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Nobel Prize-Winning Writer Saramago Dead at 87
- michael_dorfman 16y ago"The Gospel According to Jesus Christ" is the funniest, most blasphemous, theological novel since Mikhail Bulgakov's "The Master and Margarita." It really deserves to be better known...
- zemariamm 16y agoSaid day for all of us
- mazuhl 16y agoThis is sad news. I have read many of his books and found them enjoyable, although he used the same formula many times: the world - something we take for granted = interesting story. Here is an interview from 2006 with Saramago entitled "Still a street-fighting man": http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2006/apr/30/fiction.features1 http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2006/apr/30/fiction.features...
- jorgemendes 16y agoSad day for me and for Portugal. We've lost one of our greatest ones. Remember the day I knew he won the Nobel Prize as if it was now. Not a consensual man, but a great man, and a great writer.
- jkan 16y agoHe actually had a blog: http://caderno.josesaramago.org http://caderno.josesaramago.org or, in Spanish: http://cuaderno.josesaramago.org http://cuaderno.josesaramago.org
- forinti 16y agoHis Spanish was funny, because it was gramatically flawless but spoken with a heavy Portuguese accent.
- felipe 16y agoSaramago was also an awesome blogger. Well, technically not a blogger per se -- His wife would post his writings for him. But his entries are fascinating and thought-provoking: http://caderno.josesaramago.org/category/o-caderno-de-saramago/ http://caderno.josesaramago.org/category/o-caderno-de-sarama...
- forinti 16y agoThe first book of his that I read was "The History of the Siege of Lisbon". I had to read the first pages a few times before I could understand it all, but I ended up hooked. I've read almost all his books and finally got interesed in literature written in my own language. I prefered English and Spanish before he finally made me see how wonderful Portuguese is.
- arthur_debert 16y agoI am not sure if you are Portuguese or Brazilian, and this is probably way too obvious but... if you haven't: do read Guimarães Rosa. Like Saramago, his writing takes a while to sink in, but once it does, you're hooked. To me he's the best Portuguese language writer in the 20th century. Cheers
- stralen 16y agoI'm curious why the news of the death of a Portuguese Writer come to Hacker News feed? Was he a 'hacker'?
- jmillerinc 16y agoWay off topic for HN IMHO.
- iaskwhy 16y agoEven for me. (I'm Portuguese and consider Saramago to be one of a kind, a genius.)
- zeynel1 16y agoI don't think so. He is a great writer. I use HN as my home page and if I did not know about Saramago this post would have introduced me to his writing and I would have been grateful for this.
- Anon84 16y agoHe was well known for hacking the language in clever ways... but I do agree it is a bit off topic.
- jacabado 16y agoHe was really a language hacker. Most people looked at his writing as most programmers look at Lisp. Ignoring some syntax facilities and abusing on others he could convey meaning as nobody else. While most writers use syntax conventions to communicate as clearly as possible, Saramago adulterated syntax to communicate on a different level. At first it's frustrating, and his lack of respect for most of the conventions or beliefs may throw you off, but then you understand he mastered writing expression as few to transmit his thoughts. His writing is a landmark for me as an example of Portuguese language use. While I envy and admire English simplicity, Saramago's work remembers me why it is a privilege to be born as a native Portuguese speaker. I also would like to speak/write better English, no disrespect intended.
- stralen 16y agoI'm curious how the news of the death of a Nobel Portuguese writer came to hacker news? was he a 'hacker'?
- jules 16y agoHis books are enjoyable and thought provoking.
- zeynel1 16y agoI just saw this in HN. I was reading the History of the Siege of Lisbon today at work. I think All the Names is his best book. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_the_Names http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_the_Names What a great writer