Saudade [Paperback]

Katherine Vaz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1996

The exotic Clara, born deaf on a Portuguese island steeped in legend and mystery, relocates to northern California, where her profound sense of longing drives her to create her own language to express her sensual vitality. Reprint.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Magic abounds in the lives and minds of the characters of Vaz's haunting, lyrical debut set in the Portuguese Azores and the U.S. from the 1950s to 1998. When Clara Cruz is born deaf, her parents use the vibrations of seashells to "show" her sounds. Neighbor Maria Josefa teaches the girl a bizarre form of speech and shows her how to create iridescent art from fish scales. After her parents' death, greedy Father Teo Eiras takes Clara to California, where her mother had inherited some property, but he cheats her of profits from the land. In revenge, Clara seduces the priest and bears their son, who is born with a dreadful wound, "a split down the middle of him from chest to stomach, so that he could show her his heart," Clara thinks. Solitary Helio Soares, who has an eye disease which makes objects seem speckled, cures Clara of an illness, and they become lovers. By the novel's end Clara has learned a great deal about their love and about herself. Language and the power of narrative are at the heart of this enchanting story. Suspending disbelief, one willingly enters Vaz's unique mystical world, in which colors sing and sugar can be used as a mode of speech, in which ghosts appear regularly and lovemaking is wonderfully strange and original. The audience that appreciated Like Water for Chocolate should find this novel equally appealing.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This wonderfully inventive novel, which contains elements of magic realism, is infused with a sense of saudade-a Portuguese word that, according to the author, can be understood as an extremely intense longing for a time, place, or people. The major characters come from the Portuguese Azores, whose folktales, beliefs, and practices form a leitmotif throughout the novel. Young Clara, mute since birth, loses her parents. Before dying, her mother had hoped to insure her daughter's welfare by signing over the deed to land in California to the local priest on his promise to take Clara there with him and look after her. In California, Clara discovers her voice, but any happiness she may have had is overwhelmed by the anger she feels toward the priest, who has cheated her out of her inheritance. Seduction, childbirth, the priest's exile, and the death of an infant result from Clara's reaction to the situation. The love of a widower helps Clara move beyond grief to discover a world of color and growth. First novelist Vaz has written a challenging and rewarding work of fiction. Recommended for larger fiction collections.
Robert Andrews, Duluth P.L., Minn.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr (July 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312144083
• ISBN-13: 978-0312144081
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,253,390 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars by far...the best piece of fiction i have ever read, February 18, 2001

By 

Ting (LA, CA, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Saudade (Paperback)

It is true that Vaz's Saudade is unrealistic as the above review by Kirkus reviews states, but i find that this is what makes this novel an exceptional read. in Saudade, the reader may live in a world unlike ours, where anything imaginable is possible and beauty can be found in the simplist of everyday objects and actions. Vaz conveys the novel's underlying themes of portuguese culture, revenge, love, identity, and truth using her unbelievable creativity that implements simple symbols to represent the most profound of human desires and emotions. the characters are delightfully idealistic yet reflective of tragic human flaws. Vaz's poetic style is spellbinding and truely unique. because of the obscurity of her extended metaphors and symbolism, the novel requires deep thought and focus for comprehension. many events, such as the death of Clara's father, will be bypassed if careful analysis is not being constantly utilized by the reader. i find this mysterious style of Vaz's incredibly refreshing in a market full of fiction with absolutely no insight and lacking the rich artistic content that Vaz so effortlessly provides. the plot had me fiercly hating the antagonists, the beauty of her writing style held me in a state of awe throughout the entire novel, and the ending had me pouring forth tears of joy. Vaz honestly and straightfowardly without any kind of restraint tells a complex story of the brave Clara, who seeks revenge from the church for stealing her mother's land after her death. But unfortunately, her plan backfires and Clara finds herself in a state of terrible depression and desperation. She searches for an escape with the help of wise Caliopia and finds it in a beautiful character by the name of Helio whose simplicity knows nothing but the its unconditional love for Clara. Clara then struggles with her restless desire to expand her horizons and amidst her lonely search for her own identity comes across an answer she never would have imagined true. i would recommend this book to anyone, Vaz's collection of short stories, Fado and Other Stories, is equally compelling. Everytime i pick up a book to read, i wonder if Katherine Vaz has published another written work.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's beautiful., October 24, 2007

By 

Marianne Hoerner Choquet (Spain) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saudade (Paperback)

This is a beautiful story, a work of art. I read it ten years ago and still have not forgotten it.

5.0 out of 5 stars ***Exquisite***, January 29, 2010

By 

Shayna Prentice - See all my reviews

This review is from: Saudade (Paperback)

I ADORE this book. It is an absolute favorite and after reading it I was inspired to read everything Ms. Vaz has written. What a marvelous teller of tales she is!!!