Baltasar and Blimunda

By José Saramago, Giovanni Pontiero (translator),

Book cover of Baltasar and Blimunda

Book description

In eighteenth-century Portugal, fifty thousand laborers carry stones on their backs across mountains to build the king's convent, a heretical priest devises a magic flying machine--the Passarola--and two lovers' dream of flight sets them apart.

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Why read it?

1 author picked Baltasar and Blimunda as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I admit, Baltasar and Blimunda is not the type of historical fiction I generally pick up (a more distanced narrative voice plus magical realism doesn’t tend to be my normal pick for pleasure reading) but I felt I needed to read at least one novel set in 18th century Portugal before trying to write my own set there. Something by a Portuguese author as well seemed entirely the way to go. So, I picked this up, and am really glad I did. 

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On locked ward 5C4, Josh and Nick—two very different patients, one with similarities to Jesus and…

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