Levantado do Chão

José Saramago follows several generations of the Mau-Tempo family, landless farm laborers in Portugal's Alentejo region, from the early twentieth century through the 1974 revolution. The novel describes their poverty, the power of the landowners and the church, and the repression they endure under the dictatorship, until a movement for change begins. It was the book in which Saramago found his mature voice.

It suits readers who like historical fiction with a political edge and a storytelling style that uses long sentences and little punctuation. You get a saga of rural life told with irony and sympathy.

Thought-provoking; a moderate read.

Best for readers like The Deep Diver. Which reader are you?