Review- The Tale of the Unknown Island

The Tale of the Unknown Island by José Saramago

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Tale of the Unknown Island is a short story with a depth beyond most novels. It starts with an hilarious description of the bureaucracy of a kingdom, in which there is a long chain of command to request favours from the king. From that moment, we are in classic Saramago territory.

A man bypasses the system to demand a boat from the king, who is taken aback by the direct request and feels obliged to grant it to avoid the anger of a watching crowd. The man claims to want the boat to search for the 'unknown island'. The king's cleaning lady is so taken by the request that she leaves her job to follow him.

The relationship between the petitioner and the cleaning lady is depicted with a light elegance. It develops so indirectly that one is hardly aware of how it has happened by the end of the story. And the final twist is a real delight.

The book is also beautifully illustrated. A short but charming addition to the Saramago canon.



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