José Saramago: The Biography Of An Author With The Nobel Prize

José Saramago was the most excellent voice in Portuguese literature. His astonishing work earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature. For example, works like A Tale of Blindness are liberating and inspire the reader to reflect.

People often say that Saramago was a troublemaker. He never stopped condemning injustice, and he always gave his opinion on conflicts of the time. Saramago actually described himself as a passionate writer, one who needed to uncover every little hidden thing, even if it meant meeting the true monsters of this world.

His search for truth and his efforts to get people to reflect shaped his unique literary style. He used parables full of imagination, irony and compassion to paint a reality that people could not ignore. Today, new generations are rediscovering his voice and admiring his daring personality.

He is one of the most prominent Portuguese writers, among others as Fernando Pessoa. José Saramago’s magical and curious work encourages people to analyze current problems through their own eyes.

A wise man from a humble family

José de Sousa Saramago was born on November 16, 1922 in Golegã, Portugal. His parents, José de Sousa and Maria da Piedade, were two humble peasants. When Saramago was only two years old, his parents decided to move to Lisbon to achieve financial stability.

When they settled down, their father began working as a policeman. Saramago went to technical school until his parents could no longer afford his education in the following years.

After that he worked in a mechanical smithy. However, he did not focus only on this job. Saramago dedicated his free time to becoming a teacher with his own funds. He never stopped reading, learning and of course writing. In 1947, when he was only 25 years old, he published Land of Sin . That same year, daughter Violante was born as a fruit of his first marriage.

José Saramago: A dedicated writer and journalist

José Saramago began translating Hegel and Tolstoy’s work into Portuguese in 1955. At the same time, he worked to give a more mature tone to his style so that his writing would be successful. And although he was really talented, no editor dared to publish his works.

After Skylight was rejected, it took Saramago a few years before he tried again. In fact, it was not until 1966 that he made another attempt with Probably Joy and later with The Year of 1993 . Both manuscripts were recognized by publishers.

When he finally achieved the success he wanted, he began his career as a journalist. Saramago worked as an assistant editor in the newspaper Diário de Notícias and then in Diário de Lisboa, where he was assistant leader and political commentator.

In the midst of the Carnation Revolution of April 25th, 1974, Saramago decided to focus exclusively on his writing. In 1976 he published The Notes and the Living of Things.

Nobel Prize and last days

In the 80’s, José Saramago was already an internationally renowned author. He achieved wide recognition with Baltasar and Blimunda (1982), The Stone Raft (1986), the controversial The Gospel According two Jesus Christ (1991), and A’s Blindness (English: Blindness)  (1995).

Saramago managed to fine-tune his writing even more, which made his books even more daring. In 1998, he won the most prestigious award: the Nobel Prize in Literature.

At that time, he traveled back and forth between Lisbon and Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, which was the home of his wife, Maria del Pilar del Rio Sanchez, a Spanish translator and journalist.

José Saramago died of leukemia on June 18, 2010 at the age of 87. He had just started writing a new novel which he left behind after the first 30 pages.

A story about blindness by José Saramago

“I do not think we became blind, I think we are blind, blind, but can see, blind people who can see but do not see.” With these words, José Saramago formed one of the most interesting argumentative metaphors for his work. In A Report on Blindness  , he talks about people’s inability to recognize each other as equals. He turns humans into infamous beings, creatures who need guidance to understand and survive the world.

This book is a deep reflection on the human soul. It is a dystopian novel, and whoever reads it can no longer ignore the blindness of our society, which spreads like an infection in the book.

Only one of the main characters in the story is able to see: A woman who decides to be with her husband in her blindness. She becomes the eyes that try to help the rest of the world. However, the environment is purely oppressive. Soldiers shoot anyone who comes close to the sick. A dictatorship has taken over. Chaos reigns and hope slowly disappears.

A story of blindness shows that the human soul is not willing to see. Inability to recognize each other as equals leads to selfishness, conflict and fear. An Account of Blindness is an impressive book. It is one of the greatest literary works that is definitely worth reading.