This book by José Saramago, published in 1980 and released for the first time in Greek, depicts the struggle of a people to overcome centuries of oppression, exploitation, and social inequality. The intricate narrative, personal and autobiographical, follows the journey of the Mau-Tempo family. They are poor farmers who closely resemble the ancestors of the author himself. The lives of these people, full of toil and sweat, unfold in a martyrdom-stricken region of southern Portugal. Against this backdrop, significant national and international events take place, such as the arrival of democracy in the country, the two world wars, as well as the assassination attempt on dictator Salazar. Yet nothing affects the characters more than the prospect of existing differently; nothing stirs hope within them more than the subversive idea of justice. The novel Those Who Raised the Earth is an important milestone in the creative path of the future Nobel laureate. A book of pain but also great love, a moving tribute to the men and women who shaped him.
“The book is titled Those Who Raised the Earth. Because, deep down, people rise from the earth, the wheat fields rise, it is in the earth that we sow, it is in the earth that trees are born, and from the earth, ultimately, a book can rise.”
Discover the emblematic novel "Those Who Raised the Earth" by Nobel laureate José Saramago in a unique edition. A masterpiece of world literature that captures with unparalleled lyricism and social depth the struggles, hopes, and endurance of the working people in the Portuguese countryside. Through Saramago’s unique, oral-style writing, the book brings to life generations of people who fought for the land, freedom, and human dignity. It represents a defining milestone in the literary career of the great creator and an essential acquisition for every lover of quality prose.
