José Saramago

On the first day of the new year, no one dies; the reality hits home as families are left to care for the permanently dying. Death sits in her apartment and contemplates her experiment: What if no one ever died again?

Death with Interruptions

While Death sits in her apartment contemplating the world around her and wondering what would happen if she became human and fell in love, no one dies, raising concerns among politicians, religious leaders, doctors, morticians, and others as they confront the harsh realities of eternal life.

Kevin Wammer

What a fantastic book, both the story and the writing style. But I don't get how Saramago pulls it off. How can he write these long, intertwined sentences with commas and commas and even more commas and still make it work? I was sad when it was over; I would take a few chapters more. Which is a good sign, I believe.

Maurice FitzGerald

Look man you do not understand. This guy, this Saramago, He understands you need to read him until you do too.

natalie

✩✩✩


  "That's how life is, what it gives with one hand one day, it takes away with the other."


let me just say this was hard to understand as this Jose guy can make a sentence last for pages. comma comma comma comma

Melody Izard

I’m not sure why I love Saramago. He uses far too many words to get a point across – and then you’re not sure if he DID get his point across, or if he did get his point across you may not have GOTTEN the point or at least the point he was trying to get across. And then there is the treatment of dialog. Who is talking? You can’t let your mind wander because one minute it is death talking and the next minute, within the same sentence and without even the benefit of a comma or semicolon, it’s the dog or the cellist or a member of the maphia. But despite all this and for whatever reason I do like him. And this little fable about the personification of death is no exception. With sentences that stretch from the middle of page 8 to the top of page 9, and with light whimsy interspersed with serious things to ponder like who is in charge of things? death or god? this short little novel explores the effect on the world, or at least one small corner of the world, of life without death.

Emily S

Jose Saramago is THE MAN and I love his writing style with everything that is within me. However, I struggling with the plot a little more in this book than I was expecting - notably the difference between the first half (about the repercussions of the lack of death on the country as a whole) and the second half (following death as a character). It tied together at the very end, but I think that tie could have been strengthened a little. Blindness still remains my favorite Saramago book!

Shreerag Plakazhi

I loved reading this book so much. It went places I would go, and so many other places. I've never had such a meeting point of expectations and reality, and had the opportunity to be satisfied as well. Incredible.

Kathleen 

Basem Ezzat

While Death sits in her apartment wondering what would happen if she became human and fell in love, no one dies, raising concerns among a population confronting the harsh realities of eternal life.