Reviews

The History of the Siege of Lisbon by José Saramago

uhambe_nami's review

5.0

Did the crusaders help the Portuguese to take Lisbon back from the Moors, or did they not help them? A little word makes all the difference, and when Raimundo Silva adds that little word, on an impulse, to the draft of a book that he is proofreading, he finds himself confronted with the task to rewrite the History of the Siege of Lisbon, which is really the history of how Portugal became Portugal.
The facts of the past become interwoven with the present as we follow Raimundo strolling along the streets of Lisbon and the Moorish castle of São Jorge, planning the attack of the Portuguese to oust the Moors. Whether or not the crusaders helped the Portuguese in the siege soon becomes less important than the impact that the rewriting of the history of the Siege of Lisbon has on Raimundo's own life.
The lyrical prose, the history, and the Lisbon backdrop made this novel, at least for me, a very enjoyable read. This is Saramago at his best!

rain_of_tacos's review against another edition

adventurous reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

Great book; the discussion on the possible alternative history was very entertaining, and it was surprisingly immersive and incredibly interesting

mankalita's review against another edition

adventurous challenging informative slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

ihfdayton's review

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

jessby's review against another edition

2.0

Raimundo Silva, a proofreader, deliberately inserts a mistruth into a history text that he is assigned to. He falls in love with his boss and they start a relationship. That's pretty much it. You can probably gather that I didn't find the plot very interesting.
The paucity of punctuation was also a major hurdle to my enjoyment of this book. One sentence can go for a page or more. There are no speech marks. Having said that some of the passages were poetic and beautifully written. I enjoyed Blindness which was plot driven immensely, this far less.

chiara_calime's review against another edition

3.0

In realtà è più un 3.5 stelline per questo romanzo che ha sempre la prosa magica, quasi ipnotica, di Saramago. Allora perché non 4 stelle? Perché in alcuni punti, lo ammetto, ho faticato nonostante ciò che leggevo mi piaceva

manolitagafotas's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

rpm_jo's review against another edition

challenging funny hopeful lighthearted reflective slow-paced

4.0

jyanfr's review against another edition

4.0

pra mim, o livro mais hipnotizante do saramago até agora. a narrativa de deixou vermelho de alegria com Maria Sara e Raimundo Silva, além da força das histórias entrelaçadas: a desse casal, a de Mogueime e Ouroana e a da própria Lisboa; e além disso, o livro me conquistou a partir do estranho poder da negação: fabular uma nova história do cerco a partir de um simples "não" é de uma grandiosidade incomparável. muito amor para este aqui. ♥

elemmakil's review against another edition

4.0

Voihan Saramago! Odotin vaihtoehtoista historiakirjaa 1100-luvun Portugalista, sainkin nykyaikaan sijoittuvan rakkaustarinan saramagolaiseen tyyliin kerrottuna. Ja olihan siellä vähän sitä 1100-luvun Portugaliakin. Alku oli melko hidas, mutta luotin tuttuun kirjailijaan, ja se kannatti. Loistavaa dialogia sekä kaikenlaisten havaintojen ja ideoitten perinpohjaista tutkiskelua.