Scan barcode
germancho's review against another edition
4.0
Es una obra primaria de Saramago (c. 1978) como escritor. Por la misma razón, no tiene su estilo característico, su cadencia que no da tiempo para respirar desde la primera letra (que alcanza el clímax en Ensayo sobre la Ceguera), sino que es un poco más reflexivo (al estilo de Kundera). Puedo ver influencias de Kundera en el estilo de las reflexiones y las situaciones de los personajes (amores ridículos), y de Cortázar en la manera de describir los pensamientos más profundos del protagonista. Es un excelente libro, profundo y enriquecedor, y de Saramago tiene que, aunque todo se narre, en realidad no pasa nada.
ckehoe79's review against another edition
5.0
Saramago's first work (I believe) .....beautifully written. Wonderfully and masterfully crafted sentences. Really gets to the heart and soul of emotions.
pranaysomayajula's review against another edition
challenging
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
toroyaguila's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
gav_ferreira's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
monvural's review against another edition
2.0
What a frustrating book.
There are moments of absolute genius. The best love making scene written in literature that I know. An incredible transformation of the title character.
But also long stretches that are boring and unnecessary and just frustrating.
Maybe we needed to feel the boredom and tension of the transformation, but - it was laborious.
If - however - you want to read the book, I’m happy to point to the moments of undoubted genius within.
There are moments of absolute genius. The best love making scene written in literature that I know. An incredible transformation of the title character.
But also long stretches that are boring and unnecessary and just frustrating.
Maybe we needed to feel the boredom and tension of the transformation, but - it was laborious.
If - however - you want to read the book, I’m happy to point to the moments of undoubted genius within.
blueyorkie's review against another edition
4.0
I found an unusual literary object by discovering the second "novel" of the Nobel Prize for Portuguese literature, José Saramago, published in 1977.
Roman in parenthesis, because it is not a novel, nor totally an autobiography, although written in the first person and incontestably impregnated with the life of its author. Moreover, the author ends up showing it in scattered fragments: "mixture of equal parts of artifice and truth," "these pages do not constitute a novel," it is an "attempt to autobiography in the form of travel stories and chapters. "
Unclassifiable. Therefore, this story focuses on the adventures of a not-very-talented painter who is conscious of his mediocrity and tries to write, obviously with Saramago's talent. Unfortunately, a good dose of humor and self-mockery, along with the realization of a portrait, does not give him any satisfaction.
This book is complete with beautiful reflections on artistic creation through painting and writing and, more broadly, on the meaning of life; its title is also slightly misleading; there is no way to use these disciplines, and it is so much better. The main attraction of this manual is that painting and calligraphy are vectors for self-awareness; they reveal the artist to the world, especially to himself.
The writing is more than pleasant, bright, and authentic reading pleasure.
I would say one thing: the structure of the story's beginning, which alternates between the main level and travel stories supposed to illustrate the painter's literary talents, left me with the impression of unfinished, short tests a little tacked in the middle of a broader reflection. But that does not call into question the undeniable interest in this work that I left reluctantly. Almost the initiatory quest of these artists, the painter and his double to the author, is beautifully done and captivating.
"This story is going to end; it's been a while since one person finishes and another begins; it was essential to fix the fact that he is still and to note the first features of what is being born. This writing was a challenge."
Roman in parenthesis, because it is not a novel, nor totally an autobiography, although written in the first person and incontestably impregnated with the life of its author. Moreover, the author ends up showing it in scattered fragments: "mixture of equal parts of artifice and truth," "these pages do not constitute a novel," it is an "attempt to autobiography in the form of travel stories and chapters. "
Unclassifiable. Therefore, this story focuses on the adventures of a not-very-talented painter who is conscious of his mediocrity and tries to write, obviously with Saramago's talent. Unfortunately, a good dose of humor and self-mockery, along with the realization of a portrait, does not give him any satisfaction.
This book is complete with beautiful reflections on artistic creation through painting and writing and, more broadly, on the meaning of life; its title is also slightly misleading; there is no way to use these disciplines, and it is so much better. The main attraction of this manual is that painting and calligraphy are vectors for self-awareness; they reveal the artist to the world, especially to himself.
The writing is more than pleasant, bright, and authentic reading pleasure.
I would say one thing: the structure of the story's beginning, which alternates between the main level and travel stories supposed to illustrate the painter's literary talents, left me with the impression of unfinished, short tests a little tacked in the middle of a broader reflection. But that does not call into question the undeniable interest in this work that I left reluctantly. Almost the initiatory quest of these artists, the painter and his double to the author, is beautifully done and captivating.
"This story is going to end; it's been a while since one person finishes and another begins; it was essential to fix the fact that he is still and to note the first features of what is being born. This writing was a challenge."
elsanity's review against another edition
2.0
هیچ کس دوست ندارد به هراس های خود اعتراف کند
نقاشی که از راه کشیدن پرتره ی افراد پولدار، پول درمیاره و در این بین تصمیم میگیره به تمرین نویسندگی از طریق شرح حال نویسی بپردازه. و در نوشته هاش از سفرهاش، نقاشی و تفاوتش با نوشتن، زندگیش احساساتش، دوستانش میگه. کتاب بدی نبود.آخرهای کتاب خیلی خوب بود و راحتتر میشد با شخصیت داستان ارتباط برقرار کرد.
نقاشی که از راه کشیدن پرتره ی افراد پولدار، پول درمیاره و در این بین تصمیم میگیره به تمرین نویسندگی از طریق شرح حال نویسی بپردازه. و در نوشته هاش از سفرهاش، نقاشی و تفاوتش با نوشتن، زندگیش احساساتش، دوستانش میگه. کتاب بدی نبود.آخرهای کتاب خیلی خوب بود و راحتتر میشد با شخصیت داستان ارتباط برقرار کرد.