Scan barcode
A review by faintgirl
The History of the Siege of Lisbon by José Saramago
3.0
Ohhh maaaan, this was so disappointing. After the first Saramago I read off the list, I zipped off list to read a couple of his others. I have been excited about reaching this one for weeks. But it just couldn't hold my attention. Raimundo Silva, a comfortably middled aged proof reader, mischievously changes a word in a historical text, leaving the fate of the City of Lisbon open to interpretation. Fully expecting to lose his job from a moment of madness, his world, and Lisbon are turned upside down.
It's a great premise, so I'm not sure why I couldn't get into it. Every time I tried, my attention got pulled elsewhere. Lonely Raimundo was not enough of a captivating character, and the arcane language around the history of the city left me cold. It did pick up at the end, which brought it from a 2 star read to a 3, but I've read much better books by this fascinating author.
It's a great premise, so I'm not sure why I couldn't get into it. Every time I tried, my attention got pulled elsewhere. Lonely Raimundo was not enough of a captivating character, and the arcane language around the history of the city left me cold. It did pick up at the end, which brought it from a 2 star read to a 3, but I've read much better books by this fascinating author.