A review by ichirofakename
The Double by José Saramago
4.0
Not as strong as some of his other novels, this one does pick up the pace towards the end to a reasonably gripping finish.
Like his other stuff I've read, it starts with a ridiculous premise and works its way to a ridiculous conclusion, with his distinctive run-on sentences, really just normal sentences with commas instead of periods, most striking when containing both sides of dialog. The weakness is that the premise is inconsequential, a guy sees his absolute double in a movie. Not like all of Lisbon waking up blind one morning ("Blindness").
The doubles don't even meet till 2/3 of the way through, and only the last 1/4 really rocks. Read it anyway, then his other, better, books.
Like his other stuff I've read, it starts with a ridiculous premise and works its way to a ridiculous conclusion, with his distinctive run-on sentences, really just normal sentences with commas instead of periods, most striking when containing both sides of dialog. The weakness is that the premise is inconsequential, a guy sees his absolute double in a movie. Not like all of Lisbon waking up blind one morning ("Blindness").
The doubles don't even meet till 2/3 of the way through, and only the last 1/4 really rocks. Read it anyway, then his other, better, books.