The History of the Siege of Lisbon
"If proofreaders were given their freedom and did not have their hands  and feet tied by a mass of prohibitions more binding than the penal code, they would  soon transform the face of the world, establish the kingdom of universal happiness,  giving drink to the thirsty, food to the famished, peace to those who live in turmoil, joy to  the sorrowful ... for they would be able to do all these things simply by changing the  words ..."  The power of the word is evident in Portuguese author José  Saramago's novel,The History of the Siege of Lisbon.His protagonist, a  proofreader named Raimundo Silva, adds a key word to a history of Portugal and thus  rewrites not only the past, but also his own life.Brilliantly translated from the Portuguese by Giovanni Pontiero,The History of the  Siege of Lisbonis a meditation on the differences between historiography, historical  fiction, and "stories inserted into history." The novel is really two stories in  one: the reimagined history of the 1147 siege of Lisbon that Raimundo feels compelled to  write and the story of Raimundo's life, including his unexpected love affair with the  editor, Maria Sara. In Saramago's masterful hands, the strands of this complex tale weave  together to create a satisfying whole.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.