The novel 'Raised from the ground' has its own spirit. One that enthrals according to its wishes. It majestically starts with a quotation from Almeida Garrett:
If the essences of the planet Earth we inhabit had to be described, José Saramago's novel would succeed in moving the unitiated about terrestrials' truths. The novel was written with love. Actually, with a lot of love for the people working the land, who know the meaning of a sudden change in the clouds, a swish of wheat, a breeze and the implications these might have on the harvest. Also, the novel gives praise to the simple people who managed, no matter the sacrifices, to rise against Portuguese landlords, regardless of the political regimes they lived under. Bad-Weather (the name of the family presented in this novel, which is in Portuguese Mau-Tempo) is not at all a fetter, but a support.
Brimming with charm, the narrator's voice gives a different perspective to the novel, blending together with those of various characters. And even if one has never been reliant on the fruits of the land, one is bound to find themselves vibrating while reading these pages.
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