Baltasar and Blimunda

I really struggled through this. The narrative style flips between verbose description and stream-of-consciousness. Which meant that I was basically often a bit lost as to what was actually happening. There are many paragraphs that aren't punctuated, some of which are conversations which I had to read several times to figure out who said what. I found it challenging.

At times frustrating, I just wished for the narrative to just tell me what was happening. All that said, I'm sure that many people will find this a beautifully written book, and the story itself is quite interesting.

Immaculate story-telling and a beautiful (but sad) analysis of the best and worst of what people are capable of, told in meandering sentences, sometimes pages long, with intense pacing and editing and a terrific thrust from start to finish, Why is there wealth, How can we treat animals better than human beings, And is it really possible to fly?

The Best — So Glad It Found Me

The best. Subtle, beautifully written, and completely unassuming. Baltasar and Blimunda is a simple love story on the surface—but underneath, it’s rich with symbolism, spirituality, and quiet magic.

Adam and Eve. Yin and Yang. Two halves of the same apple. Baltasar and Blimunda are soulmates in the truest sense — tender, mysterious, and destined. Their bond lingers long after the final page.

The setting is unusual, the style unmistakably Saramago — fluid, dreamlike, and profound. This book came to me at just the right time, and it will stay with me always.

Love José. Always.