Another Literary Loss

Posted on | June 18, 2010 | 18 Comments

Nobel-laureate, José Saramago, has died today. Blindness, considered to be his finest work, has been fighting its way to the top of my to-be-read for the past year and is on my literary bucket list; it is sad that it takes the writer’s death to finally place it at the top but it has. In tribute to a loss to the literary world, I am finally going to read Blindness in Saramago’s honour. A small tribute, but a fitting one.

Category: Bookish Chat
Tags: Jose Saramago

Comments

18 Responses to “Another Literary Loss”

JoAnn
June 18th, 2010 @ 3:14 pm

So sad…
Steph
June 18th, 2010 @ 3:41 pm

Ack! This is a huge and devastating loss. I’ve only read two of his works (one of them being Blindness), but they were so wonderful in their scope and their prose. Saramago had a real gift for writing and the world of literature is surely a little bleaker without him. Thankfully he has a wonderfully rich back catalog to delight us for years to come!
Joan Hunter Dunn
June 18th, 2010 @ 5:20 pm

Oh no how to break this news to my husband. He is a huge Saramago fan. He also has a couple ‘in translation’.
Annabel (gaskella)
June 18th, 2010 @ 6:12 pm

RIP Saramago. I hope you enjoy Blindness, I found it an amazing book, and it’s in my desert island book chest.
Lija
June 18th, 2010 @ 8:22 pm

What a great idea. Sometimes hearing about an author’s death makes me want to read them, not just because they’re dead, but because their death inspires fans to write really passionately about their books.
kimbofo
June 18th, 2010 @ 9:28 pm

He was 87, so I think he had a pretty good innings — and we’ll always have his books to remember him by.
Alex (The Sleepless Reader)
June 18th, 2010 @ 10:21 pm

Sad indeed. As a Portuguese myself, his death has has others layers meaning. We won’t get another such outspoken and influential intellectual in the near future.

Blindness was a very powerful book (I decide not to see the movie since if it did it justice it was just too much for me to handle, and if it didn’t why watch it in the first place?), but my favorite is still Baltazar & Blimunda.

Looking forward to your comments on it.
Jenny
June 18th, 2010 @ 11:36 pm

Oh, how sad. I have been meaning to read Blindness for a while – I hate it when I start to like an author after they have already died. It always feels like I missed some really vital opportunity.
mee
June 19th, 2010 @ 6:08 am

Eek so sad.. I haven’t read any of his books but have been wanting to forever. Like you, it’s time to push his book up the pile. I’m gonna read Blindness soon too hopefully.
anothercookiecrumbles
June 19th, 2010 @ 10:30 am

RIP

I read my first Saramago earlier this year (Death at Intervals), and a fair few people prompted me to read Blindness after, so it’s there on my to-read pile.

I hope you enjoy Blindness, and as you said, it’s a fitting tribute.

By the way, read this earlier today, which I thought I’d share. It’s incredible how authors, despite being so distant from us, are so close to us, if you know what I mean?
Simon (Savidge Reads)
June 19th, 2010 @ 11:31 am

It’s always sad to hear of anyone dying in the literary world as you know there will be no more books from that author (unless the relatives cash in)he did have a good innings as Kim said and indeed his words will last forever.

I tried Seeing once and wasnt keen but sounds like Blindness is much better, seems a nice idea to read a book in his honour.
Bina
June 19th, 2010 @ 12:11 pm

This is so sad! I´ve been meaning to try his works for a while, too, perhaps your tribute will inspire me. Can´t wait to hear your thoughts on Blindness, I´ve only seen the film.
Vasilly
June 19th, 2010 @ 6:28 pm

Blindness is one of my favorite books. I hope you enjoy it.
Amanda
June 19th, 2010 @ 10:29 pm

Here is another author that I have yet to read and really ought to.
Jackie (Farm Lane Books)
June 20th, 2010 @ 11:04 am

I hope that you enjoy Blindness as much as I did. He has written a lot of fantastic books so at least we will be able to enjoy reading them for many years to come. Reading one of his books is a nice tribute to him.
jane
June 20th, 2010 @ 1:40 pm

Such sad news. I recently read a book by Tabucchi and it made me want to read Saramago very very much – i suspect that for me too this will be the kick i need as well.
(I also love the idea of the literary bucket list – brilliant!)
Brenna
June 20th, 2010 @ 5:25 pm

I tried to read Blindness about a year ago and had to abandon it – which I almost never do. The language was beautiful but the story was slow. Either way, it’s sad such a respected author has passed away.
claire (kiss a cloud)
June 20th, 2010 @ 6:46 pm

Isn’t it so very sad? Love him so much, even if I’ve only read one novel (and a novella) by him before. I guess like you I’ll be reading Blindness very soon. It’s been waiting.