“The beginning is never the clear, precise end of a thread, the beginning is a long, painfully slow process that requires time and patience in order to find out in which direction it is heading, a process that feels its way along the path ahead like a blind man the beginning is just the beginning, what came before is nigh on worthless.” MenWayFeelsLongEndsOrderProcessPathClearBlindThreadPreciseWorthlessHeadingsBlind ManTime And Patience Author:Jose Saramago
“I never appreciated 'positive heroes' in literature. They are almost always cliches, copies of copies, until the model is exhausted. I prefer perplexity, doubt, uncertainty, not just because it provides a more 'productive' literary raw material, but because that is the way we humans really are.” WayWritingHumansLiteratureDoubtPositiveMaterialsHeroModelsUncertaintyProductiveCopiesExhaustedAppreciatedClicheRaw MaterialsPerplexity Author:Jose Saramago
“Beginning with adolescence, my political formation was oriented in the ideological direction of Marxism. It was natural, being that my thinking was influenced by an atmosphere of active critical resistance. That was the way it was during all of the dictatorship and up to the Revolution of 1974.” ThinkingWayPoliticalNaturalRevolutionCriticalActiveResistanceAtmosphereDictatorshipAdolescenceMarxismFormationIdeological Author:Jose Saramago
“I can't imagine myself outside any kind of social or political involvement. Yes, I'm a writer, but I live in this world, and my writing doesn't exist on a separate level. And if people know who I am and read my books, well, good; that way, if I have something more to say, then everyone benefits.” PeopleIfsKnowsWorldWayWritingWellsKindI CanBookPoliticalSocialLevelsImagineThis WorldBenefitsWho I AmInvolvementPolitical Involvement Author:Jose Saramago
“The period that I could consider the most important in my literary work came about beginning with the Revolution, and in a certain way, developed as a consequence of the Revolution. But it was also a result of the counterrevolutionary coup of November 1975.” WayImportantCertainResultsRevolutionPeriodsConsequenceNovemberCoupsLiterary Works Author:Jose Saramago
“a man was on his way to the gallows when he met another, who asked him: where are you going, my friend? and the condemned man replied: i'm not going anywhere. they're taking me by force.” MenWayForceMetsMy FriendsGallows Author:Jose Saramago
“. . . if there is a way for the world to be transformed for the better, it can only be done by pessimism; optimists will never change the world for the better.” IfsWorldWayDoneChanging The WorldPessimismTransformedOptimistNever Change Author:Jose Saramago
“...this is the way fate usually treats us, it's right there behind us, it has already reached out a hand to touch us on the shoulder while we're still muttering to ourselves, It's all over, that's it, who cares anyhow.” WayStillsHandsCareBehindsFateTreatsShouldersWho CaresMuttering Author:Jose Saramago
“This is the effect of panic, a natural effect, you could say that animal nature is like this, plant life would behave in exactly the same way, too, if it did not have all those roots to hold it in the ground, and how nice it would be to see the trees of the forest fleeing the flames.” IfsWayWould BeNaturalAnimalNiceTreeEffectsRootsPlantForestsFlamesBehavePanicFleeingPlant Life Author:Jose Saramago
“The best way to killing a rose is to force it open when it is still only the promise of a bud.” WayStillsForcePromiseRoseKillingBest WayBud Author:Jose Saramago
