Brilliant Writing

I am a little biased because Saramago is my favorite writer. The writing style is absolutely genius. There are also so many literary gems in here: metaphors, analogies, poetic beauty, and wise parables and sayings. The satirical element is quite effective with very clever comedic wordplay. The characters are quite rich and you have to love the elephant himself. My only criticism is it’s a little anticlimactic and could use some more suspense or pivotal moments. Highly recommend but just to war, it is a challenging read. The wonderful narrator brought this story to life.

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Very Portuguese

There's something quintessentially Portuguese about this novel. It's something about the gentle humor, the deep wisdom, the kind acceptance of human nature. There's also a sense of absurd frivolity, rather like some of Lisbon's fanciful architecture. Somehow the author manages to write with bold childlike innocence and the wisdom of the ages. What's more amazing is that he did so while telling of a true historical event. It left me in tears but also in touch with my inner child.

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Delightful Tale

The Elephant's Journey is fascinating, humorous, and quite enjoyable. I particularly liked the reader's interpretation.

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suleiman the magnificent another great elephant

i had a little trouble with the first chapter or so .his narrative seemed to be all over the place. but then i got it and it flowed. amusing and sensitive. i have heard other versions of the story. i wonder which one is the truth.

Great story

Very amusing in language that is profound and beautiful. Vivid descriptions and exciting events but most of all I love the satire and the humour, turning a serious situation into lightheartedness.

Saramago is formidable

Not my favorite from him. That's for sure. Always know for his witty dialogues and fast dialogues, there's not much Saramago could do with a silent animal. Anyhow, the characters are adorable or funny to read. The historical story is interesting and perhaps an inciting itinerary to some.

Performance is well executed. Although some voices from the reader are a bit distracting.

a linguistics itinerary

loved the expressions and the interest for sound in the proper language. i count stop hearing the journey and all the critics to the society in the text.

It was fun to read and hear.

Easy to understand with deep thoughts about history, mankind, status, friendship. It keeps the legend alive about Salomon, the elephant.

Not the best Saramago

This is beautifully written, as all Saramago’s books, but the story lacked something... it felt just like a mere account of facts

The Elelhant's Journey

Nice to follow a story from so long ago. Nice that it was a simple plot and beautifully adorned in prose