Cain

Fiction & Literature, Literary, Historical
Cover of the book Cain by José Saramago, HMH Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: José Saramago ISBN: 9780547519401
Publisher: HMH Books Publication: October 4, 2011
Imprint: Mariner Books Language: English
Author: José Saramago
ISBN: 9780547519401
Publisher: HMH Books
Publication: October 4, 2011
Imprint: Mariner Books
Language: English

“Saramago juxtaposes an eminently readable narrative of work and poverty, class and desire, knowledge and timelessness—one in which God, too, as he faces Cain in the wake of Noah's Ark, emerges as far more human than expected.” —San Francisco Chronicle

In this, his last novel, José Saramago daringly reimagines the characters and narratives of the Old Testament, recalling his provocative The Gospel According to Jesus Christ. His tale runs from the Garden of Eden, when God realizes he has forgotten to give Adam and Eve the gift of speech, to the moment when Noah’s Ark lands on the dry peak of Ararat. Cain, the despised, the murderer, is Saramago’s protagonist.

Condemned to wander forever after he kills his brother Abel, Cain makes his way through the world in the company of a personable donkey. He is a witness to and participant in the stories of Isaac and Abraham, the destruction of the Tower of Babel, Moses and the golden calf, the trials of Job. The rapacious Queen Lilith takes him as her lover. An old man with two sheep on a rope crosses his path. And again and again, Cain encounters a God whose actions seem callous, cruel, and unjust. He confronts Him, he argues with Him. “And one thing we know for certain,” Saramago writes, “is that they continued to argue and are arguing still.”

A startling book—sensual, funny—and in all ways a fitting end to Saramago’s extraordinary career.

“A winkingly blasphemous retelling of the Old Testament . . . Saramago, playfully stretching his chatty late style, pokes holes in the stated logic of the Biblical God throughout the novel.” —The New Yorker

This e-book includes a sample chapter of BLINDNESS.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

“Saramago juxtaposes an eminently readable narrative of work and poverty, class and desire, knowledge and timelessness—one in which God, too, as he faces Cain in the wake of Noah's Ark, emerges as far more human than expected.” —San Francisco Chronicle

In this, his last novel, José Saramago daringly reimagines the characters and narratives of the Old Testament, recalling his provocative The Gospel According to Jesus Christ. His tale runs from the Garden of Eden, when God realizes he has forgotten to give Adam and Eve the gift of speech, to the moment when Noah’s Ark lands on the dry peak of Ararat. Cain, the despised, the murderer, is Saramago’s protagonist.

Condemned to wander forever after he kills his brother Abel, Cain makes his way through the world in the company of a personable donkey. He is a witness to and participant in the stories of Isaac and Abraham, the destruction of the Tower of Babel, Moses and the golden calf, the trials of Job. The rapacious Queen Lilith takes him as her lover. An old man with two sheep on a rope crosses his path. And again and again, Cain encounters a God whose actions seem callous, cruel, and unjust. He confronts Him, he argues with Him. “And one thing we know for certain,” Saramago writes, “is that they continued to argue and are arguing still.”

A startling book—sensual, funny—and in all ways a fitting end to Saramago’s extraordinary career.

“A winkingly blasphemous retelling of the Old Testament . . . Saramago, playfully stretching his chatty late style, pokes holes in the stated logic of the Biblical God throughout the novel.” —The New Yorker

This e-book includes a sample chapter of BLINDNESS.

More books from HMH Books

Cover of the book Wind, Sand and Stars by José Saramago
Cover of the book The Fifth of March by José Saramago
Cover of the book Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking by José Saramago
Cover of the book A Star Is Found by José Saramago
Cover of the book Betty Crocker 20 Best Doughnut Recipes by José Saramago
Cover of the book Four Quartets by José Saramago
Cover of the book 101 Sangrias and Pitcher Drinks by José Saramago
Cover of the book The Junkyard Bot by José Saramago
Cover of the book Child Made of Sand by José Saramago
Cover of the book Guyku by José Saramago
Cover of the book Hooray for Hat! by José Saramago
Cover of the book The Funniest Man in Baseball by José Saramago
Cover of the book Better Homes and Gardens Fresh Grilling by José Saramago
Cover of the book The Days of the King by José Saramago
Cover of the book White Apples and the Taste of Stone by José Saramago
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy