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Nobel Prize in Literature

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Dedicated to reading authors who have won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Who are you reading now, and what do you think of these movers and shakers in the world of literature?

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  • zawan u

    Jose Samarago's best book

    Jose Samarago is an Argentinian Nobel Laureate.
    His books include Blindness (adapted into a movie), Seeing and The Double.

    I'd like to read one of his books; do you recommend any one?

    *Don't know what to choose!*

    zawan u started this discussion 10 months ago. ( reply )

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  • tapbirds

    tapbirds (edited)

    Hi Zawan:

    I've read two works by José Saramago: Blindness and Baltasar and Blimunda. Of the two, I would highly recommend reading Blindness first. I have also heard that The Cave is very good; purportedly portraying Saramago's communist politics.

    Hope this helps,
    Scott

    posted 10 months ago. ( reply )
  • Jonas D

    Jonas D 

    Tha Cave is indeed good, and although it is very critical of consumerist society, it is written with so much heart and so little political arguing that it is a very pleasant read even if your own opinions differ from Joses.

    posted 10 months ago. ( reply )
  • Jonas D

    Jonas D 

    (just a small comment, Saramago is Portuguese, not Argentinian)

    posted 10 months ago. ( reply )
    show 1 reply
    • zawan u

      zawan u 

      thanks for telling me, i never noticed!

      posted 10 months ago. ( reply )
  • tapbirds

    tapbirds 

    The following is an excerpt from the Yale Review on The Cave:

    "Saramago sees the Cave as representative of industrialized, capitalist societies the world over. It is not surprising that the 80-year old author has been an unyielding Communist for over half a century. In the 1970s he was jailed for supporting Portugal's anti-Salazar revolutionaries, and he was in attendance—along with Gabriel García Marquez—three years ago at the Havana festivities marking the 40th anniversary of the Cuban revolution. Fidel Castro's speech at the time, in which he said free market capitalism has “turned the planet into a giant casino,” may have provided inspiration for the Center portrayed in The Cave."

    Hope this helps,
    Scott

    posted 10 months ago. ( reply )
    show 2 replies
    • writingteacher

      writingteacher 

      I so loved reading The Cave and then I read more of his work. But, oddly, I've never read Blindness. I will. I will. I will.

      posted 2 months ago. ( reply )
    • tapbirds

      tapbirds 

      You must. You must! :)

      Seriously the novel was excellent! Do you know if they ever completed producing a movie version?

      posted 2 months ago. ( reply )
  • Andy

    Andy 

    I have read blindness, the cave, and all the names, by saramago. I found Blindness to be the best of these, by far.

    posted 10 months ago. ( reply )
  • K.R.H

    K.R.H 

    Blindness Hands down

    posted 10 months ago. ( reply )
  • zawan u

    zawan u 

    I guess I'll read Blindness. That was what i was going to choose

    posted 10 months ago. ( reply )
  • alvin r. c.

    alvin r. c. 

    Jose Saramago is Portuguese, not Argentinian.
    I've read All The Names, Blindness and The Gospel According To Jesus Christ. I like all these. If I have to choose one, however, it's Blindness.
    I'll read Death At Intervals next.

    posted 9 months ago. ( reply )
  • RK S

    RK S 

    i read only "the double" its a novel but the story isn't very complex or long...he digresses a lot...but i love his digressions....i watched "the departed" as soon as i finished reading it....so i spent a lot of time thinking about' identity' and all for the next few days....i liked the whole idea about finding a another person who resembles you exactly...how ever different you think you are...the protagonist has a very complex name terutliano maximo afonso (even for portugese standards)...its a very unique name...but still he finds someone who looks exactly like him..its a wonderful book

    posted 6 months ago. ( reply )
    show 1 reply
    • alvin r. c.

      alvin r. c. 

      I suggest you try reading BIOGRAFI by Lloyd Jones.

      posted 6 months ago. ( reply )
  • Ylva a

    Ylva a 

    You have to read Blindness,thats for sure. After reading the book,I watched the ecranisation..it's okay,it does respect the novel,but i would have liked to see more emotion,i don't know. They say it's an Imago Mundi Novel,I strongly think it's an individualist one.anyway,its a metaphor,you musnt take it ad literam.

    Another one by Saramago that you HAVE TO READ is Death with Interruptions,it's just amaizing.But first Blindness,right?! Happy reading!

    ps. after reading,you can see the movie.visit this : http://www.blindness-themovie.com/

    posted 6 months ago. ( reply )
    show 2 replies
    • tapbirds

      tapbirds 

      Have you seen the YouTube video with Saramago and Fernando Meirelles, movie director for Blindness? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XzBkM_LdAk)

      posted 6 months ago. ( reply )
    • alvin r. c.

      alvin r. c. 

      Death At Intervals is indeed amazing.

      posted 6 months ago. ( reply )
  • Ylva a

    Ylva a 

    Oh,and honey,Saramago is not Argentinian.It's portuguese.It's a little big difference,cause he's european...

    posted 6 months ago. ( reply )
  • Aussieargie

    Aussieargie 

    it'd be a big difference even if he were chilean and not argentinian, even though those countries are in the same continent

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )
  • alvin r. c.

    alvin r. c. 

    I finished Death At Intervals two months ago. I enjoyed it.

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )
  • Lou Rishchynski

    Lou Rishchynski 

    Surprised no one has mentioned "The Stone Raft" - its sort of a sureal road trip story. I found it though provoking - it's my second favorite after "Blindness". I'd be interested in hearing opinions on "Seeing". He is Portuguese not Chilean or Argentinian.

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )
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