Ler Saramago em tempos liberais e conservadores

Abstract

This article summarizes the main aspects of José Saramago’s reception in the 1980s and 1990s, considering the political and cultural transformations of the period. Then, it presents the following reading hypothesis for the whole of his work: Saramago’s fiction oscillates between philosophical skepticism, political belief and moral reserve. Finally, an interpretation of the hermeneutic nucleus present in the History of the siege of Lisbon is made: the production of meaning for the historical event depends on some rhetorical devices, the most decisive being the allegories of fog and the empty wall.