All The Names

A strange, surreal, and Kafkaesque novel. The primary character is essentially a drone in the huge central records department (births, deaths, etc.) and becomes fixated on a young women who's card he comes across in his work, leading to secretive excursions to locate her. Much of the writing is his first person narration of his fears, dreams, frustrations and his fear of authority. Kind of hard to understand, but honestly surreal enough to be worthy of finishing. If you like to go off the beaten path of formulaic writing and try something cerebral and literary, give it a try.

All the Names is not a very conventional novel. It is, however, one of the best I’ve read in awhile. Be prepared to read carefully and perhaps to refresh your Greek mythology knowledge, and the reward is Saramago’s subtle humor and his insights into human beings and our time here on Earth and beyond.

I know everyone talks about "Blindness" as Saramago's best, but this story is so sweet, so smart - I've read it at least five times.

José Saramago is one of my favorite authors, his writing style always intrigues me and pulls me in. This book is about the sadness of being alone, love, and death. Pretty weighty subjects, but Saramago tells a story that shows both wit and insight, quite moving. As usual, the language is beautiful and I recommend it. Excellent novel.

The Kafkaesque hero of "All the Names" works mindlessly for the mindless bureaucracy known as the Central Registry, the office of records for the population of an unnamed country that is presumably Portugal. "The Central Registry only wants to know when we're born and when we die . . . whether we marry, get divorced, widowed or remarried, the Central Registry has absolutely no interest in finding out if we were happy or unhappy. . . . For them we're just a few pieces of paper with a few names on it."Yet Senhor Jose (ironically the only person with a name in "All the Names") tries to instill life into the routine inhumanity of his profession. When we initially meet him, he is keeping a scrapbook of the 100 most famous people in his country, and he supplements his hobby by illicitly (and in violation of official policy) sneaking into the Registry at night to collect the records for these celebrities.Then, one day, he accidentally picks up a card of an anonymous, random woman--someone whose life and happiness are foreign to tabloids and magazines. His inexorable obsession (who is she? where does she live? what is she like?) snaps him out of his meaningless existence and propels him, like a modern-day Don Quixote, on a bizarre, increasingly absurd journey to find out what he can about her. His regulation-breaking pursuit motivates him to fabricate credentials, to burglarize a school, to sleep in a cemetery that mirrors the Registry (except that it houses only the dead), and eventually to invite the attention of his superiors.Dense and ponderous, Saramago's unpunctuated prose is, remarkably, seldom dull; what's extraordinary about this book is the suspense, the tension, the humor, and the sarcasm that keeps his narrative moving. There is almost a noir atmosphere behind this story, as the reader nervously follows a man who, drowning in a sea of daily tedium, can't resist the impulse to find the humanity behind "all the names" he files away in the registry. In the end, his rebellion restores integrity to his own life as well.

It is a testament to Saramago's skill as a writer that he is able to explore so many themes in such an intimate work. As other reviewers have noted, the book does examine the impact that loneliness and isolation have on a person. But, there are many other aspects that are explored with equal brilliance. Saramago takes great care in pointing out the prevalent role that pattern and routine have in everyone's life. He also examines the effect that fate has on a person's behavior. Each of these themes could easily be the single focus of any book. However, Saramago also finds a way to include explorations of the depths of obsession, the power of authority, and the need for friendship. What's more amazing is that each of these themes is explored in a way that feels complete and thorough.All The Names is another incredible work from one who is deserving of the Nobel Prize honor. Saramago once again challenges the reader to examine their feelings and revise their assumptions about life. Yet, it is done in a way that allows the reader to sympathize with the main character and be moved by the story. It is a rare talent that possesses the ability to masterfully handle so many aspects of writing. When that talent creates a book as multi-layered and fascinating as All The Names, it deserves to be read by as wide an audience as possible.

Like all Saramago, the literature is profound and exceptionally well-written. However, this Kindle edition is marred by horrible typographic errors. It reads like the publisher OCR'd the text and did not even pay a meager sum to a copy-editor to look through for basic mistakes. Extra commas/periods/etc. are all over the place. Several mysterious "Une"s appear, when it is clear that the original text was "line" but the OCR software made a mistake. These are inexcusable oversights that do a grave injustice to the author. Such typos in the Kindle edition appear almost every single page. They should really fix this.

In the spirit of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, This book seems to actually transform the way the readers mind works, blurring the distinctions between life and death, truth and deception, reality and subjectivity. A wonderful exploration by a brilliant writer.

I loved this book. I loved it for its deceptive simplicity and its main character Senor Jose, a very brave man about whom I began to care deeply.'All the names' is a clever book that draws you into the monotonous and mundane world of a middle-aged civil servant and then gives you an extraordinary story within the framework of a well thought-out philosophy about life, love and death. This novel explores the consequences of sustained loneliness, personal development and how how the living of our modern world rub shoulders with the dead. We are caught up with Senor Jose's quest to learn more about the 'unknown woman.' We tremble with him as he braves his fear of heights and roots around like a stalker in someone's else's life. We worry about the lows he experiences, the effect of his obsession on his mental health and how he risks everything to fulfill his quest to the bitter end. Finally, we applaud his bravery and obvious strength of character in the face of exposure.An uplifting book, where 'every man' triumphs. Highly recommended for the thoughtful.

Another great book from Jose Saramago. A unique story about civil servant in the registration department who goes beyond his normal role. A challenging but rewarding read.

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