Book Review: Skylight by José Saramago

Skylight by José Saramago (Original title: Claraboia)

Age Group/Genre: Romance Novel, Adult

Publication date: October 17th, 2011 (submitted for publication in 1953)

Setting: Lisbon, 1940

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Synopsis

A previously unpublished novel by a literary master, Skylighttells the intertwined stories of the residents of a faded apartment building in 1940s Lisbon.

Silvestre and Mariana, a happily married elderly couple, take in a young nomad, Abel, and soon discover their many differences. Adriana loves Beethoven more than any man, but her budding sexuality brings new feelings to the surface. Carmen left Galicia to marry humble Emilio, but hates Lisbon and longs for her first love, Manolo. Lidia used to work the streets, but now she’s kept by Paulo, a wealthy man with a wandering eye (...) (via Goodreads).

How I rate it: ★★★✮☆ (3.5/5)

I rated it 3.5 stars not in a bad way. It was simply because I believe that this is not his best work and it shows how naive and how not fully matured he was.

My thoughts

When I was in 12th grade, I had to read Baltasar and Blimunda and, honestly, it was so boring that I actually skipped some chapters. Perhaps if I read it now, I would enjoy it but, at that time, I simply hated it. However, I actually enjoyed reading Skylight.

It tells the story about six families that live in a building in Lisbon and, through them, we can take a look at the mentality of the people at that time. Like the title tells us - Skylight -, we can peak into little pieces of the life of the residents of that building and their relationship with life and with other people amongst them. With subtlety, Saramago deals with delicate themes for the time (1950), like unhappy marriagens, infidelity, homosexuality, prostitution, inner solitude, and the lack of freedom.

Considering that this novel was written in 1953 (although it was only published posthumously in 2011), his style, with paragraphs and puctuation, is far from what would end up characterizing Saramago. The fact that he was kinda provocative when approaching taboo subjects for the salazarista time in which this novel was written, was something that I really appreciated.

If you are looking for a "light" reading, this is the book: with provides good entertainment and some interesting reflections.

Quotes

They always left the thermos full, ready for their return home. The five minutes devoted to that small late-night feast made them feel rather special, as if they had suddenly left the mediocrity of their lives behind them and risen a few rungs on the economic ladder. The kitchen disappeared and gave way to an intimate little drawing room with expensive furniture and paintings on the wall and a piano in one corner. ― José Saramago, Skylight

Beethoven was ugly too, and no woman ever loved him, and he was Beethoven! He didn’t need to be loved in order to do what he did. He just needed to love and he did. ― José Saramago, Skylight