Rating: 
Summary: waste of paper
Review: sentimental, trite, puerile and tedious
Rating: 
Summary: The Cave by Jose Saramago
Review: The Cave is an extraordinarily good book. It reflects the talents of a writer with two gifts: wisdom and excellent story- telling skills. After reading the book, one is left to ponder fundamental thoughts about life, existence, and reality. I wholeheartedly recommend this book for the patient reader who has a love for words and images.
Rating:
Summary: Warm, Wonderful Characters
Review: THE CAVE is not my favorite Saramago work, but there's no denying it's masterful. I loved its premise as well as Saramago's trademark insight and wit. THE CAVE began wonderfully and it moved along nicely for about 1/4 of the book. At that point, however, it bogged down and remained bogged down until the final fifty pages or so. Saramago is a writer who demands much concentration and contemplation from the reader. He's definitely a writer with something important to say. After I finished the book, I thought about it for many days and I reread Plato's allegory. Since THE CAVE is, in my mind, Saramago's most complex work to date, I asked myself if the book really did bog down or if the problem was me? Did I miss the point? Or at least part of it? Was I being too critical? After much contemplation, I come to the conclusion that, for me at least, there was simply too much detail about the making of the clay figurines. I realize, given the ending of the book, that some of this detail was absolutely necessary, but I know I would have enjoyed the book much more had Saramago not lingered so long over the intricacies of firing and painting the dolls. The characters in THE CAVE are wonderful and for me, they were the best thing about this book. They are warm and beautifully-drawn and I don't see how any reader could not care about them and their situation. All of them...Marta, Marcal, Isaura and especially Cipriano were "real" people; it was impossible not to love them and want the best for them. When I began writing this review, I intended on giving THE CAVE only four stars...for the simple reason that it does bog down in the middle. After a bit more reflection, however, I decided the book deserved five stars instead. A reader would have to search far and wide to find a book as complex and erudite...and as entertaining. And, even though the book bogged down a bit for me, it might not for you. You might find all the detail about the figurines more interesting than I did. All in all, I found THE CAVE to be a masterfully-crafted, complex book peopled with warm, lovable characters. It's a book any intelligent reader simply can't afford to miss.
Rating: 
Summary: Warmly ironic novel
Review: The plot of this novel is fairly sparse and is succintly revealed in the "official" description and even on the back cover of the volume. This fact alone should be enough to alert anyone searching for an epic read that they'd be well-advised to look elsewhere. Rather, this is an intellectual novel of ideas, written in a distinctive and expressive style.
On the mental plane, The Cave is overtly allegorical, which in my opinion, isn't a selling virtue; but on the other hand, Saramago avoids the grim demon of obscurantism that possesses most modern or contemporary authors writing in this vein. There is no excuse for walking away from this book, scratching your head and wondering what it was all about. Maybe there is an echo of Kafka in the overall style, but this is a much more humane and accessible piece of fiction than The Castle, for instance.
The heart of the book lies in the relationships between the main characters, which are simple and yet richly nuanced. Much of the weight of the book's prose is in the dialogue between the characters, and it must be noted that Saramago's prose style necessitates that the reader pay careful attention in order to discern which character is speaking. The rhythm of the prose is generally effective in keeping who-said-what reasonably clear, though.
The prose style of this book (and this is a work translated into English, so the text must reflect the imprint of the translator as well as the author) is non-conventional, with extended sentences claused out by numerous commas, and an employment of paragraphs that can seem a bit arbitrary. There are a fair number of chapter breaks. The point of view is third person omniscient, and the flow of the narrative is something like an edited stream of consciousness.
Overall, however, the style does work well and the authorial voice is compelling enough to keep the pages turning quite steadily. This was the first book by Saramago which I have read, and it was good enough that I will likely explore his other works in the future, some time when I have a craving for this type of intellectual fare (which, sadly, isn't all that often). I would not call this a masterpiece, however, or rate it at five stars; to my sensibilities, the ending felt somewhat hurried. But the book did leave me with a positive feeling, which is a rarity for this type of literature.
Rating: 
Summary: Tedious
Review: The story is about a 64-year old potter who makes clay plates, water jugs, etc. His buyer tells him that they no longer need his products because people want to buy plastic plates, etc. The story revolves around three characters: The potter, his daughter and son-in-law. The novel is narrated mostly in the third-person style. There is a lot of philosophical analysis in thoughts by each of the characters about each other and life in general. After all three move into The Center, which is a huge complex that houses stores, amusements and apartments, they discover, after The Center has been doing excavation work far below the complex, something that changes their thinking about life in general, and they all take off in a van to start life anew, with no destination in mind. I really struggled and had to force myself to finish this book. For myself the story was rather boring. The author's paragraphs can go on for several pages, and some sentences are loaded with commas and can last a whole page. However, the Chicago Trib stated, "A genuinely brilliant novel." Either the reviewer for the Trib did not read the book, or I'm missing something! lol
Rating:
Summary: Life experience packaged and sold back to us
Review: The story starts out in a simple fashion, Cipriano Algor, a widower in his sixties and a potter by trade, is on the verge of losing his livelihood. He lives with his daughter, Marta, and his son-in-law, Marcal, who is a security guard at the Centre, a huge complex in the city where people live, work, and most importantly shop and consume without ever having to go outside. For quite awhile the Centre had been Cipriano's only buyer of his earthenware crafts, their contract with him demanding that he sell to the Centre exclusively, and then one day his contract is abruptly cancelled. At the same time, his son-in-law is expecting a promotion to resident guard which would involve leaving the pottery and moving the family into the Centre, but even so Cipriano and Marta make a last attempt to save the pottery from extinction. More than just a story about aging, or traditional ways versus modern life, the suspense builds throughout this short novel as the reader is drawn into the lives and feelings of very realistic human beings.. The close to nature life of the village and the globalized Centre are in total contrast and the drive from the village to the Centre is unforgettable, first passing the so-called green belt where nothing is green (and the insides of the strawberries grown there are white), then through the industrial belt, then the shanty town where the poor live, then through the city itself to the impenetrable fortress called the Centre. Consumers are barraged with advertising slogans and expect to find everything (or a copy of everything) that can be bought from anywhere in the world as well as every imaginable form of entertainment including a casino, a racing track for cars, a beach with waves - even sensations, like being in a tornado, or a blizzard can be experienced inside the Centre. Most of the apartments in the Centre do not even have windows that look out, many of the residents prefer a view of the inside of the Centre itself, and half the dwellings have no windows at all.
I had never before heard of Plato's story of the cave, but I have learned about it since finishing this novel and once seen the connection is striking, just the way the people in the cave are able to see only shadows on the wall which they mistake for reality, so the people in the center see and experience only artificial life, all in all quite a comment on global capitalism. This was my fourth book by Jose Saramago and once again I am struck by his slow and subtle but very powerful style as a writer.
Rating:
Summary: the beauty is not in the forest, but the trees ...
Review: This certainly is one of the most unusual books that I've read within the last several years. The setting of this fable-type story is entirely vague and unspecified, as are many other details, which adds a surreal shading. It follows an aging potter, Cipriano Algor, his pregnant daughter, and her husband in an allegorical passage from a warm, pastoral cottage into a commercialized, cold, ultra-capitolistic urban center cryptically referred to as "The Center". The humble protagonist, who has failed in his lifelong profession as a simple country potter, is forced to leave his home and follow his much beloved daughter into The Center because of her husband's occupation. Along with this we become deeply familiar with the characters and thier torn, ambivalent emotions. Upon arrival into The Center, Cipriano stumbles into a highly secret, underground phenomenon. The story line itself is not very scintillating or gripping. You will not be glued to the book at 3 am with your heart racing. It is rather predictable and, if you have even the vaguest recollection of Plato's description of his famous cave, the parallels will be incredibly obvious. Also, it should be mentioned that Saramago has absolutely no regard for punctuation. There are sentences which take half a page, sometimes more. Moreover, the lack of quotation marks will leave you wondering whether a given passage is narrative, a line, or a thought. That having been said, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The beauty is not in the forest, but the trees. First of all, the language (or the translation thereof) is absolutely beautiful. The very unusual word choice is so touching and perfect. There are so many passages and reflections which are utterly wise and powerful. They project little portions of the human reality that we all know but either have never noticed or never examined with Saramago's tender and peculiar eye. The pages are sunk under miles of depth and understanding. Furthermore, the characters are so very real and, ultimately, you can nearly experience their love and commitment to one another, along with all the ambiguities and struggles the typify human relationships. They are captivating and memorable. Most surprising and enjoyable are the descriptions of Cipriano's dog, Found. If you can accept the lackluster plot and gramatical anarchy, and can appreciate each sentence and each character as a solitary thing to be examined and admired, I highly recommend this book. I look forward to reading "Blindness" next.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful read
Review: This is one of those books that you press on to finish, and then realize what a great story you have just read. If must say I was frustrated at the punctuation, often having to go back and read a page over to make sure I did not miss something! The book would have been more enjoyable had I known what to expect with the writing style.
Rating: 
Summary: no one edits anymore
Review: Under this tangle of overwriting is a simple, touching story. A good editor who wasn't intimidated by the writer's credentials could have suggested that not every idea, every word, every "everything" that popped into the author's mind needed to be included in the story. Some writers can get away with overwriting because they charm you into indulging them, but this author is not among that group. Edit, edit, edit.
Rating:
Summary: "I MIGHT AS WELL JUST DRIVE THE VAN INTO A WALL"
Review: Utilizing Plato's famous allegory Saramago provides a cynical and dark commentary on modern society in THE CAVE. In an unknown city in the distant future looms the Center, a multipurpose expansive complex for shopping, entertainment, and housing. The Center is a self-contained society as individuals can satisfy all needs without leaving. Even included are 'sensations', or simulated activities of the outside world such as a rainstorm or a beach. It is evident that Saramago views the Center as a model of unbridled capitalism as each action made by the Center is done exclusively on terms of maximum rationalization and efficiency without concern for those negatively affected. Ciprano is a self-employed third generation aging potter who has an exclusive contract with the Center to sell earthenware pots and jugs. He and his married daughter create the earthenware in their kiln at their modest country home. Each week he drives his van into this city to deliver his goods to the buying department at the Center. As he drives he passes shantytowns, desolate greenhouses, and decaying industrial complexes. It is during one of these excursions that Ciprano is informed that due to technological advances his product is no longer desired. The consumer now favors pots and jugs made from a durable plastic that is less known to breakage, unlike earthenware. Because being a potter is Ciprano's only trade and his contract forbids him from selling to other stores his career has ended prematurely. He is given two weeks to remove his remaining inventory from the Center's warehouse and his efforts of a supplier to the Center are congratulated. It is at this tragic moment that subsequent events of THE CAVE unfold. Ciprano is forced to face his future with little hope of happiness or economic independence. He must face the fact that the Center no longer wants his outdated wares and is no longer needed. Written in Saramago's unconventional style of lacking paragraph indentations and including very minimal punctuation, THE CAVE is a brilliant tale of the horrors of free market capitalism that mirrors Saramago's own political beliefs. I am reluctant to give THE CAVE five stars because I felt there were too many instances of runaway prose that detracted from the story and some sections seemed to drag on and on. Otherwise, THE CAVE is a book that demands reflection and thought. It is not an easy book to read, both stylistically or thematically, but I believe it is well worth reading nonetheless.
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