Saramago's Labyrinths

Saramagos labyrinths is the first book-length study to focus on the relationship between form and the content in Saramagos writing, paying particular attention to Ensaio sobre a Cegueira (Blindness) and Todos os Nomes (All the Names). Atkin provides a close textual analysis of Blindness and All the Names, and suggests that the labyrinth pervades Saramagos work, both in the form of the text, and as a literary and philosophical trope. She makes clear connections between these novels and Saramagos other literary works, and identifies ways in which Saramago causes the reader to return to and consider the philosophical, epistemological and ethical concerns and dilemmas that are recurrent in his literary output. Atkins jargon-free approach to Saramagos complex ideas, and her thorough understanding of Portuguese history, culture and society, make this an accessible yet challenging guide to Saramagos fiction, for undergraduate and postgraduate students and scholars with or without prior knowledge of the Portuguese context. -- .