آدم وقتی از باقی جهان آشنا منقطع میشه، عادات روزمره براش ارزشی پیدا می کنن که در حالت عادی نداشتن. چون باعث احساس امنیت می شن، احساس آشنایی، احساس اتصال به جهان معهود، دستگیره‌ای می شن برای چنگ زدن و رها شدن از حالت معلق بودن و به هیچ جا بند نبودن.
من این حس رو زیاد تجربه نکردم، اما همون چند بار محدود به قدری اثر قدرتمندی داشت که توی خاطرم حک شد.
این کتاب یکی از اون دستگیره ها بود. تابستون بود، ده سال قبل، و من روی تخت بیمارستان بعد از یه عمل جراحی، تنها عمل جراحی که تا این لحظه توی عمرم داشتم، و به خاطر همین همه چیز غریب بود و ناامن و پراضطراب. وقتی قرار شد برادرم بیاد به عنوان همراه شب پیشم بمونه، بهش گفتم این کتاب رو هم از خونه بیاره. کتاب رو قبل از عمل نصفه خونده بودم. و وقتی کتاب رو آورد و از جایی که علامت گذاشته بودم شروع کردم به خوندن، یک لحظه حسی منو گرفت. حس این که هنوز توی همون دنیای آشنام، هنوز توی همون دنیام که قبل از عمل هم بودم، هنوز توی همون دنیام که این کتاب رو داشتم می خوندم. و کتاب برام منبع آرامش شد.

کتاب، کتاب خوبی نبود. ایدهٔ مرکزیش (منقطع شدن شبه‌جزیره ایبری از باقی اروپا و شناور شدن در وسط اقیانوس اطلس) خیلی درخشان بود، اما داستانی که برای این ایده تعریف کرده بود چندان درخشان نبود. اما این تجربه توی بیمارستان اون قدر برام پراهمیته که به خاطرش دو ستاره رو سه ستاره می کنم.

Seria tudo mais fácil de entender se confessássemos, simplesmente, o nosso infinito medo, esse que nos leva a povoar o mundo de imagens à semelhança do que somos ou julgamos ser, salvo se tão obsessivo esforço é, pelo contrário, uma invenção da coragem, ou a mera teimosia de quem se recusa a não estar onde o vazio estiver, a não dar sentido ao que sentido não terá.

Perfection may not be of this world, but in Saramago's "Stone Raft" it happens: without as much as a sigh, the Iberian peninsula separates itself neatly from the European continent and steers for mid-ocean on an uncompromisingly linear course. The geophysics of this separation remain unintelligble: it is a true miracle that suspends a small part of humanity into a state of grace. So the world moves but time seems to come to a standstill and an eery stillness descends over this vast chunk of land.

Saramago singles out five individuals and a dog from the crowd and lets them join up. As in a morality play, the personalities of these chosen ones remain highly stylised. In fact, we learn to distinguish between the five of them not so much by their personal histories and idiosynchrasies of character - of which we know very little - but by quirky episodes in each of their lives roughly synchronous with the onset of the peninsular separation.

The state of grace initially leads to a benign state of nature. The three men, two women and their guardian angel-dog start to wander over the peninsula, cherishing memories of the events that brought them together, and finding deep, if only precarious, satisfaction in the relationships that unfold. Saramago lets the air crackle and the earth tremble with anticipation. Masterly he kneads the ebb and flow of the energy field enveloping this lot. An occasional minor miracle comes to pass.

The end, however, is a fairly sordid affair. Hope wafts in from beyond the horizon and the sense of mystery vanishes. In a brief, but hauntingly beautiful episode we take our final leave of one the protagonists. Whatever happens after that, we don't know.

"
مكتوب في القدر، عندما تنبح الكلاب ينتهي العالم
"

من روى حكاية، إذا لم يروِ أخرى فهذا علامة سيئة
"

كم مرة علمتنا تجارب الحياة أنه لا يجب علينا أن نحكم على المظاهر
"

هذا العالم، ولن نتعب من تكراره، عبارة عن كوميديا من الأكاذيب.
"

في الفنون المختلفة وبشكل خاص فن الكتابة، فإن أفضل الطرق بين نقطتين، وإن كانت قريبتين لم يكن أبدًا ولن يكون مطلقًا الخط الذي يسمونه مستقيمًا، أبدًا ومطلقًا، طريقة حازمة للإجابة عن الشكوك بإسكاتها.
"

إن كوكبًا يدور حول نجم بهذه الطريقة، يدور ويدور، الآن ليل والآن نهار، الآن برد والآن حر، وفضاء يكاد يكون خاليًا حيث لا توجد أشياء ضخمة لا اسم لها إلا الأسماء التي نطلقها عليها، وزمن لا يعرف أحد حقيقة ما هو، كل هذا يجب أن يكون من فعل المجانين!
"

الحياة مليئة بأحداث صغيرة تبدو قليلة الأهمية، وأخر تحتل في لحظة معينة مجال الاهتمام، وفيما بعد نقوم بتحليلها على ضوء نتائجها، ومن الممكن أن تنتهي بعض تلك الأشياء التي احتلت أحداثًا مهمة أو على الأقل كحلقة تربط ما بين مجموعة من الأحداث المتوالية والمهمة.
"

وإذا لم يكن عاشقًا لأسباب مفهومة بحكم الطبيعة، فالصداقة أفضل تعويض.
"

ليس هناك شيء يغيّر وجه الأشياء مثل ضوء النهار.
"

عندما يأتي يوم نهاية العالم، سننظر إلى آخر نملة بالصمت المؤلم لمن يعرف أنه يودع للأبد!
"

اليأس كما نعرف جميعًا، سلوك بشري، لا نعرف خلال التاريخ الطبيعي أن الحيوانات تيأس. لكن الإنسان نفسه لا ينفصم عن اليأس، اعتاد على الحياة فيه ويحتمله حتى آخر الحدود.
"

إلا أن الاختصار ليس فضيلة كاملة ولكن الإسهاب قد يؤدي إلى الإرباك والحيرة، هذا حقيقي إلا أنه م من مرة ربحنا بالكلام أكثر مما هو مطلوب.
"

ولكن ليّ رغبة في أن أقول أن القلة من الناس الذين ماتوا في الحروب القديمة لهم قيمة أكبر في التاريخ من مئات الآلاف والملايين الذين يسقطون في القرن الحاضر.
"

ما لا نراه نسميه الله!
"

الإنسان كائن ذكي، لا شك في هذا ولكن ليس إلى الدرجة المطلوبة، وهذا إثبات واعتراف بالتواضع الذي يجب أن نواجه به أنفسنا أولاً قبل أن يواجهونا به، تمامًا كما هو البِر بمفهومه الحقيقي.
"

تشبه العمى كثيرًا، إلا أن الكارثة في العمى كانت وباء يمكن وصفه وتخيله
بينما ها هنا الكارثة جغرافية، لن تستطيع تخيلها مهما اجتهد الكاتب في الوصف
خاصة وأنها بقعة لا تنتمي لها مطلقًا!
العمى رغم لا منطقيتها لكنها مستساغة ومفهومة
بينما الطوف الحجري عبثية بشكل عصيّ على الفهم
لم استمتع بشيء ها هنا، بقدر استمتاعي بأسلوب سارماجو المعتاد في السرد
ربما سأعود لها فيما بعد..

تمّت

A pleasant life affirming read. Typical Saramago: a cataclysmic event, characters must cope, some philosophy, some foibles, some romance, a sagacious dog. We are a part of nature: the process of renewal. What’s the book about? Geography.

I think this is a book that can benefit from reads and re-reads. It's not often I finish a book and I feel that I have read something truly unique. The Stone Raft is confusing, enlightening, endearing and most definitely unique.

"It’s not a question of believing or not believing, everything we go on saying is added to what is, to what exists..."

I'm a bit on a Saramago reading train, reading his less known works. This one took me by surprise in so many positive ways. It is so clever, satirical and funny and at the same time it is full of deep life philosophy and beautiful and strange magical realism.

The extraordinary event of a whole Iberian peninsula breaking off Europe and floating away is so clever and bonkers at the same time. During this remarkable and catastrophic event, five people experience unusual phenomena and are inexplicably drawn to each other, with a help of an unusual dog, to say the least. We follow their actions as well as the actions of the political sphere of the Iberian peninsula and Europe and North America, towards which the former peninsula is headed.

Political, geographical and social consequences of this event are so interesting to observe. Amidst all the chaos and tragedy there are new opportunities for humanity and connection.

The satire of political behavior in a crisis is so on point and great humorous criticism of inefficiency and grab of power. On the other hand, the portrait of different people, especially the main characters explores the depths of human connection and search for the other. But we have utter loneliness portrayed as well. And the huge guardian dog.

The ending was a bit strange (that's saying a lot considering this book), but a part of it was really moving. We actually don't get all the answers, just glimpses to make our own conclusions.

When you also consider Saramago's impeccable style, I'm surprised this book doesn't have more buzz about it.
The audio version reader's style was something to get used to, but it paid off. All recommendations if you want both depth and entertainment with a lot of food for thought.

Like the best of Jose Saramago's works, this one was beautifully written and full of wisdom, compassion, and truth. With his deep understanding of human emotions, he seems to effortlessly depict both our joys and sufferings. I really enjoyed The Stone Raft although it wasn't my favorite. I would like to read it again, more closely, perhaps, to better understand this enchanting allegory. I recommend this book to any new or recent admirer of the Iberian master.

Brexit Forefelt

Spain and Portugal float away from Europe as a disunited kingdom, leaving Gibraltar behind, a lonely Atlantic island. Written in 1986 about the Iberian leave-taking from continental Europe, The Stone Raft is the perfect book for Brexit 2016. A cliché, I know, but not an un-useful one.


Separation from the rest of Europe is just not easy emotionally for either party. "A loving mother, Europe was saddened by the misfortune of her lands on the extreme west." All sorts of connections - journalistic as well as legal and physical (particularly electricity) - have to be worked out, as any country with experience would know. And, with Saramago, Portugal has that experience and can share it with Britain.

Apologies by those departing are of course necessary, along the lines of 'it's not anything about you, it's us'. So in their letters home, the inveterate exiteers write "...that their world had changed, and their way of life, they were not to blame, on the whole they were people with little willpower, the sort of people who could not make up their mind..." No fault international divorce.

Even in translation one has often to voice Saramago's prose in order to get the sense of it much less enjoy its full effects. It is a form of written/oral story-telling that has an essential musicality which is as much a part of the tale as its subtle humour and irony. It is also lots of fun. The characters and cadence could be from The Canterbury Tales:

"So let is not ask Jose Anaico who he is and what he does for a living, where he comes from and where he is going, whatever we find out about him, we shall only find out from him, and this description, this sketchy information will also have to serve for Joana Carda and her elm branch, for Joaquim Sassa and the stone he threw into the sea, for Pedro Orce and the chair he got up from, life does not begin when people are born, if it were so, each day would be a day gained, life begins much later, and how often too late, not to mention those lives that have no sooner begun than they are over, which has led one Piet to exclaim, Ah, who will write the history of what might have been."


I am particularly fond of Saramago's alternative Cartesianism: "...the only great truth is that the world cannot die." Quem mundus non potest mori, perhaps, as a replacement for the Cogito ergo sum. Not that it has the same epistemological pretensions as the Cogito, of course, but " ...in the absence of any certainties one has to pretend." Indeed, pretending to leave the EU may be Britain's salvation as well.

This is the second straight book by Saramago that has left me underwhelmed. I've read so many of his books and was completely blown away by several of them, but The Stone Raft is going to join n  The Elephant's Journeyn at the bottom of the list.

In this case, I found Saramago's patented deviations, in which he speaks directly to the reader or goes off on some tangent, to be burdensome distractions to the plot, which was an impressive exercise of imagination. I really wanted to know what was going to happen to the peninsula that had broken off from Europe and set adrift on the sea. I wanted to know why the main characters experienced the strange phenomena that they did and how that was tied in to the peninsula's fate. Later, I wanted to know how the burgeoning relationships amongst the travelers were going to play out. And while I got these answers – to varying degrees – they could not be achieved without laboring through the numerous asides that were sometimes welcome, but sometimes unwanted.

Still with all that being said, I did enjoy this book and Saramago, despite these last two ho-hum experiences, will remain among my favorites. After all, throughout The Stone Raft, not only did he craft an amazing tale, he did so while intertwining politics, love, spirituality and great passages like:

"Journeys succeed each other and accumulate like generations, between the grandson you were and the grandfather you will be, what father will you have been. There a journey, however futile, is necessary."

E se um cataclismo ocorresse e a Península Ibérica se separasse da Europa? Seremos mais ibéricos ou europeus? Poderemos ser ambos, ou teremos que prescindir de um para sermos o outro?

É com esta premissa que o romance de Saramago se desenvolve, aplicando uma crítica sócio-politica, dado que o romance foi escrito numa altura em que Portugal e Espanha aderiram à Comunidade Económica Europeia.

Uma série de eventos ocorrem inerentes ao cataclismo, juntado um grupo de 5 pessoas e um cão. Vamos ao longo do livro descobrindo o que torna especial cada uma destas personagens, com recurso a ironia e sarcasmo Saramago deixa-nos a pensar em algumas temáticas tais como a situação política do nosso país numa Europa, o facto de os países ibéricos nunca estarem preparados para catástrofes, o machismo ainda evidente no país na década de 80 (e ainda nos dias de hoje).

Não desgostei de todo do livro, embora tenha sido de difícil leitura... Saramago é sempre um génio a escrever, mas neste romance não me agarrou tão bem como nos outros.

Citações:

"As vidas não começam quando as pessoas nascem, se assim fosse, cada dia era um dia ganho, as vidas principiam mais tarde, quantas vezes tarde de mais, para não falar daquelas que mal tendo começado já se acabaram"

"Ninguém consegue viver para além do seu último dia"

"Invejar o que só parece ser, é trabalho perdido"

"Se uma pessoa, para gostar doutra, estivesse à espera de conhecê-la, não lhe chegaria a vida inteira."

"Não, eu não sou o nome que tenho"

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