Summary of José Saramago's Journey to Portugal

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 The first traveler ever to pull up in his car with the engine already in Portugal but the petrol tank still in Spain was heard preaching to the fish in the river. He told them to gather around and advice him which language they spoke when they crossed the watery frontiers beneath.

#2 The traveller was greeted by a sudden breeze that ruffled the waters. He fell silent, and soon after, nothing could be seen except for the river and its shores. He was forced to acknowledge his own shortcomings and learn about miracles.

#3 The traveler can confirm that the Portuguese have a sense of humor, as the town of Miranda do Douro, located on the banks of the Duero River, has graffiti that is obscenely anti-Spanish.

#4 The traveler was unable to contain his vanity. He came from so far away and was admitted to the mysteries simply because of his honest face. He began to question his motives. A journey is not supposed to be a matter of moving on, but of being.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Jul 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822546349

IRB Media

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Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The first traveler ever to pull up in his car with the engine already in Portugal but the petrol tank still in Spain was heard preaching to the fish in the river. He told them to gather around and advice him which language they spoke when they crossed the watery frontiers beneath.

#2

The traveller was greeted by a sudden breeze that ruffled the waters. He fell silent, and soon after, nothing could be seen except for the river and its shores. He was forced to acknowledge his own shortcomings and learn about miracles.

#3

The traveler can confirm that the Portuguese have a sense of humor, as the town of Miranda do Douro, located on the banks of the Duero River, has graffiti that is obscenely anti-Spanish.

#4

The traveler was unable to contain his vanity. He came from so far away and was admitted to the mysteries simply because of his honest face. He began to question his motives. A journey is not supposed to be a matter of moving on, but of being.

#5

The traveller continued to observe and memorize everything he saw, and when he reached the village of Malhadas, he asked about the river named Fresno. The village residents told him that the river had always been called that, and that they couldn’t explain why.

#6

The traveller arrived in Caçarelhos, a village in the lands of Trás-os-Montes. It was a plateau, and the traveler was not going to gainsay his imagination, which had transformed the church into a tortoise. Two leagues further on lies Camilo Castelo Branco, who had made fun of Samardã, a town in the lands of Trás-os-Montes.

#7

The traveler stopped his car and picked a spiky sweet chestnut as a simple reminder for many months to come. Now it had dried out, it was time for him to return and visit the great chestnut tree beside the main road.

#8

The main road towards Vimioso winds its way through beautiful countryside. The traveler passes through a town called Vimioso, which is built on a gentle slope. The town seems peaceful, but the traveler has no intention of staying there.

#9

The traveller arrives in Portugal and goes to eat at a restaurant in the town of Sendim. He is served a delicious vegetable soup, accompanied by bread and wine. While he is eating, he thinks about the past and future landscapes that are filling his mind.

Insights from Chapter 2

#1

The traveller was a native of the lowlands, and had hoped for something on a grander scale. He was already saying that the mountains were not as impressive as they seemed from a distance.

#2

The village of Azinhoso sparkles the traveller's passion for the rural Romanesque regions of the North. The more he thinks about it, the more he decides that's the word for it: repentance. Villages are like people, we approach them slowly, a step at a time, not like this, a sudden ambush under cover of darkness.

#3

The traveler was en route to an estate that lay beyond the dark forest, and he couldn't even determine if the banks rising up the roadside verges were rising or falling. He struggled to find his way in an ink blot sky without even stars to guide him.

#4

The traveller was ready to move on from works of art. He had taken to the byways, leading onto a bridge crossing over the River Vilariça, to climb and climb. The main road unraveled endlessly, and the traveller began to fear a puff of wind might carry him off.

#5

The traveler arrived in the village of Adeganha, where they told him about a lovely Romanesque church. He was amazed by the village's granite flagstone, which served as a main square, threshing floor, and bed for the moonlight.

#6

The traveller makes his descent down a road in even worse condition. His car suspension is creaking and protesting, and it comes as a relief when, in among the puddles and quagmires, Junqueira emerges.

#7

The traveller reaches Mirandela, a stopping point for him. He decides to continue to Braganza, and heads towards the north. He passes through communities that have become known as improvement villages, which were founded by former ministers of Public Works.

#8

From the heights, you can see Braganza. The afternoon is quickly fading, and the traveler is growing weary. There must be a hotel here, somewhere to eat and sleep.

Insights from Chapter 3

#1

The road to Rio de Onor is a desert. There are occasional villages along the way, but you travel through them only to regain the primitive wilderness. There are no virgin forests or rocky outcrops, and the only evidence of cultivation is the occasional house.

#2

The Rio de Onor is a river that runs through Rio de Onor. The traveler had wanted to visit the village, but he was told that the main road was poor. However, he decided to act in character and go down the street. The man offered him spirits, and the