All the Names

Jose Saramago

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obsession with identity

bureaucratic indifference

existential

kafkaesque atmosphere

exploration of loneliness

struggle between order and chaos

slow pacing

intricate writing style

gloomy setting

complex character dynamics

themes of isolation

life and death symbolism

consequences of bureaucracy

In 'All the Names' by Jose Saramago, the main character, Senhor Jos, works as a clerk at a town registry holding records of mostly dead individuals. A chance misplacement of a death record leads him to develop an obsession for learning more about a dead woman he never knew, sparking a solo investigation into her life and circumstances around her untimely death. Despite the gloomy backdrop of Jos's constrained freedom and powerlessness, the narrative is dry yet thought-provoking, exploring themes of isolation, identity, and the struggle between order and chaos in a bureaucratic world.

Characters:

The characters are marked by isolation and complexity, with Senhor Jose embodying loneliness and obsession amidst a backdrop of bureaucratic indifference.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is dense and intricate, with long sentences and unorthodox punctuation, featuring fluid dialogue and rich philosophical themes.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around a clerk's obsessive quest to uncover the life of an unknown woman, exploring themes of loneliness, identity, and the consequences of bureaucracy.

Setting:

The setting predominantly features a bureaucratic registry and a cemetery, symbolizing the intertwining of life and death, contributing to a sense of isolation.

Pacing:

The pacing is slow and methodical, mirroring the protagonist's mundane existence, encouraging contemplation but potentially losing reader engagement.

Notes:

The main character, Senhor Jose, is a lowly clerk at the Central Registry, responsible for recording births, marriages, and deaths.

Senhor Jose has worked at the Registry for his entire adult life and lives in a small room attached to the office.

He has no friends or family, leading a solitary and mundane life, but he collects news clippings about famous people as a hobby.

One day, he accidentally comes across the file of an unknown woman, which sparks his obsession to learn more about her life.

His quest leads him into illegal activities, such as breaking into a school and stealing records, showcasing a gradual change from his mundane existence.

The story explores themes of loneliness, identity, and the significance of names in a bureaucratic society.

The narrative style features long, complex sentences and a lack of punctuation, creating a unique reading experience that mirrors the protagonist's thoughts.

Death and memory play crucial roles, with the Central Registry symbolizing the connection between the living and the dead.

The book reflects on the themes of anonymity and obsession, questioning the meaning of life and individual identity amidst overwhelming bureaucracy.

Senhor Jose’s internal dialogues and conversations with the ceiling illustrate his profound isolation and desire for human connection.

From The Publisher:

WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR LITERATURE

José Saramago's mesmerizing, classic narrative about the loneliness of individual lives and the universal need for human connection.

Senhor José is a low-grade clerk in the city's Central Registry, where the living and the dead share the same shelf space. A middle-aged bachelor, he has no interest in anything beyond the certificates of birth, marriage, divorce, and death that are his daily routine. But one day, when he comes across the records of an anonymous young woman, something happens to him. Obsessed, Senhor José sets off to follow the thread that may lead him to the woman??-??but as he gets closer, he discovers more about her, and about himself, than he would ever have wished.The loneliness of people's lives, the effects of chance, the discovery of love??-??all coalesce in this extraordinary novel that displays the power and art of José Saramago in brilliant form.

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Want To Read (6)
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All the Names?

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About the Author:

JOSÉ SARAMAGO (1922-2010) was the author of many novels, among them Blindness, All the Names, Baltasar and Blimunda, and The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis. In 1998 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.MARGARET JULL COSTA has established herself as the premier translator of Portuguese literature into English today.

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