Journey to Portugal: In Pursuit of Portugal's History and Culture (Paperback)

by Jose Saramago (Author), Amanda Hopkinson (Translator), Nick Caistor (Translator) "Nothing of the kind had occurred within the living memory of any border guard..." (more)
Key Phrases: traveller realises, est chorus, traveller admires, Our Lady, Nossa Senhora, Santa Maria (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In 1979, 19 years before he won the Nobel Prize for literature, Portuguese novelist Saramago (Blindness) journeyed across his homeland, hoping "to write a book on Portugal that [would be] capable of offering a fresh way of looking, a new way of feeling" about the country's history and culture. Out of that personal quest comes this monumental work, a literary hybrid that intermingles an intimate portrait of a nation with aspects of a novel, travel log and guide book. From the outset, a deep sense of Portuguese and European history pervades Saramago's descriptions, which evince a longing for the past whose fragments lie in every crevice, niche and portico. For example, upon seeing "traces of ancient anti-Spanish rancor in the form of obscene graffiti scored into good 15th-century stone" in Miranda do Douro, he recalls a 17th-century siege that took place in the small town. Later on in his trip, standing in the ruins of a church, he muses, "[T]he day before yesterday the Romans were here; yesterday it was the turn of the monks of Sao Cucufate; today it's the traveler." Saramago's absolute attachment to his homeland filters through every paragraph, impelling him to create a new vision of the country: a vision that aims to meld Portugal's past to its present and future. The reader may find the author's use of the third person when speaking of himself rather tedious, and some drawn-out sections waffle in personal, almost mystical, reflections. But it is difficult to resist being enchanted by the witty, at times sarcastic reveries of a man in search of his land, its history and himself. 6 maps, b&w photos. (Mar.)Forecast: Saramago's name will attract some readers to a book that, without it, will appeal to only a limited niche market.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
For many Americans, Portugal is a distant relative of Spain, a country whose glory has vanished since the days of Henry the Navigator and his discoveries in the New World. Saramago, winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize for Literature, writes to dispel this notion. The author originally wrote this book to show his compatriots his deep love for the history, traditions, and countryside of his native land, and his passion for his subject shines through on every page. The many black-and-white photographs will familiarize the reader with some of the more obscure locations discussed here. Unfortunately, Saramago's use of the third-person narrative throughout the text gives it a stilted, artificial tone that distracts from the information presented. Further, Saramago is so deeply involved in his topic that he can be obscure to readers unfamiliar with the details of Portuguese history and culture. Some notes are available, and the maps and index are excellent. Recommended for larger travel collections where introductory travel guides to Portugal are already available.
-DOlga B. Wise Compaq Computer Corp. Austin, TX
Copyright 2001 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: 464 pages
• Publisher: Harvest Books (March 6, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156007134
• ISBN-13: 978-0156007139
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #294,706 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rewarding for a patient reader, May 16, 2001

By	"krabga" (Baltimore, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Journey to Portugal: In Pursuit of Portugal's History and Culture (Hardcover)

A meditation on the subtle mysteries of a rugged landscape occupied for thousands of years. A subjective and cerebral travelogue to be taken in and digested slowly. The traveller visits the tiniest villages and melencholy ruins; discribing encounters with the inhabitants and recording his moods and dreams. A treat!

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Delightful on one level, disappointing on another..., May 10, 2002

By	Martha Gifford (CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Journey to Portugal: In Pursuit of Portugal's History and Culture (Hardcover)

I traveled much of Saramago's route over twenty years after he did. I am reading this book six years after my journey. I am delighted with his observations, and amazed at little some things changed in the years between our two journeys--there is timelessness about some of these places. It is, however, difficult reading. His habit of referring to himself as "the traveller" in nearly every other sentence really interrupts the flow and I can not read more than a chapter or two at a time without becoming so annoyed that I set it aside, only to go back to it the next evening. I'm now about three quarters of the way through it and will definitely finish it. Mechanically, it is much more difficult reading than his novels; intellectually, it is much less challenging.

I don't think I would be reading this book if I had not traveled in Portugal, but I wish I had had it with me when I did make that journey. It gives an insight to the people, places, and history that I, as a non-Portuguese speaking foreigner, did not get during my own travels. It is certainly bringing that trip back to me and I'm enjoying his view of the places I went and am regretting missing the places I didn't have time to see. If I am able to make another journey in Portugal, this book will go with me.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The translation misses, September 2, 2003

By A Customer

I am sure Saramago's tales are more lively than they come across in this book. Although I'm certain it was translated with care, the third-person narrative doesn't quite do it in English. I wish I had bought the Portuguese book and worked my way through, it is surely more lyrical and less clunky than this version.