A review by dereksilva
Manual of Painting and Calligraphy by José Saramago

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

It took me months to get through this book because most of it was slow and didn't seem to move anything forward. The early pages did well enough to capture my interest (at least enough interest to give it a chance) and I liked the overall premise of the story — a painter feels like he's compromising who he is because he makes a living painting portraits for rich people, and he comes to better understand who he is and what he wants by trying a different medium, writing. The final quarter of the book also moved along nicely, reminding me of the pacing, dialogue, and general style of later Saramago books. But most of this book was a slog, with long descriptions of the main character's trips through Italian cities to look at artwork. At times it felt like he was naming long lists of artists and artworks just for the hell of it. There are some great lines and ideas sprinkled throughout, but not enough to make this book worth it (unless you're a serious Saramago fan).