The History of the Siege of Lisbon - José Saramago

The History of the Siege of Lisbon, by José Saramago

What is the nature of history? That depends on who writes it, how you interpret it, and many other factors. There is a certain dynamic whereby over time history becomes mythology and mythology becomes history.   

The novel has Raimundo Silva, a proofreader at a Portuguese publishing house, taking it upon himself to alter a key word in a text to make it read that in 1147 the king of Portugal reconquered Lisbon from the Saracens without any assistance from the Crusaders. His revision of a signal episode in Portuguese history unexpectedly and inexplicably wins the heart of his supervisor, Maria Sara, a woman of unwavering conviction. Rather than fire him as she ought to, Maria encourages Raimundo to rewrite the history of the siege of Lisbon in the grand style of a historical romance. Around this seemingly minor episode Jose Saramago constructs a broad, multifaceted tableau involving meditations on historiography and the uses and abuses of language, a parable of life under authoritarian rule, and a bittersweet romance.

Published by The Harvill Press, 1989.

Softcover

Good condition