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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
dely_dd's review against another edition
2.0
Finalmente, dopo due mesi e mezzo, sono riuscita a finirlo. Saramago ci racconta del suo viaggio attraverso il Portogallo, da est ad ovest, da nord a sud. Ci descrive chiese e musei che visita, ci parla dettagliatamente dei paesaggi che attraversa in auto e dei paesi in cui sosta.
È una lettura molto molto lenta e a tratti anche noiosa. Sicuramente lo apprezza chi ha già visitato il Portogallo e i luoghi di cui parla Saramago; ma per chi non ci è mai stato le quasi 500 pagine sono un tantino troppe.
Sono riuscita a finirlo perché mi è piaciuto il linguaggio e lo stile di Saramago (in questo libro fa uso della punteggiatura e la mette al posto giusto). Parla di se stesso in terza persona chiamandosi "il viaggiatore" e non mancano battute spiritose e citazioni molto belle sul viaggiare.
Ma quello che il viaggiatore non può vedere lo immagina, è uno dei tanti motivi per cui viaggia. [...] A chi viaggia bisogna siano perdonate questa fantasticherie, guai a colui che le eviterà, non vedrà altro che pietre silenziose e paesaggi indifferenti.
Ecco la buona filosofia: tutto è viaggio. È viaggio ciò che si vede e ciò che si nasconde, è viaggio ciò che si tocca e ciò che si immagina, è viaggio il fragore delle acque che cadono e questo impercettibile sopore che avviluppa i monti.
Il viaggiatore non è un turista, è un viaggiatore. C'è una grande differenza. Viaggiare significa scoprire, il resto significa semplicemente trovare.
La fine di un viaggio è solo l'inizio di un altro.
È una lettura molto molto lenta e a tratti anche noiosa. Sicuramente lo apprezza chi ha già visitato il Portogallo e i luoghi di cui parla Saramago; ma per chi non ci è mai stato le quasi 500 pagine sono un tantino troppe.
Sono riuscita a finirlo perché mi è piaciuto il linguaggio e lo stile di Saramago (in questo libro fa uso della punteggiatura e la mette al posto giusto). Parla di se stesso in terza persona chiamandosi "il viaggiatore" e non mancano battute spiritose e citazioni molto belle sul viaggiare.
Ma quello che il viaggiatore non può vedere lo immagina, è uno dei tanti motivi per cui viaggia. [...] A chi viaggia bisogna siano perdonate questa fantasticherie, guai a colui che le eviterà, non vedrà altro che pietre silenziose e paesaggi indifferenti.
Ecco la buona filosofia: tutto è viaggio. È viaggio ciò che si vede e ciò che si nasconde, è viaggio ciò che si tocca e ciò che si immagina, è viaggio il fragore delle acque che cadono e questo impercettibile sopore che avviluppa i monti.
Il viaggiatore non è un turista, è un viaggiatore. C'è una grande differenza. Viaggiare significa scoprire, il resto significa semplicemente trovare.
La fine di un viaggio è solo l'inizio di un altro.
fictionwriter's review against another edition
2.0
I started this while in Lisbon, but put it down pretty quickly. There's an arch quality to the narrator's voice that puts me off. He refers to himself as The Traveler throughout. I'm wondering if it's the translation, but whatever it is, I don't need to read anymore.
marialy's review against another edition
3.0
El primer libro de José Saramango que leo y ha sido difícil y para aumentar la complejidad de viajes. Aunque no es un libro de entretenimiento y a veces creo que el libro paso por mi, mas de lo que yo pase por el, tiene frases muy bonitas y uno que otro humor loco.
Creo que debe ser leído con calma y se disfruta mejor acompañado con imágenes, pero hacerlo de esa manera se convierte en un libro de estudio, yo lo llamaría un libro de estudio arquitectónico. Mi forma de leerlo fue dejándome llevar, es mas rápido pero llega un momento que aburre con tantas explicaciones de iglesias y azulejos. Ya finalizando el libro sentía que estaba en un circulo vicioso leyendo lo mismo porque tenia tantas ganas de terminarlo que no me importaban las frases bonitas.
No pude ponerle menos de tres estrellas porque disfrute leyendo ciertas partes y sobre todo aprendí muchísimo de Portugal, además tuvo un efecto tranquilizador en mi.
Creo que debe ser leído con calma y se disfruta mejor acompañado con imágenes, pero hacerlo de esa manera se convierte en un libro de estudio, yo lo llamaría un libro de estudio arquitectónico. Mi forma de leerlo fue dejándome llevar, es mas rápido pero llega un momento que aburre con tantas explicaciones de iglesias y azulejos. Ya finalizando el libro sentía que estaba en un circulo vicioso leyendo lo mismo porque tenia tantas ganas de terminarlo que no me importaban las frases bonitas.
No pude ponerle menos de tres estrellas porque disfrute leyendo ciertas partes y sobre todo aprendí muchísimo de Portugal, además tuvo un efecto tranquilizador en mi.
maddiehansen's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.25
This book was somehow very boring and extremely interesting. I enjoyed the POV and the humor, as well as the critical eye the traveller had for his country
jasmee's review against another edition
4.0
“The journey is never over. Only travellers come to an end.”
Saramago ends this wonderful book on a note which is most most appropriate in the hands of a master storyteller. One really ‘feels priviledged’ in the company of a sensitive writer; sensitive to the place he belongs to, a place which is effortlessly shown to us to be more than just a place.
I had started Journey to Portugal a few months ago and I knew right away that it is just the way with this book. I literally savoured the descriptions of the country in the words of an author whose novels, almost consciously, avoid being set within definitive spaces of geography. The Journey however, is about Portugal from the eyes of the ‘traveller’.
I must start by saying that the experience had been unlike all others; I’d never read a travelogue from the point of view of a traveller with keen sense of imagination and appreciation of things witnessed by him.
The journey is beautifully given a start by the element of an unconditional prayer, as the traveller sets off to embark his homeland’s untouched, unventured corners.
The second part of the book (two of three) is narrated in a slightly different complexion. The ‘traveller’ is beautifully shown to have associated with the places he visits people he meets. There’s more of human emotion involved in the narration as he moves deep into the Portuguese landscape, especially going through the lowlands and reaching the soft-stone mountains of the Guarda... a thoroughly considerate traveler who is sensitive to the crumbling artifacts and cultural symbols of Portugal. … almost every page of the book captures your imagination by catching you unawares and introduces words of imagination, witness and feeling…
And it takes much longer to read this book for me than any other.. a ten-page session cannot take less than an hour; normally more.
I am wondering why the traveller’s much anticipated visit to Lisbon starts on a somewhat dejected and somber note. Here he is, ready to witness the marvel of this port city, the museums and the monasteries whose architecture takes you on a journey through various ages. But all he could muster is the bitter memories evoked by objects revealing horrendous crimes committed in the past. He is thankful to the museums for preserving some of the objects in order to testify what, according to him, is “necessary” for us to remember.
The traveller is clearly occupied with these thoughts as his indecision gives way to questioning:
“The traveler regains the street and feels lost. Where should he go now? What is he to visit? What shall he leave aside, either on purpose or because of the impossibility of seeing and commenting on everything? And anyway, what does it mean to see everything?”
~ Journey to Portugal
Undauntedly however, the traveller reaches the end of an exhilarating journey. But stops he does not. Ceaseless passion to discover once again, provides impetus to the traveller to begin again what would be nothing short of an experience. And we are all invited.
Saramago ends this wonderful book on a note which is most most appropriate in the hands of a master storyteller. One really ‘feels priviledged’ in the company of a sensitive writer; sensitive to the place he belongs to, a place which is effortlessly shown to us to be more than just a place.
I had started Journey to Portugal a few months ago and I knew right away that it is just the way with this book. I literally savoured the descriptions of the country in the words of an author whose novels, almost consciously, avoid being set within definitive spaces of geography. The Journey however, is about Portugal from the eyes of the ‘traveller’.
I must start by saying that the experience had been unlike all others; I’d never read a travelogue from the point of view of a traveller with keen sense of imagination and appreciation of things witnessed by him.
The journey is beautifully given a start by the element of an unconditional prayer, as the traveller sets off to embark his homeland’s untouched, unventured corners.
The second part of the book (two of three) is narrated in a slightly different complexion. The ‘traveller’ is beautifully shown to have associated with the places he visits people he meets. There’s more of human emotion involved in the narration as he moves deep into the Portuguese landscape, especially going through the lowlands and reaching the soft-stone mountains of the Guarda... a thoroughly considerate traveler who is sensitive to the crumbling artifacts and cultural symbols of Portugal. … almost every page of the book captures your imagination by catching you unawares and introduces words of imagination, witness and feeling…
And it takes much longer to read this book for me than any other.. a ten-page session cannot take less than an hour; normally more.
I am wondering why the traveller’s much anticipated visit to Lisbon starts on a somewhat dejected and somber note. Here he is, ready to witness the marvel of this port city, the museums and the monasteries whose architecture takes you on a journey through various ages. But all he could muster is the bitter memories evoked by objects revealing horrendous crimes committed in the past. He is thankful to the museums for preserving some of the objects in order to testify what, according to him, is “necessary” for us to remember.
The traveller is clearly occupied with these thoughts as his indecision gives way to questioning:
“The traveler regains the street and feels lost. Where should he go now? What is he to visit? What shall he leave aside, either on purpose or because of the impossibility of seeing and commenting on everything? And anyway, what does it mean to see everything?”
~ Journey to Portugal
Undauntedly however, the traveller reaches the end of an exhilarating journey. But stops he does not. Ceaseless passion to discover once again, provides impetus to the traveller to begin again what would be nothing short of an experience. And we are all invited.
ratko_radeta's review against another edition
3.0
Не могу рећи да је ово лоше написано дело. Сарамага заиста волим, његов стил и његову реченицу, којих ни овде не мањка. Међутим, ово путовање је веома репетитивно и повремено замарајуће.
Неименовани путник (сам писац?) путује Португалијом уздуж и попреко, од севера ка југу и од запада ка истоку, али изгледа као да су цркве и њихова архитектура једина вредност коју поима. Као на траци се смењују описи многобројних цркава по различитим португалским местима, од најмањих и напуштених села, па све до Лисабона. Реч је ту највише о архитектноској (не)успелости и композицији, а много мање о утисцима које те грађевине на путника остављају. Нема ни дубље анализе португалског фолклора или упознавања са људима који живе на тим територијама.
Опет кажем, не бих рекао да је ово дело лоше, али мислим да би ово било изузетно кад би се објављивало као фељтон или цртице у новинама, нпр. једном недељно. Овако се човек брзо засити и пресити.
Неименовани путник (сам писац?) путује Португалијом уздуж и попреко, од севера ка југу и од запада ка истоку, али изгледа као да су цркве и њихова архитектура једина вредност коју поима. Као на траци се смењују описи многобројних цркава по различитим португалским местима, од најмањих и напуштених села, па све до Лисабона. Реч је ту највише о архитектноској (не)успелости и композицији, а много мање о утисцима које те грађевине на путника остављају. Нема ни дубље анализе португалског фолклора или упознавања са људима који живе на тим територијама.
Опет кажем, не бих рекао да је ово дело лоше, али мислим да би ово било изузетно кад би се објављивало као фељтон или цртице у новинама, нпр. једном недељно. Овако се човек брзо засити и пресити.
alisonbooks's review against another edition
Good skim in prep for trip to Portugal.
caelanteixeira's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
3.0
interesting if you like traveling, are interested in architecture, or want to know a little more about portugal’s history, but very dry and meandering and difficult to get through at times.
Content Warnings
Minor: Slavery