The Gospel According to Jesus Christ

Published in 1991, this is one of Saramago’s masterpieces – written in his characteristic style (no paragraph breaks, dialogue without quotation marks), the work is a profoundly philosophical and provocative reimagining of the life of Christ, portraying Jesus as a humanized and imperfect character with passions and doubts.

The novel delves into profound theological questions: the problem of evil, the nature of a God portrayed as power-hungry and indifferent to human suffering.

It generated immense controversy, including condemnation from the Vatican and the Portuguese government blocking his nomination for the European Literary Prize, leading Saramago to leave Portugal.

Essential reading for anyone grappling with issues of faith, morality, and divine justice.