Μια φοβερα ενδιαφερουσα και πρωτότυπη ιδεα που εκτελεστηκε με εναν πολυ ανιαρό (για μενα) τροπο...

The Stone Raft by Jose Saramago is a compelling and thought-provoking novel that explores themes of identity, belonging, and the interconnectedness of humanity. The story begins when the Iberian Peninsula breaks off from the rest of Europe and sets sail on a journey towards an unknown destination. As the people of Spain and Portugal struggle to come to terms with this extraordinary event, they must also confront their own individual fears and desires.

What I found most impressive about this novel was Saramago's ability to create a vivid and believable alternate reality. The premise of the Iberian Peninsula breaking off from Europe is a fantastical one, but Saramago's descriptions of the characters' reactions and the societal upheaval that ensues are both realistic and compelling. Saramago's use of metaphor and allegory is particularly effective, as he uses the stone raft as a powerful symbol for the search for meaning and belonging in a rapidly changing world.

Another standout element of the novel is the depth and complexity of the characters. Saramago's prose is rich and nuanced, and he captures the inner lives of his characters with great sensitivity and insight. Through the eyes of characters such as Joana Carda, a woman who is determined to solve the mystery of the stone raft, and Pedro Orce, a man who is haunted by a prophetic dream, we come to understand the complex ways in which the events of the novel are affecting individuals on a personal level.

The Stone Raft is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that challenges readers to think deeply about the nature of identity and belonging. It's a novel that rewards careful reading and reflection, and it's a must-read for anyone interested in the complexities of human relationships and the ways in which we are all connected. Saramago's prose is both beautiful and profound.

Jose Saramago is not an author you want to read if you like to have everything wrapped up with a bow and fully explained in the end. In novel after novel, Saramago drops characters into bizarre circumstances and very rarely (if ever) explains exactly how or why those circumstances came about.

In this particular tale, Saramago has the entire Iberian Peninsula cleave from the rest of Europe and begin a journey sailing out to sea. The story focuses on 5 people and one dog on the peninsula as they attempt to understand how their lives and homeland have changed. All five characters had improbable events happen to them right around the time when the peninsula split from the mainland. The characters try to determine if these occurances are directly related to the fracture of the peninsula from Europe. The book contains social and political undertones like many other Saramago novels. Also like other Saramago novels the books is intellectual and there is more to gather from reading it other than the main plotline. Saramago novels are allegorical and like the others "The Stone Raft" is commenting on society.

Saramago is one of my favorite authors and I found The Stone Raft to fit in well with his other works. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I liked several of his other novels Blindness, All the Names, The Cave or The Double. Saramago also has a very unique writing style with lots of run on sentances and no quotation marks. This can be a challenge for readers who are new to Saramago's works. In my opinion it is worth the effort and besides you soon enough become used to his writing style.

E se de repente a Península Ibérica se separasse do resto da Europa e começasse a vaguear pelo oceano? Foi esta a ideia mirabolante de Saramago que deu mote a esta "Jangada de pedra", livro publicado precisamente no ano em que Portugal deu entrada na antiga CEE.
Claro que está ideia deu pano para mangas! No seu estilo tão próprio, marcadamente irónico, José Saramago brinda-nos com as suas reflexões sociológicas e políticas neste romance "geográfico". Tão bom!

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*The Elephant's Journey 4 stars
*Blindness 2 stars
*All the Names 1 star
*The Stone Raft TBR
*Baltasar and Blimunda TBR

كان هناك دائما ما يوجد من يؤكد أن الشعراء يمكن الاستغناء عن وجودهم، أنا أسأل : ما هو مصيرنا لو لم يات الشعراء ليساعدونا على فهم عدم وضوح ما يقولون أنه واضح ؟
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خوفنا اللانهائي يدفعنا وحده الى ملء العالم بصور تشبهنا
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ان التجربة علمتنا كم ان الكلمات غير قادرة على تقريبنا من حدود ما لا يوصف، نريد أن نقول الحب ولكن ليست لدينا اللغة الكافية، نريد نطق الكلمة الاخيرة ولكننا ننتبه الى قد عدنا الى البداية
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بمن أحلم إن لم أحلم باسمك
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اليأس كما نعرف جميعا ، سلوك بشري، لا نعرف خلال التاريخ البشري ان الحيوانات تيأس، لكن الانسان نفسه ينفصم عن اليأس/ اعتاد على الحياة فيه ويحتمله حتى أخر الحدود
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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.

Custou um bocado a ler, mas foi um banger. Obrigado José Saramago, obrigado meu amigo

All'improvviso, tra lo stupore generale senza nessuna ragione apparente e senza nessuna delle conseguenze che si supporrebbe, la penisola iberica si stacca dall'Europa e comincia a navigare per l'Atlantico, seguendo una rotta precisissima e deliberata: come se avesse vita propria e coscienza di sè ed avesse deciso di muoversi per suo conto.

Le conseguenze sul pensiero comune ma anche sul vivere civile sono inenarrabili, perchè all'improvviso l'umanità intera (dai politici che governano gli stati più grandi fino all'umile dottorino dell'università di provincia) scopre che il controllo che aveva sul mondo era in realtà la pia illusione degli insetti di un gigantesco formicaio schiacciato sotto il piede di un bambino. Sembra cosciente e disgustata l' Iberia, stanca degli intrallazzi e dei maneggi per il suo controllo, stanca di un'Europa che la vuole parte di sè con le sue ricchezze ma lontana con la miseria della sua gente; ed alla fine questa enorme umiliata zattera di pietra decide di fare per suo conto, lasciando tutti i soloni di tutte le istituzioni umane con un palmo di becco e nel panico più totale.

Ma, come sempre in Saramago, la speranza di uscire dal dramma e di uscirne migliorati, rimane sempre tra la gente piccola che non fa dell'arroganza di un potere solo presunto uno strumento di sopravvivenza. Cinque piccoli borghesi vengono coinvolti in fenomeni altrettanto misteriosi e fuori controllo del distaccarsi dei Pirenei, perdendo d'un sol colpo le sicurezze offerte dal vivere civile: ma uniti dalla loro esperienza riescono a mettere insieme una convivenza peregrinando zingarescamente per la Spagna su un rattoppato carro trainato da due cavalli. E' nel parlare di questi cinque che il romanzo riesce a dare il suo meglio, perchè le loro picaresche avvventure fanno emergere quello che c'è di più genuino nell'animo umano. Si parla di gelosia e di perdono, di amore e di solitudine, di contrasto e di rappacificazione; si mostra come gli uomini e le donne semplici hanno una speranza di vivere una vita vera solo se per qualche miracolo riescono a liberarsi della pesante sovrastruttura sociale che garantisce una esistenza comoda ma finta.

Nonostante la storia sia piena di favolistici prodigi, questa riesce sempre ad essere molto credibile e non si fa nessuna fatica a sospendere l'incredulità. La frizzante vitalità dei cinque marmittoni (per tacer del cane) rende le pagine spassosissime e molto piacevoli da leggere, senza rinunciare alllo stile ridondante al limite del provocatorio che è il marchio di fabbrica di Saramago.

Un pensiero al bellissimo quanto enorme mastino Ardent, inquietante sia nelle dimensioni che nel nome che nel paese d'origine i quali sembrano esplicitamente farlo discendere dall'infernale Cerbero (persino i branchi di lupi lo temono!), ma che nella sua fedeltà ai cinque viaggiatori di infernale ha ben poco.

Grazie al genio di Saramago niente come un romanzo di fantasia riesce a spiegare meglio il reale, nelle divertentissime ma mai superficiali pagine che ci mette a disposizione. Assolutamente consigliato.

whoa yeah

Olen lukenut José Saramagoa niin paljon, että olen mielestäni oppinut tunnistamaan hänen aikakautensa ja näkemään kehityksen.

Kivinen lautta kuuluu Saramagon alkukauteen. Olisin sijoittanut sen ennen rakastamaani Ricardo Reisiä, mutta tämä menikin toisinpäin.

Siksi aikalailla petyin, kun Kivinen lautta ei yllä lähellekään Ricardo Reisin tasoa ja tyyliä. Kivinen lautta on nokkela satiiri, jossa on tutusti ihan hulvaton idea. Nimittäin sellainen, että Pyrenneiden niemimaa irtoaa ja lähtee ajelehtimaan Atlantille.

Miten siitä tulee suurvaltapolitiikan pelinappula ja ihmiskohtaloiden yhdistäjä. Ja mitä kaikenlaisia näkökulmia tähän sitten voidaan liittääkään.

On maagista realismia, symboliikkaa ja pitkähköjä virkkeitä. Kivinen lautta on kirja, jota kutsuisin kaikella kunnioituksella kivaksi. Sitä oli leppoista lukea, mutta jotenkin sillä odotuksella, että tässä suurkirjailija vasta etsii itseään. Outoa tässä vaan on se, että minne se Ricardo Reisissä löytynyt suurkirjailija tässä välissä katosi!

José Saramago is probably the most recognized and high considerated author in portuguese literature (also the only portuguese author to have won a nobel prize) and as portuguese myself I totally understand why. Jangada de Pedra (The Stone Raft) was my first read from Saramago since the last time I read a book from him in my 17/18s and I can only say I wish I had read it sooner!
It turned out to be a great book to read during summer, as it is light and fun. I think it was so clever to imagine the separation of the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe and its consequences. Instead of overwhelming us with raw political and social consequences, Saramago delivered an ironic and dark-humored take through the story development. Filled with unlikely characters and spicy critics, I found myself laughing plenty of times during this read. Despite its surrealism, I feel everyone could dive into this story and imagine themselves inside of it as it was a real life situation.