In a sprawling archive called the Central Registry, a clerk, Senhor José, spends his days among the files of the living and the dead. He keeps a hidden collection about famous people, and when one day he comes across the file of an unknown woman, he decides to find out who she is. This act pulls him out of his solitary life and into a night search that breaks the rules of an institution he has served for decades. Saramago uses the premise to examine anonymity, names and what it means to matter to another person.
A fine pick for readers who like Kafka, bureaucratic fantasies and unusual love stories.
Deep, inward-looking, contemplative, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1900
- Publisher
- Editorial Caminho
- ISBN
- 9789722111379
- Language
- PT
