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A review by jujudepamplemousse
Baltasar & Blimunda by José Saramago
5.0
I recently visited Portugal and decided it was the perfect time to discover some Portuguese literature. I took advantage of my stay to gift myself some books by Portuguese authors. And what better start than José Saramago, the only Portuguese speaking recipient of the Nobel Price in Literature!
Baltasar and Blimunda is not the easiest of read but it blew my mind. The writing is absolutely unique and very clever. The phrases are extra long and you will not find the least quotation mark but it was surprisingly very clear. The work of research on the historical context is incredible with focusses on Inquisition and Auto-da-fé, on the construction of La Passarola, the world’s first air balloon, and on the construction of the convent of Mafra, one symbole of the excesses of absolutist monarchies. And the ways those multiple historical events intertwine through the lives of the main characters is artful.
Baltasar and Blimunda is not the easiest of read but it blew my mind. The writing is absolutely unique and very clever. The phrases are extra long and you will not find the least quotation mark but it was surprisingly very clear. The work of research on the historical context is incredible with focusses on Inquisition and Auto-da-fé, on the construction of La Passarola, the world’s first air balloon, and on the construction of the convent of Mafra, one symbole of the excesses of absolutist monarchies. And the ways those multiple historical events intertwine through the lives of the main characters is artful.