The Nobel Prize–winning author explores his homeland in “this monumental work, a literary hybrid” of cultural history, literary nonfiction, and travelogue (Publishers Weekly).
In 1979, José Saramago decided to write a book called Journey to Portugal—and dedicated himself to obtaining the fullest meaning of his title. More than merely journeying in or through his native country, he wanted to achieve a deep encounter with it, foregoing the conventional assumptions and the routines of tourist guides. Instead, he scoured the country with the eyes and ears of an observer fascinated by the ancient myths and history of his people.
Recording his experiences and observations across the length and breadth of Portugal, Saramago brings the country to life as only a writer of his brilliance can. Whether an inaccessible medieval fortress set on a cliff, a wayside chapel thick with cobwebs, or a grand mansion in the city, the extraordinary places of this land come alive with kings, warriors, painters, explorers, writers, saints, and sinners.
Infused with the tenderness and intelligence that have become familiar to his readers, Saramago's Journey to Portugal is an ode of love for a country and its rich traditions.
JOSÉ SARAMAGO (1922–2010) was the author of many novels, among them Blindness, All the Names, Baltasar and Blimunda, and The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis. In 1998 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
vii
Author's Preface to the English Edition
ix
I
From Northeast to Northwest: the Douro and the Duero