The Stone Raft

The epigraph and the illustration before the first chapter sort of takes you by hand, makes you sit, start and read... hoping for another tour de force by an excellent author.
(after reading):
And so it proves to be. Apart from the political themes that this book evokes, the heart of the story (as always) is in the exact place that you would see Saramago himself placing: within the human experience of togetherness, universal mystery and the belief in the inseparability of truth from fantasy.

Memorable characters tread the ground in this work of fantastical truths. One would love to accompany them on any journey undertaken. One by one, Saramago not just populates his canvas wit fascinating characters, but evokes emotions out of Nature itself.

Undoubtedly one of the difficult books to write, there are themes aplenty to appreciate and connect with. The raft is travelling because it is inhabited by living souls.