The Stone Raft by Jos? Saramago (English) Paperback Book

Description: The Stone Raft by José Saramago What if, one day, Europe was to crack along the length of the Pyrenees, separating Spain and Portugal from the rest of Europe?In Saramagos fable, a new island is sent spinning through the ocean like a great stone raft. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description A majestic tale, rich in allegory, wit and philosophy; another masterpiece from the Nobel prize-winning novelist Jose Saramago.What if, one day, Europe was to crack along the length of the Pyrenees, separating Spain and Portugal from the rest of Europe?In Saramagos fable, a new island is sent spinning through the ocean like a great stone raft. While the authorities panic and tourists flee, three men, two women and a dog are drawn together by omens that burden them with a peculiar responsibility. In this magical realist tale, the six take to the road, finding themselves adrift in a world now unfamiliar and forced to reckon with their relationships, human psychology and the shakiness of belief itself. Notes Portuguese translation that imagines the Iberian peninsula becoming separated from the mainland and floating as a "stone raft" across the Atlantic with its increasingly disorientated population in tow. Author Biography Jose Saramago is one of the most important international writers of the last hundred years. Born in Portugal in 1922, he was in his sixties when he came to prominence as a writer with the publication of Baltasar and Blimunda. A huge body of work followed, translated into more than forty languages, and in 1998 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Saramago died in June 2010. Review "An irresistible blend of shrewd detail and lyrical fantasy... A seductive novel that needs to be savoured" -- Helen Dunmore Observer "An invitation to one of the richest bodies of work by a living writer" -- Amanda Hopkinson New Statesman "Jose Saramagos brilliant evocation...is magical realism of a sort that stirs real wonder" -- James Park Time Out "Saramagos lovely and original questing story, in a lineage of others such as Don Quixote and Kiplings Kim, is a journey of the spirit told as a journey of the feet" -- Richard Eder Los Angeles Times "Tremendous wit is always apparent in his imaginative conceits, comic digression and verbal and narrative games" -- Ian Critchley Sunday Times Promotional A majestic tale, rich in allegory, wit and philosophy; another masterpiece from the Nobel prize-winning novelist Jose Saramago. Kirkus US Review From noted Portuguese writer Saramago (The Gospel According to Jesus Christ, 1993, etc.), a playful "what-if" tale - what if the earth were to crack and the Iberian Peninsula started sailing across the Atlantic? - that also slyly satirizes current European and international politics. As in all good fables, the catastrophe here is preceded by ominous but random happenings that lend an air of bogus authority and mystery to a story that is to be enjoyed as much for itself as for the potshots it takes. In Portugal, Joana Carda, who has just left her husband, scratches the ground with an elm bough, and the line cannot be erased; the famous barkless dogs of Cerbere suddenly begin to bark; Joaquim Sassa throws a heavy stone into the sea that lands far out of sight; Jose Anai??o, out on a morning stroll, is followed by a flock of starlings; a widow, Maria Guavaira, finds an old sock that endlessly unravels; and in Spain, aging Pedro Orce gets up from his chair and feels the earth tremble beneath his feet. Next, cracks appear along the Pyrenees mountains, and, as they rapidly widen, Spain and Portugal are soon cut off from the rest of Europe. Tourists panic; local peasants occupy the now-empty hotels. As the peninsula heads out into the Atlantic, abandoning the disputed Rock of Gibraltar along the way, politicians make ineffectual statements and vague promises of help; European youths, declaring "We are Iberians too," riot in sympathy. And while the peninsula just misses the Azores, seems bound for Newfoundland, then alters its course and sails south, the long thread that Maria had unraveled somehow brings the apparent prognosticators of the event together. By car and then by wagon, they wander across the land, finding love and adventure along the way, as well as an understanding of "how all things in this world are linked together." A splendidly imagined epic voyage on an unlikely ship manned by political trimmers as well as the loving in heart. A fabulous fable. (Kirkus Reviews) Review Text An irresistible blend of shrewd detail and lyrical fantasy... A seductive novel that needs to be savoured Review Quote An irresistible blend of shrewd detail and lyrical fantasy... A seductive novel that needs to be savoured Promotional "Headline" A majestic tale, rich in allegory, wit and philosophy; another masterpiece from the Nobel prize-winning novelist Jose Saramago. Details ISBN1860467210 Series Panther S. Year 2000 Translator Giovanni Pontiero ISBN-10 1860467210 ISBN-13 9781860467219 Format Paperback Imprint The Harvill Press Place of Publication London Country of Publication United Kingdom Translated from Portuguese DEWEY 869.342 Birth 1922 Media Book Publisher Vintage Publishing Language English Pages 288 UK Release Date 2000-06-01 Publication Date 2000-06-01 AU Release Date 2000-06-01 NZ Release Date 2000-06-01 Author José Saramago Alternative 9781448114924 Audience General We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:940951;

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