Ababhali abakhulu bathanda Saramago Yibo abagcina imisebenzi yabo ikhona njengamanje. Ngoba lapho umsebenzi uqukethe lobo buntu obufakwe ku-alchemy yombhalo, isisekelo sobukhona siyatholakala. Isihloko sokweqa kwefa lobuciko noma lombhalo bese sifinyelela lokho kuqondana kweqiniso okwenza kungaphelelwa yisikhathi.
UJosé Saramago oneminyaka engama-25 owethule le noveli emhlabeni wabona umbono wakhe obalulekile ngalesi sidingo esibalulekile sokufakaza. Okuthile okwenzeka kuwo wonke umbhali obambelele phansi, ngaphansi kwesisusa esiyinkulungwane nesisodwa esifihla leyo nhloso, intando yokugcina yokudlulisa ingxenye yobuntu okufanele ayichaze. Isitayela sihlale sipholishwe ngokuhamba phambili, ama-wefts angachazwa ngempumelelo enkulu. Ukuzola kweminyaka emidala kunikezwa kwamanye ama-nuances aphelele kakhulu efomini. Kepha phansi kobuhlakani, inzika, kugcina kutholakala kangcono kakhulu emsebenzini wobusha onjengalo.
Ngemuva kokushona komyeni wakhe, uMaria Leonor, umama wezingane ezimbili, uzizwa ekhungathekile ngobunzima bokulawula ifa lakhe e-Alentejo, okulindelwe ngumphakathi kanye nokulawulwa okuqinile kwemvelo yakhe. Ngemuva kwezinyanga ezimbalwa ecindezelekile, unquma ukuthi ekugcineni abhekane nesibopho sakhe njengomnikazi womhlaba, kepha inhliziyo yakhe ihlushwa yisono sangasese: yize kukhona ukulila, isifiso sakhe asikacinywa.
Phakathi kwemibono mayelana nengqikithi yothando, ukuhamba kwesikhathi kanye nezinguquko ezinhle emvelweni, umfelokazi osemusha uchitha ubusuku bakhe ephapheme, ehlola uthando lwezincekukazi zakhe futhi ehlushwa isizungu sakhe. Kuze kufike amadoda amabili ahluke kakhulu empilweni yakhe futhi ikusasa lakhe lihluleka ngokungalindelekile.
Kubhalwe ngo-1947, Umfelokazi yinoveli yokuqala yombhali, eyashicilelwa ePortugal ngaphansi kwesihloko esithi Terra do isono ngesinqumo somhleli. Namuhla, lapho kugujwa iminyaka eyikhulu yombhali, ishicilelwa okokuqala ngeSpanishi, ngokuhlonipha isihloko sayo sokuqala, lendaba ebhalwe nguJosé Saramago osemncane, olindele umbhali omkhulu sonke esimaziyo. Indlela yakhe yokubuka umhlaba kanye nezinye izici zamanoveli akhe ahlonishwayo asevele ekhona kuwo: amandla okulandisa angajwayelekile nomlingiswa wesifazane ongasoze alibaleka.
Manje usungathenga inoveli ethi «La viuda», kaJosé Saramago, lapha:
