The Lives of Things
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Summary
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The Lives of Things by Jose Saramago
A surreal short story collection from the master of what-ifs.
A poetic encapsulation of Saramago's extraordinary talent..Saramago's stories have a renewed vibrancy in the current climate of doomsday scenarios, broken balance sheets and government debt. They remind us that when the law fails, a good metaphor can take its place. -- Michael Thomsen * Bookforum *
An intriguing coda to a fascinating career. * Metro *
Easily bears comparison to Calvino and Borges, albeit with a more politically astute edge ... a welcome reminder of why he deserved the Nobel. * Scotland on Sunday *
One of the giants of European literature ... For new readers, this collection is an essential introduction to Saramago's concerns with social decay, alienation and political repression and the alternatives to them. For devotees, it is one to savour. * Morning Star *
Here, the literary lion experiments with shorter, more inventive forms, and the results are lucid and impressive...Saramago's considerable talent is clearly manifest. * Publishers Weekly *
The Lives of Things is a wonderful artifact ... it is, like all his books, intoxicating reading...Moribund, absurd, flickering quickly between mirth and horror, these stories are filled with the master scribe's sibylline ruminations on mortality and language, and a gentle, blossoming beauty. * Fast Forward Weekly *
Saramago's prose is richly colorful, descriptive and frequently verges on shocking without being excessive. It is easy to fall into the trap of reading the same paragraph over and over again, luxuriating in the gorgeous, strange yet precise word choice but without being stuck. -- Aleksandra Fazlipour * Three Percent *
An intriguing coda to a fascinating career. * Metro *
Easily bears comparison to Calvino and Borges, albeit with a more politically astute edge ... a welcome reminder of why he deserved the Nobel. * Scotland on Sunday *
One of the giants of European literature ... For new readers, this collection is an essential introduction to Saramago's concerns with social decay, alienation and political repression and the alternatives to them. For devotees, it is one to savour. * Morning Star *
Here, the literary lion experiments with shorter, more inventive forms, and the results are lucid and impressive...Saramago's considerable talent is clearly manifest. * Publishers Weekly *
The Lives of Things is a wonderful artifact ... it is, like all his books, intoxicating reading...Moribund, absurd, flickering quickly between mirth and horror, these stories are filled with the master scribe's sibylline ruminations on mortality and language, and a gentle, blossoming beauty. * Fast Forward Weekly *
Saramago's prose is richly colorful, descriptive and frequently verges on shocking without being excessive. It is easy to fall into the trap of reading the same paragraph over and over again, luxuriating in the gorgeous, strange yet precise word choice but without being stuck. -- Aleksandra Fazlipour * Three Percent *
The Portuguese Nobel Laureate José Saramago was a novelist, playwright and journalist. His numerous books, including the bestselling All the Names, Blindness, and The Cave, have been translated into more than forty languages and have established him as one of the world's most influential writers. He died in June 2010.
Umberto Eco is a professor of semiotics at the University of Bologna and the author of Foucault's Pendulum, The Name of the Rose, and other international bestsellers. He lives in Milan, Italy.
Daniel Hahn is a writer, editor, researcher, and translator. His translations include Creole (2002), The Book of Chameleons (2006), My Father's Wives (2008), and Rainy Season (2009), by Angolan novelist Jose? Eduardo Agualusa.
Umberto Eco is a professor of semiotics at the University of Bologna and the author of Foucault's Pendulum, The Name of the Rose, and other international bestsellers. He lives in Milan, Italy.
Daniel Hahn is a writer, editor, researcher, and translator. His translations include Creole (2002), The Book of Chameleons (2006), My Father's Wives (2008), and Rainy Season (2009), by Angolan novelist Jose? Eduardo Agualusa.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781844678785 |
| ISBN 10 | 1844678784 |
| Title | The Lives of Things |
| Author | Jose Saramago |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Verso Books |
| Year published | 2012-04-25 |
| Number of pages | 160 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |