquilo que me fez mudar de ideias foi mesmo o final inesperado do livro (e não digo mais nada ;) ).
Resumindo, considerei este livro complexo, mas com uma história bastante interessante e cativante, e aconselho-o a todos aqueles que gostam de um bom desafio :)

English:

I confess I'm not a big fan of Saramago's work. I had tried to read "Blindness" before this one, and ended up giving up halfway through the book (which I rarely do, because I hate to do it.).
What made me give up was, essentially, the way the book is written: Besides having a complex frase construction, the dialogs kind of cut the flow when you're reading, because they're always placed between commas; if the reader is not 100% focused, it can be tricky.
The main reason that made me read "Baltazar and Blimunda" was that it's mandatory reading for 12th grade students. And I was a bit afraid.
The beggining of the book is quite "heavy", and the first chapters are quite hard to go through; I think the reader only starts getting in the story when one of the main characters, Baltazar, appears.
The book has ups and downs, interesting parts and parts that seem to be there just to make it more complicated to read. I was temped to give it only 3 stars, but the unexpected endind made me change my mind a bit.
Summing up, I thought this book was quite complex, but with an interesting and captivating story, and I recommend it to those who enjoy challenging books :)(less)

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Nov 15, 2011 Daniel Gonçalves rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Posso considerar este livro como dos melhores que algma vez lí. Sem duvida valeu a Saramafo o Prémio Nobel.

A descrição da Lisboa mórbida no auge do absolutismo, que brilhantemente executada e escrita nos cativa e envolve da primeira à ultima página.

A razão da intriga em sí ser linear e nada de extraordinário deve-se ao facto de Saramago concentrar-se nessa descrição perfeita da Lisboa de meados do século XVIII.

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Feb 11, 2013 Flowershell rated it 4 of 5 stars

As a portuguese reader, Baltasar and Blimunda was read solely by the scope of the mandatory program of 12th grade. Although I was already curious to explore Saramago's writting, i do not know if this would be the volume I would choose first - maybe because I thought the story, as per its name, was too political or did only concentrate in the construction of the convent and their motivations. Of course, I was proved wrong. Saramago's vision is much wider to stick solely to such trivialities, givi...more As a portuguese reader, Baltasar and Blimunda was read solely by the scope of the mandatory program of 12th grade. Although I was already curious to explore Saramago's writting, i do not know if this would be the volume I would choose first - maybe because I thought the story, as per its name, was too political or did only concentrate in the construction of the convent and their motivations. Of course, I was proved wrong. Saramago's vision is much wider to stick solely to such trivialities, giving us a glimpse of everything and all classes, from various perspectives and opinions, thoughts of the characters that reflect their own. The story takes place during the construction of the convent of Mafra, when D. João V fulfills the promise made to the Franciscans that if a heir was born ,he shall raise the congregation. But this history is not just about that fact, because the narrative runs in parallel with the construction of a passarola by Padre Bartolomeu, and Baltasar Seven Suns and Blimunda Seven Moons romance. The interesting thing in this work is that the author did not set out to write a book that depicted purely historical facts, but rather a mix of fiction and reality, satirizing the customs and traditions of the Catholic Church of the time, making the royals a joke of themselves, extolling workers of the convent, making them the real heroes of the story. I missed the lack of scoring , sure, but as I got a own rhythm for Saramago's writting, I found an easy read, much like a storyteller, because without doubt that when we talk we do not say endpoint dash and he said , we give a continuum, alternate lines. Perhaps what I liked most was the criticism so pervasive in all, this is as direct, cold and raw as it could be, a sincerity that has nothing to hide, perhaps Saramago also has the gift of seeing the truth of things just as Blimunda. However, this same feature that provides a fluid read, can also hinder the effect of making the reader get lost if not properly focused, something that often happened to me while finding myself wondering who was speaking, turned back and tried to situate again, didnt worked?, well, You better close the book and go to sleep. A linear plot is mainly due to the perfect description of a morbid Lisbon at the height of absolutism. The writing has a load of irony, social criticism inherent in the season. I loved all the intricate relationship of the narrator to the story - always knowing what will happen to the characters in the future, he takes advantage of this situation, joking and mocking on that feature, the only way a storyteller can, and we're there to hear, hoping that everything comes to a conclusion. I managed to identify this book's maximum, the premise that the wills themselves are spinning and moving earth life, whether drastically or superficial. It shows us that our dreams always interfere with someone's life, and not always in the best way, and we will never know the course or consequences that this dream can take. This was perhaps the book that took me the most time to read. Often, i did not feel like reading it, and when i did, it was read slowly. This caused me to force myself to finish it, because I knew that to get in any other book i would never get this one done, perhaps because the story required a great degree of concentration that is tire'ing, or the frustration of wanting more like a plot that I'm used to instead of a daily life, a portrait of people with their limitations and injustices, but do nothing against it. This work has created me so many paradoxical feelings that I do not decide to like or dislike it, just say that was probably the best and most well-developed writing I met, especially not conforming to the traditional, and the strong impact of opinions that transmitted.
I was almost to give this 3 stars, but then i remembered how much i liked the originality of the writting and the ending, which maked it a 4 stars book. And now i understand how Saramago was such a prodigy for portuguese culture, and im glad he could share a little bit of his amazing mind with the world before it was too late.(less)

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Feb 29, 2012 RMD rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think I like Saramago. But this?

Can't imagine why you'd make this mandatory for secondary school, no way.

Basically, it's a great show off of Saramago's "I can write however I want" style and mainly religious and "kingly" authority dissing.
So long descriptions of abuses from both the reigning orders of the 17th century and the ridiculous disparities present, but mainly description of saints and little saints and little stories.

The writing style is interesting, sure. But it's tiring. And when it...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Leya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: keeper-shelf

I'm probably going to sound like a broken record but it seems like I always repeat myself when I read a novel by Jose Saramago. It took me a while to get into the story because of my need to get used to the language, the size of the sentences and the characters dialogue. And once that happens the book was a pleasure to read.

The author is an amazing story teller, and I was hooked, I wanted to know more about Blimunda and Baltasar and Padre Bartolomeu Lourenco and I loved reading about the Royal...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Linsey Duncan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Baltasar and Blimunda is perhaps the sweetest and saddest love story I've read, and I'll grant that means very little. It's also simultaneously a scathing and sarcastic attack on monarchy and institutional religion and power in general-- but that's Saramago for you. His heart is with the common people who do not make the history books and do not get ballads and who do not have great buildings built for them. But they might build the buildings, and they might be uprooted by the decrees. Every act...more

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Dec 23, 2010 Laurie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was the first work by Jose Saramago that I read. I was unprepared for the style: very long unpunctuated sentences with few capital letters and no paragraphing, but with a little effort the style becomes familiar and, though never 'easy', can be managed. It reminded me strongly of the magic realism of Latin American literature as it walks an indistinct line between what can be conceived of as reality and what is so strange that it has, in logical terms, to be thought to be magic. I found mys...more

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Dec 13, 2010 Christin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: religion

So I picked this up because I was home for Thanksgiving and finished the book I had brought and this was the one thing on Dad's bookshelf that looked tolerable. (Mom's bookshelf is full of John Grisham and Nicholas Sparks, aka, totally intolerable.) I don't know why I'm in the middle of an Iberian peninsula, Inquisition kick because if you'd asked me if that was something I'd want to read oh, six months ago I probably would have told you no. But after finishing this and The Monk and starting Man...more

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Sep 13, 2012 T.P. Williams rated it 5 of 5 stars

I only recently began reading Saramago, and have come to like his very distinct, quirky (direct address to reader, run-on sentences, encyclopedic historical references) style. I think this is much the best of what I have read so far. Loved the way historical figures are featured in the novel, which is basically a love story. Blimunda's unique skill, her visual powers, go back to a theme which it seems appears in many of Saramago's works - vision (e.g. "Blindness," "Seeing," etc.). Idea that life...more

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May 26, 2012 Mira, a escriba rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A escrita é um dos pontos que mais realça este escritor – a utilização de uma linguagem fria e crua capta a atenção do leitor e atinge o seu âmago, tocando profundamente em cada um. Saramago tem o poder incrível de despertar sentimentos, que vão de um extremo para outro: desde revolta e amargura pelas várias injustiças retratadas contra o povo/personagens, náusea quando nos é revelado episódios repulsivos, até momentos de gargalhadas durante uma passagem chocantemente ridícula! A escrita está ha...more A escrita é um dos pontos que mais realça este escritor – a utilização de uma linguagem fria e crua capta a atenção do leitor e atinge o seu âmago, tocando profundamente em cada um. Saramago tem o poder incrível de despertar sentimentos, que vão de um extremo para outro: desde revolta e amargura pelas várias injustiças retratadas contra o povo/personagens, náusea quando nos é revelado episódios repulsivos, até momentos de gargalhadas durante uma passagem chocantemente ridícula! A escrita está habilmente embalsamada com uma fina camada de ironia, sendo-lhe igualmente inerente uma crítica social à sociedade da época decrépita e injusta, que o autor magistralmente traz de novo à luz do dia.

Fervilha por toda a obra a máxima de que as vontades próprias fazem girar a terra e mover a vida, quer de modo drástico ou superficial. Demonstra-nos que os nossos sonhos interferem sempre com a vida de alguém (sendo que por vezes não da melhor forma).Tal como uma mancha de vinho numa toalha branca, nunca saberemos as implicações que cada desejo pode tomar.
Durante a leitura é essencial estar de mente aberta, sem pressas nem correrias. De outra forma, é possível perdermo-nos ou não compreender alguma passagem em que o autor pretendia transmitir alguma mensagem importante. Requisitos aceites e as páginas passarão sozinhas, enquanto nos deleitamos com cada parágrafo.

Adorei em especial toda a relação única e intrincada do narrador para com o enredo - sabendo sempre o que irá suceder às personagens no futuro, ele tira partido dessa situação, brincando e ironizando as situações.
É difícil escolher um capítulo favorito, porque cada um foca um aspecto diferente, todos com um sabor único e especial derivado de tantos e tantos parágrafos inesquecíveis. É impressionante a capacidade de Saramago em expressar numa simples linha algo tão complexo e real!

+ Excelente vocabulário e o grande uso de figuras de estilo dão à história um toque raro de beleza e harmonia linguística
+ Recriação histórica meticulosa, riquíssima pela excelência dos vários episódios que relata.
+ Vale cada minuto de leitura, por todos os seus momentos enriquecedores!
+ Grande originalidade em torno da escrita, destacando-se pela positiva entre tantos outros romances (históricos)
-------------------------------------
- Complexo estruturalmente: a pontuação não está de acordo com as regras da Língua Portuguesa e a falta de indicação de capítulos pode confundir o leitor mais casual
- Este é um livro em que cada pormenor faz mossa, de maneira que a atenção exigida é fundamental para compreender e ter uma completa percepção sobre tudo

Este é uma obra inspiradora e intemporal, que só agora pude ler e compreender o porquê de tanto mérito. Embora tenha de reconhecer que não foi um livro fácil, depois da dificuldade inicial, esta vai-se dissolvendo gradualmente e chega a um momento em que tudo já nos é bastante familiar. Mais que um simples romance, prevalece no leitor o seu espirito humanista e inúmeras mensagens para reflectir! Um grande clássico, na lista de leituras obrigatórias.

Uma das inúmeras passagens favoritas:
“Lisboa cheira mal, cheira a podridão, o incenso dá um sentido à fetidez, o mal é dos corpos, que a alma, essa, é perfumada.” Pág. 37
(less)

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Oct 30, 2012 Simona rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Quando tra lista dei libri da leggere per il Pozzo, ho letto il nome di Saramago, non ho avuto nessun dubbio su quale libro avrei scelto, dal momento che venero questo scrittore che è entrato a pieno titolo nella classifica di quegli autori di cui non posso fare a meno.
"Memoriale del convento" è un romanzo storico in cui Saramago trascina il lettore nel Portogallo del 1700, più precisamente, negli anni compresi tra il 1713 e il 1730, nel Portogallo dell'Inquisizione, nel Portogallo degli auto d...more

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About José Saramago

José de Sousa Saramago (pronounced [ʒuˈzɛ sɐɾɐˈmagu]) is a Nobel-laureate Portuguese novelist, playwright and journalist. He was a member of the Portuguese Communist Party.
His works, some of which can be seen as allegories, commonly present subversive perspectives on historic events, emphasizing the human factor rather than the officially sanctioned story. Saramago was awarded the Nobel Prize for...more

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“(...) que seria de nós se não sonhássemos.” — 23 people liked it

“O homem primeiro tropeça, depois anda, depois corre, um dia voará.” — 15 people liked it

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