The History of the Siege of Lisbon

Main Ideas

• Interweaving of history and fiction: the book explores how historical events can be reimagined and altered through the lens of fiction.
• The role of language and text: it examines how text and language influence the perception of history and reality, and how they can be tools of manipulation.
• Theme of loneliness and search for meaning: the protagonist, Raimundo Silva, experiences a personal crisis and seeks meaning in his life through rewriting history.
• Impact of the past on the present: the book considers how historical events and personal decisions from the past affect the present and individual destinies.
• Playing with alternative history: Saramago offers an alternative perspective on historical events, questioning what might have happened if history had taken a different path.