If you enjoy reading books by José Saramago then you might also like the following authors:
Gabriel García Márquez was a master storyteller known for blending everyday life with a sense of the extraordinary.
His novel “One Hundred Years of Solitude” follows the Buendía family across generations in the fictional town of Macondo, where the line between the real and the fantastical often dissolves.
Strange yet captivating events fill the book, like a child born with a pig’s tail and an ascension to the heavens during laundry.
The story captures the weight of family history, the passage of time, and the cycles of human life with a dreamlike quality that lingers in your mind.
Haruki Murakami is a Japanese author known for weaving surreal elements into everyday life.
One of his books, “Kafka on the Shore,” follows a fifteen-year-old boy named Kafka who runs away from home and intersects with a strange librarian named Oshima and a mysterious older man, Mr. Nakata, who can talk to cats.
The story spins into a world where memories and dreams collide, blurring the line between reality and the fantastical. It’s an unusual mix of the mundane and the unexplained, where unexpected connections between people and events keep you turning pages.
Italo Calvino was an Italian author known for his imaginative storytelling and clever use of language. One of his standout works is “Invisible Cities.”
The book is structured as a series of conversations between the explorer Marco Polo and the emperor Kublai Khan, where Polo describes fantastical cities he claims to have visited. Each city is unique, often reflecting abstract ideas about memory, desire, or the passage of time.
One city, for example, seems to grow in every direction at once, while another is built entirely of strings and exists in suspension. The stories weave strange and beautiful landscapes that leave you questioning what is real and what is imagined.
Jorge Luis Borges was an Argentine writer who created stories filled with puzzles, symbols, and unusual ideas. If you enjoy José Saramago, you might like Borges’ inventive style. In his book “Fictions”, he explores strange and fantastical concepts.
One story, “The Library of Babel,” describes a library that contains every book ever written—and every book that could ever be written—but no one can find what they’re looking for.
Another story, “The Lottery in Babylon,” imagines a city where a lottery determines the fates of its citizens, from poverty to unexpected power. Borges often plays with reality and illusion, crafting tales that make you think long after you’re done reading.
Milan Kundera is a writer known for exploring the human condition with a mix of philosophy, humor, and deep emotion. His novel “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” is set in Czechoslovakia during the Prague Spring.
It follows the lives of Tomas, a doctor, his wife Tereza, and his lover Sabina. Tomas struggles with his desire for freedom against the pull of commitment to Tereza.
The story weaves personal choices with the backdrop of political upheaval, showing how events that feel distant can reshape lives. Kundera uses the characters to ask questions about love, identity, and the weight of decisions. It’s a book that stays with you.
Salman Rushdie is an author known for mixing reality with elements of fantasy, often weaving myth and history into his stories.
One of his most famous books, “Midnight’s Children,” follows the life of Saleem Sinai, a boy born at the exact moment India gained independence in 1947.
His life becomes connected to the fate of the nation, and he discovers he has special powers alongside other children born in the same hour. The story is filled with twists, family secrets, and moments that blur the line between the real and the magical.
It’s the kind of book that takes you through history and personal drama, making you feel like you’re part of another world.
Margaret Atwood is a Canadian author known for stories that explore power, humanity, and survival in imaginative and thought-provoking ways. Her novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” takes place in a world where a totalitarian regime has stripped women of their rights.
The story is told through the eyes of Offred, a woman forced to serve as a handmaid, whose role is to bear children for the ruling class.
The book explores her memories of life before the regime, her quiet acts of resistance, and the dangers she faces in a society where surveillance and control are everywhere. It’s a story that lingers in your mind, touching on ideas of freedom and oppression.
Umberto Eco was an Italian author who wrote novels where history, philosophy, and literature come together in mysterious ways. One of his most famous books, “The Name of the Rose,” is set in a medieval monastery where a series of murders unfolds.
The story follows William of Baskerville, a friar with sharp logic, and his novice, Adso, as they try to uncover the truth behind the deaths.
Secrets within the monastery’s library, forbidden knowledge, and the power of religious dogma all play an important role in this atmospheric story. Eco weaves a tale that immerses readers in the feel of the Middle Ages while raising deeper questions about power and belief.
Kazuo Ishiguro is a writer known for crafting stories that explore memory, humanity, and loss. One of his most notable works, “Never Let Me Go,” is set in a world that seems normal but hides a dark secret about its characters’ purpose in life.
The story follows Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth, who grow up in what appears to be an idyllic boarding school. As they mature, they begin to uncover devastating truths about themselves and the world around them.
Ishiguro’s writing draws you into their quiet, emotional struggles, leaving you thinking about it long after you’ve finished.
Mo Yan is a Chinese author known for his vivid storytelling and blending of reality with surreal elements. One of his famous works, “Red Sorghum,” tells the story of a Chinese farming family across several generations.
It begins with a young woman forced into an arranged marriage but shifts focus to her son as he fights against the invading Japanese forces. The novel combines family drama with moments of violence, passion, and humor, all set against the backdrop of rural China.
The descriptions of the land feel alive, with the fields of red sorghum symbolizing both resilience and tragedy.
J.M. Coetzee is a South African writer known for exploring deep questions about humanity and morality through his stories. In his novel “Disgrace”, the story follows David Lurie, a disgraced professor who leaves his academic life in Cape Town to live on his daughter Lucy’s farm.
Their lives are turned upside down after a violent attack, and David is forced to confront his own flaws and the changing dynamics of post-apartheid South Africa.
The novel balances moments of quiet reflection with intense tension, showing how people respond to loss, guilt, and shifting power.
Roberto Bolaño was a Chilean writer known for his bold storytelling and layered narratives. One of his standout novels is “2666.” It weaves five interconnected stories, with one centered around a mysterious author named Benno von Archimboldi.
Another follows a series of unsolved murders in a fictional Mexican town called Santa Teresa, reflecting real-life violence in Ciudad Juárez. The book tackles themes of obsession, morality, and the blurred line between chaos and order.
Bolaño’s characters often feel hauntingly real, caught in situations that dig deep into their lives and choices.
Michel Houellebecq is a French author known for his bold and thought-provoking storytelling. One of his notable works, “The Elementary Particles,” explores the lives of two half-brothers searching for meaning in a fragmented world.
Their experiences touch on themes like loneliness, love, and the impact of modern society on human connections. The story moves between their personal struggles and larger questions about science, philosophy, and how we shape our own futures.
The mix of intimate relationships and big ideas makes it a unique read.
Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian author known for his poetic and thought-provoking storytelling. One of his most famous books, “The Alchemist,” follows the journey of a shepherd named Santiago. He dreams of finding treasure near the Egyptian pyramids and decides to pursue this dream.
Along the way, Santiago meets characters like a mysterious alchemist and a wise crystal merchant, each teaching him life-changing lessons about pursuing one’s purpose and understanding the world.
The book focuses on self-discovery, fate, and listening to one’s heart, offering a meditative reading experience.
Doris Lessing was a writer who explored human nature and society in ways that feel both strange and deeply familiar. Her novel “The Memoirs of a Survivor” is set in a world where civilization is falling apart.
The story follows a woman who observes the chaos outside her apartment while discovering a mysterious portal in her wall. Through this portal, she experiences dreamlike visions of another dimension that seem connected to the real world’s collapse.
The mix of the everyday and the fantastical creates an atmosphere that pulls you in, especially when the bonds between the characters grow against a backdrop of survival and decay. It’s a story about resilience and the unknown.