The Stone Raft - Jose Saramago

Thanks to Miguel for organizing Jose Saramago month. Multiple posts and links relating to Saramago and his works can be found at St. Oberose.

The Stone Raft by Jose Saramago is an extraordinary novel. This book has a fantastical but engaging plot, likeable and interesting characters along with deep political and philosophical underpinnings.

The plot is fanciful. The Iberian Peninsula, Spain and Portugal, break up from Europe and begin drifting in the Atlantic Ocean. Five people and a dog, all of which have experienced bizarre incidents that may or may not be connected with the breakaway peninsula, meet and begin a journey together.

Joana Carda is a woman who traces a ridge in the dirt that seems to magically reform every time it is wiped away. José Anaiço is a man who is followed by a flock of starlings everywhere that he travels. Joaquim Sassa is a man who inexplicably is able to skip an immensely heavy rock over an enormous distance of water. Pedro Orce is a pharmacist who is able to feel the Earth shake; though no one else experiences the same sensations the trembling is confirmed by seismographs. Maria Guavaira is a women who, when she begins to unravel an old sock, finds that the yarn is produced in infinite amounts. Finally, Ardent is a dog with amazing powers of perception.

When it is realized that the floating peninsula is a on a collision course with the Azores islands and catastrophe, the group takes to the road first in a car and later in a horse drawn wagon. José Anaiço and Joana Carda become lovers. Joaquim Sassa and Maria Guavaira eventually do so as well. Complications ensue as a result of these relationships. Much of the book details the group’s travels and adventures throughout Spain and Portugal.

Saramago has crafted his prose in a post- modern style. There are no quotation marks or line breaks for dialog. At times sentences and paragraphs go on for a lot of words. The mood is often light but at other times serious. The book is full of philosophical ruminations concerning people and life. The tone of the book is usually light but occasionally very serious.

There are obvious historical and political allegories and meanings connected with the movement of the peninsula. While I am not completely in the dark concerning recent Portuguese, Spanish and general European history and politics, my knowledge does not penetrate as deeply as I would like. Thus any political or historical commentary that I attempt to expound here is likely to be on superficial side. Therefore I will avoid commenting upon this angle of the story.

There seem to be additional multiple thematic and philosophical threads in this work. I do not pretend to understand or even to recognize all of these strands. However, one point that I think to be central here is what Saramago is trying to say about what is valuable and worth holding on to in life.

The text is very skeptical and cynical concerning many aspects of existence. Governments, police and militaries are shown to be capricious or incompetent. Human institutions and social organizations such as science and public opinion are dismissed and mocked.

Saramago goes further. Understanding of history and the past is shown to be nearly impossible. In several instances both the origin of artifacts and historical battles are given alternate interpretations. Even basic universal constants are shown to be precarious. For instance, cause and effect are shown to be ultimately inscrutable. Saramago returns to this theme in multiple instances. At several points in the narrative he contends that people overemphasize their own importance as well as their effects upon the universe.

 “And there is no point in adding that any one of us has reasons enough for judging himself the cause of all effects, the reasons we have just mentioned as well as those that are our exclusive contribution to the functioning of the world, and I should dearly like to know what it will be like when people and the effects they alone cause will exist no more, best not to think of such an enormity, for it is enough to make one dizzy, but it will be quite sufficient for some tiny animals, some insects, to survive for there still to be worlds, the world of the ant and the cicada, for example, they will not draw back curtains, they will not look at themselves in the mirror, and what does it matter, after all, the only great truth is that the world cannot die. “

Later in several places in the novel the human tendency to search for meaning and a place in the universe is also shown to be futile.

“as if nature had nothing better to do than to think about us. It would all be much easier to understand if we were simply to confess our infinite fear, the fear that leads us to people the world with images resembling what we are or believe ourselves to be, unless this obsessive effort is nothing other than feigned courage or sheer stubbornness on the part of someone who refuses to exist in a void, who decides to find meaning where no meaning exists. We are probably incapable of filling emptiness, and what we call meaning is no more than a fleeting collection of images that once seemed harmonious, images on which the intelligence tried in panic to introduce reason, order, coherence. “

Again and again the narrative emphasizes that we live on unstable ground. The bizarre are seemingly arbitrary movement of the peninsula being the ultimate example.

Saramago does not present us with a philosophy of despair however. There does seem to be a meaning or at least a comforting aspect to life. This is human fellowship and companionship. I must confess that I needed to look up what starlings represent. I found that they often signify human harmony and mutuality. This fits as the book emphasizes the virtues of kindness, friendship, camaraderie and meaningful sexual relationships.

One example,

“Those living on their own, whether bereft of family or merely misanthropic, would be   without recourse, but even they would not be excluded automatically from society, one has to have confidence in spontaneous solidarity, in that irrepressible love for one's neighbor that manifests itself on so many occasions, take train journeys, for example, especially in the second-class compartments, when the moment comes to open the basket of provisions, the mother of the family never forgets to offer some food to the other passengers occupying   the nearby seats,”

Large groups and organizations of people do not really work in Saramago’s worldview. Our five protagonists (six if we count Ardent) are shown to be a loving group who support each other and give one another other meaning. Even the beneficent impact of friendship between human and animals is extolled. The author is not simplistic or Pollyannaish however. Sexual tensions threaten to pull the group apart. However, everyone ultimately sticks together, at least until the novel’s end. The group members never actually eliminate the conflicts but they persevere despite the obstacles.

I loved this book. It has an imaginative and intriguing plot, engaging characters, a distinctive style, and it is bubbling with philosophy and themes. As usual I have only scratched the surface of what one will find in this work. I recommend it to anyone who is not afraid of something different and likes to think about the world and humanity in terms of the big picture.

Jose Saramago Month

I will be joining Miguel at St. Oberose for José Saramago Month in November. Saramago (1922-2010) was a distinguished Portuguese writer and 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature winner.

For the month I will be reading and posting a blog on The Stone Raft. I have only previously read one other work by Saramago, Baltasar and Blimunda. I loved that work, my commentary on that it is here.

Anyone interested in joining or for more information on Saramago should head over to the above link. While over there please check out Miguel's blog. His site is literary, witty and full of smart observation.

Baltasar and Blimunda by Jose Saramago

Baltasar and Blimunda by Jose Saramago is a wondrous but challenging read. The book was originally written in Portuguese. Giovanni Pontiero translated it into English.  Saramago was a highly esteemed Portuguese novelist, poet, playwright and journalist. This is the first work of his that I have tried. Saramago died in 2010.

Though my knowledge of literary theory is limited, I would define this novel as written in a modernist style. Saramago uses few traditional sentences. Most of the narrative consists of strings of thoughts, separated by commas. There are no apostrophes indicating dialogue. Though topics are connected, the subject at hand often shifts quickly and, at times, randomly. I would not exactly call the style a stream of conciseness; rather, I would call it a stream of life.  The point of view is generally third person but at times this shifts suddenly and unexpectedly. Sometimes the narrator seems to be neutral and without character; at other times he seems to be an observer from the far future, at a few points he even seems to be God. This unconventional form seems to be an attempt to portray the world as it happens, without the artificial rules of grammar and traditional writing. I enjoyed this unusual writing style. Certainly I would not want everything that I read to reflect this approach, but I appreciate the creativity involved and it is nice to try something different for a change.

The setting of the book is early eighteenth century Portugal. The plot is very unusual but very imaginative in construction as well as presentation. Oddly enough, this book can be considered an historical novel as many of the characters and events portrayed are real and fact based.

Baltasar is a former soldier who has lost his left hand in battle. Early in the novel he meets Blimunda, a woman with mystical powers.  Blimunda has a host of magical and psychic abilities. She possesses X - ray vision and has some talent for precognition, along with other magical skills. The pair quickly falls in love. The protagonists then become involved with Pardere Bartolemeu Lourenco, a priest who is attempting to develop a flying machine. They participate in the construction and development of the airship, which Bartolemeu Lourenco calls the Passarola. The ship is a mix of engineering innovations and magical attributes. It is levitated with the help of globes, which are filled with human “Wills”. It turns out that Blimunda is able to capture the wills of people at the moment of their deaths. An interesting note, it turns out, is that Bartolemeu Lourenco was a real person who lived during the period and really attempted to construct an airship. Our main characters also meet and interact with the real life eighteenth century composer Domenico Scarlatti.

The tale of Baltasar and Blimunda is interspersed with the story of the king of Portugal, Dom João V, and his family. Tricked by his queen and the religious powers of the kingdom to fulfill a holy pledge, Dom João has ordered that an enormous convent be constructed in Mafra, which is Baltasar’s hometown.

The Passarola is eventually completed and, fleeing from the inquisition, Baltasar, Blimunda and Bartolemeu Lourenco take flight. After a journey across Portugal, the trio crash-lands in a remote and mountainous area. Bartolemeu Lourenco, who has become irrational, flees into the wilderness and drops out of the narrative. After hiding the Passarola amidst brush and scrub, Baltasar and Blimunda are able to walk to Mafra. There they settle down with Baltasar’s family. Baltasar finds work among the thousands of laborers employed in constructing the convent. From time to time the couple returns to the Passarola in order to keep it maintained. Much of the remainder of the story involves the construction of the massive convent, an extremely arduous and dangerous task for the laborers. I will not give away the novel’s conclusion, but the ending seems to come somewhat abruptly. I believe that in writing the conclusion as such, that Saramago is, as he does with his style of prose, attempting to reflect the way that life often goes. Sometimes reality throws us the unexpected and traumatic with little warning.

 As I pointed out in earlier commentary here, Saramago was an adherent of Anarchist communism. This ideology permeates this work. While the prose strongly advocates the author’s philosophy, it is never preachy. Instead Saramago seems to prefer to instruct through storytelling. The belief system rejects government and other sources of authority. It advocates that society is best served when groups of people voluntarily band together into communes and cooperate for the common good. Saramago was also critical of religion and a proponent of atheism.

Again and again, government, hierarchical systems and religion are portrayed as malicious and destructive. One of many examples of this point occurs when King Dom João arbitrarily decides during the middle of construction that the Convent at Mafra is to be much larger than planned. As a result, more of the surrounding area needs to be destroyed in order to make room,

 “On a small plot of land situated behind the convent walls lying to the east, the friar in charge of the kitchen-garden attached to the hospice had planted fruit trees and laid out beds with a variety of produce and borders of flowers, the mere beginnings of a fully established orchard and kitchen-garden. All of this would be destroyed.”

Egalitarianism and equality of people and their labor is trumpeted,

“All men are kings, all women are queens, and the labours of all are princes. “

Natural human relations and actions, unregulated and uncontrolled by government and religious institutions, are shown to be virtuous, harmonious and morally just. An example is Baltasar and Blimunda’s relationship, which is never formalized with a religious or legal marriage arrangement.

“Their union is illicit out of choice, and their marriage is unsanctified by Holy Mother Church, for they disregard the social conventions and proprieties, and if he feels like having sex, she will oblige, and if she craves it, he will gratify her. Perhaps some deeper and more mysterious sacrament sustains this union”.

 The above are just a few examples. Repeatedly, formal authority systems are shown to be oppressive, brutal and cruel. All religious acts are perpetuated for selfish ulterior motives. Royal authority is constantly committing horrendous acts but perpetuating propaganda that justifies such actions as virtuous and selfless. Likewise, the horrors and deprivations experienced by the poor and downtrodden are ironically “explained” by Saramago as being part of God’s benevolence. Religion is again and again shown to be nasty, hypocritical and not based upon rational thinking. Often, the acts of common people are shown to be altruistic and positive.

Nowhere does Saramago suggest a practical way as to how society can get to a place unencumbered by authority and religion. The solution presented is mostly symbolic. Flight of birds as well as Lourenco’s machine seem to represent hope and escape from the oppressive forces besetting humanity. Perhaps the fact that the Passarola is levitated by globes filled with human wills is emblematic of communal cooperation as the alternative to hierarchal injustice.

In terms of theme and philosophy, Saramago presents a lot more than his political and social ponderings. This book is very densely filled with ideas. There are meditations on what makes people human, what gives them identity, and the role of art in elevating the human condition, to name just a few of the points that Saramago explores.

I certainly do not agree with the lion share of Saramago’s philosophies.  His beliefs, however, are presented in a reasoned and non- strident way. In addition, there are many observations presented that I find to be true or that I can at least say that I lean towards. I agree with some, but not all, of what he has to say about religion. Of course, government and other centers of power are often malevolent and destructive. The powerful often explain away malicious actions and intent as justified activities. However, it seems to me that Saramago mistakes what often is, but not always so, a world of universal and absolute rules. I detect very little balance in the way that the author portrays the universe. These flaws lead me to conclude that his ideology is ultimately too simplistic and is without nuance.

Regardless of its flaws this work offers much to recommend. However, this is a book that should be attempted only by the adventurous reader. As I noted above, Saramago’s prose is extremely unconventional and thus can be difficult to get used to. In addition, the plot and storyline vary between harsh realism and whimsical mysticism. I found this to be an odd mix. However, this same unconventional style is innovative and keeps things interesting. In addition, the book contains much aesthetic beauty that is manifested in many ways. Particularly, the way that Baltasar and Blimunda’s love and relationship is portrayed is poignant and meaningful. If one is prepared for something very different, Baltasar and Blimunda can be an entertaining, surprising and thought provoking read.

Coincidence and Connections: Heinlein and Saramago

The protagonist of the novel is a man with has lost his left hand but who possess several prosthetic limbs designed to complete varying specialized tasks.

I generally read two books simultaneously. The books that I am currently reading, at least on the surface, seem to be very different and were written by authors who came from very different literary circles. The novels are Baltasar and Blimunda by Jose Saramago and The Moon is Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein. To my surprise the above sentence perfectly describes both books! It seems so very strange to me that purely by chance I should be reading both works simultaneously.

Baltasar Mateus, one of Saramago’s main characters, is an eighteenth century ex - soldier who lost his hand in battle. A blacksmith has made him two artificial hands. One manmade hand ends in a hook, the other in a spike.

Manuel Garcia O'Kelly-Davis, Heinlein’s hero, is an inhabitant of The Moon during the 2070’s. Having lost most of his lower arm in an accident, he possesses six high technology artificial limbs, each one    specially designed for specific functions.

Though the missing appendages seem to me to be symbolic in both books, I think that the symbolism is different. Saramago connects Baltasar’s missing hand with a purported missing hand of God. Heinlein’s protagonist’s artificial arms point to the future interface and common fate of humans and technology.

This odd coincidence has gotten me to thinking, are there other similarities between these works and authors?

On the surface Jose Saramago’s Baltasar and Blimunda and Robert A Heinlein’s The Moon is Harsh Mistress are wildly different books. The authors also seem to be very dissimilar. Saramago could be described as a being a supporter of the political and social left wing. Heinlein, at least during the period that he wrote The Moon is Harsh Mistress, expressed strong Libertarian ideals. These days, at least in America, Libertarianism is, perhaps inaccurately, associated with the political right wing.

Looking at things a little differently however, both books and writers do have some similarities. As per Wikipedia, Saramago advocated “Anarchist Communism.” This belief system rejects government, laws and most institutions including capitalism. It champions people working together in commune like groups.

In The Moon is Harsh Mistress, Heinlein pushed his own philosophy that he coined “Rational Anarchy”.  This belief system also rejects government and laws. It advocates that society works best when individuals are free to decide their own morality and course in life. Unlike Saramago however, Heinlein’s philosophy was very pro capitalist and scorned collective groupings of people.

Though I have not yet completed either work, both books seem to clearly champion the respective authors’ respective beliefs.  Not surprisingly, each novel also has a strong antiauthoritarian streak. Both contrast a corrupt and selfish elite with a somewhat virtuous common people. I also detect feminist themes expressed in both books. While in many ways different, these ideologies clearly have much in common.

Both writers, now deceased, were contemporaries. I wonder if Saramago and Heinlein knew of each other. They seemed to inhabit very different intellectual worlds so it seems likely they may have not been aware of one another. I also wonder if anyone else ever compared these two works. It is such an unlikely coincidence that I should be reading both at the same time.

I am a person who likes to find connections in the world. It can be a fun exercise to compare seemingly incongruous philosophies and thinkers. It amazes me what I find even when I do not try too hard!

I will provide thorough commentary on both books in few weeks when I finish reading them.