Journey to Portugal : in pursuit of Portugal's history and culture /
Saramago, José
Journey to Portugal : in pursuit of Portugal's history and culture / José Saramago ; translated from the Portuguese and with notes by Amanda Hopkinson and Nick Caistor - 1st U.S. ed - New York : Harcourt, 2000 - 452 p. : ill., maps ; 25 cm
Includes index
From northeast to northwest; the Douro and the Duero -- Lowlands beside the ocean -- Soft-stone beiras, be patient -- From Mondego to Sado, stopping all the while -- Vast and burning lands of Alentejo -- Of the Algarve, sun, dry bread and soft-bread
When Jose Saramago decided some twenty years ago to write a book about Portugal, his only desire was that it be unlike any other book on the subject, and in this he certainly has succeeded. Recording the events and observations of a journey across the length and breadth of the country he loves dearly, Saramago brings Portugal to life as only a writer of his brilliance can. Forfeiting sources of information such as tourist guides and road maps, he scours the country with the eyes and ears of an observer fascinated by the ancient myths and history of his people. Whether an inaccessible medieval fortress set on a cliff, a wayside chapel thick with cobwebs, or a grand mansion in the city, the extraordinary places of this land come alive with kings, warriors, painters, explorers, writers, saints, and sinners. Always meticulously attentive to those elements of ancient Portugal that persist today, Saramago examines the country in its current period of rapid transition and growth
0151005877
00053613
Portugal--Description and travel
Journey to Portugal : in pursuit of Portugal's history and culture / José Saramago ; translated from the Portuguese and with notes by Amanda Hopkinson and Nick Caistor - 1st U.S. ed - New York : Harcourt, 2000 - 452 p. : ill., maps ; 25 cm
Includes index
From northeast to northwest; the Douro and the Duero -- Lowlands beside the ocean -- Soft-stone beiras, be patient -- From Mondego to Sado, stopping all the while -- Vast and burning lands of Alentejo -- Of the Algarve, sun, dry bread and soft-bread
When Jose Saramago decided some twenty years ago to write a book about Portugal, his only desire was that it be unlike any other book on the subject, and in this he certainly has succeeded. Recording the events and observations of a journey across the length and breadth of the country he loves dearly, Saramago brings Portugal to life as only a writer of his brilliance can. Forfeiting sources of information such as tourist guides and road maps, he scours the country with the eyes and ears of an observer fascinated by the ancient myths and history of his people. Whether an inaccessible medieval fortress set on a cliff, a wayside chapel thick with cobwebs, or a grand mansion in the city, the extraordinary places of this land come alive with kings, warriors, painters, explorers, writers, saints, and sinners. Always meticulously attentive to those elements of ancient Portugal that persist today, Saramago examines the country in its current period of rapid transition and growth
0151005877
00053613
Portugal--Description and travel