Baltasar and Blimunda in Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

Jun 05, 2018 Mounir rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: literature-portuguese, a-english-translation

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Each novel by Jose Saramago is a masterpiece, including this historical tale from 18th century Portugal, with tells of two actual building projects: the story of the building of Mafra palace and convent(hence the original title: Memorial do Convento); the king's vanity and absolute power; the hundreds of men and women involved in this huge - and useless - project; the lives lost; the persons maimed; the families disrupted; all for a promise made by a king to the (المراجعة باللغة العربية إلى أسفل)
Each novel by Jose Saramago is a masterpiece, including this historical tale from 18th century Portugal, with tells of two actual building projects: the story of the building of Mafra palace and convent(hence the original title: Memorial do Convento); the king's vanity and absolute power; the hundreds of men and women involved in this huge - and useless - project; the lives lost; the persons maimed; the families disrupted; all for a promise made by a king to the Franciscan order. And don't forget the Inquisition.
On the other hand, there is the building of a Flying Machine, a primitive scientific attempt at flying, done only by three persons.
Saramago tells these stories in his usual distinctive style, here with elements from historical and mythical tales, mixing historical fact with fiction and with some magical or supernatural elements; and as usual with bitter sarcasm of the royal concern with glory and pomp, and of the tedious ceremonies of church people and friars, without forgetting to expose the religious hypocrisy of ordinary people.
And among all of all this, there is the tender love story; and there remains only the simple facts: tenderness, real emotions, human warmth, and love.
روايات جوزيه ساراماجو كلها تعتبر من روائع الأعمال، بما فيها هذه الرواية عن البرتغال في القرن الثامن عشر، التي يحكي فيها عن مشروعين حقيقيين للبناء: القصر الملكي والدير بمدينة مافرا (ومن هنا العنوان الأصلي للرواية: مذكرات الدير)، وغرور الملك واستبداده، ومئات الرجال والنساء الذين تأثرت حياتهم بهذا المشروع الضخم قليل الفائدة؛ أشخاص فقدوا حياتهم أو تشوهوا، عائلات تفككت، وكل ذلك من أجل تنفيذ ما وعده الملك للرهبان الفرنسيسكان. وبالإضافة إلى ذلك هناك محاكم التفتيش.
وفي مقابل ذلك، هناك قصة أخرى حقيقية عن محاولة بناء آلة تطير في الهواء، محاولة علمية بدائية قام بها ثلاث أشخاص فقط.
يحكي ساراماجو كل ذلك بأسلوبه المميز، مع إضافة عناصر أسلوبية من النصوص التاريخية والأسطورية، مازجا بين الحقيقة التاريخية والخيال، ومع بعض العناصر السحرية. وكعادته، هناك سخرية مرة من انشغال الملك وحاشيته بالمجد والمظاهر والأبهة، وسخرية من الطقوس الكنسية الثقيلة، ولا ينسى أن يسخر من النفاق والرياء الديني لجموع الناس.
ووسط كل ذلك، هناك قصة الحب الرقيقة، حيث لا يبقى في النهاية إلا الحقائق البسيطة: الحنان، والمشاعر الحقيقية، والدفء الإنساني، والحب ...more

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Feb 25, 2007 Elizabeth rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, historicalnovels

I don't think that the translation of Saramago's book did this story justice. He won the nobel prize for lit in 1998. ...more

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Apr 20, 2011 Heather rated it really liked it

The story of a man and woman who meet during the Inquisition and share adventures that span early 1700s Portugal. Their love story contains the building of a Convent in Mafra and interesting characters affiliated with this time period.

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Dec 28, 2020 Arukiyomi rated it liked it

Shelves: 1001-books

The last effort from Portugal I endeavoured to read through was the utterly futile Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa. It is with great thankfulness that I can report Saramago is nothing like Pessoa. He is, in fact, very readable.

The novel is set in 18th century Portugal and centres on Baltasar, returning from war with a hook in place of his left hand. He meets Blimunda and they fall in love. They then meet Bartolomeu Lourenco, an actual historical figure, who they end up working for on a proje ...more

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