José Saramago, a Nobel laureate from Portugal, is acclaimed for his thought-provoking literary fiction. His renowned works include Blindness and The Gospel According to Jesus Christ, exploring deep human themes uniquely.
If you enjoy reading books by José Saramago then you might also like the following authors:
Readers who enjoy José Saramago’s ability to combine human drama with magical events might find Gabriel García Márquez equally engaging. Márquez is a Colombian author famous for bringing magical realism to the forefront of literature.
His novel One Hundred Years of Solitude follows the Buendía family through several generations in the fictional town of Macondo.
The family experiences love and tragedy as Macondo itself shifts from a small village to a bustling town marked by strange events like insomnia epidemics, wandering ghosts, and raining yellow flowers.
Márquez mixes history with fantasy and folklore, giving readers a unique view of life, love, and isolation.
If you enjoy José Saramago’s imaginative storytelling and playful approach to reality, you might appreciate Italo Calvino. Calvino was an Italian writer known for his inventive narratives and philosophical undertones. His novel Invisible Cities is a great example.
The book centers around discussions between Marco Polo and the emperor Kublai Khan. Polo describes a series of fantastical, mysterious cities. Every city reflects different human desires, fears, memories, and dreams.
Calvino carefully creates a vivid mosaic of imaginary places that explore the complexity of human nature and civilization. Each chapter is compact, yet full of creativity and poetic insight.
Invisible Cities subtly nudges readers to consider the power of imagination and storytelling in shaping perception.
Fernando Pessoa was a Portuguese poet and writer famous for creating multiple literary identities he called heteronyms. If you’re a fan of José Saramago’s thoughtful approach to storytelling, Pessoa’s The Book of Disquiet may appeal to you.
This unique autobiographical work is narrated by Bernardo Soares, one of Pessoa’s many alter egos. It presents fragments of thoughts, reflections, and vivid observations about daily life in Lisbon.
Pessoa carefully explores solitude, imagination, and the feeling of disconnection from the outside world.
The book draws readers into a dreamlike state through poetic language and introspective passages, evoking a gentle melancholy that stays with you long after you’ve turned the final page.
Günter Grass was a German novelist known for combining historical themes, rich symbolism, and imaginative narrative structures in his fiction. Readers who enjoy José Saramago’s blend of reality and fantasy might find Grass’s The Tin Drum appealing.
Set against the turbulent backdrop of World War II and its aftermath in Germany, the novel centers on the strange, unforgettable life of Oskar Matzerath, a boy who consciously decides at the age of three to stop growing.
Through Oskar’s striking existence and unique perspective, the story offers a deep exploration of the absurdities, horrors, and contradictions of humanity amidst significant historical events.
Grass’s writing shifts between dark humor, tragedy, and insightful commentary, revealing a reality twisted by memory and imagination.
W. G. Sebald was a German author respected for his unique narrative style, thoughtful reflections on history, and themes of memory, loss, and identity.
If you like José Saramago’s novels that explore deep philosophical themes within beautifully written narratives, Sebald is an author worth discovering. His book The Rings of Saturn blends fact, fiction, and travel writing.
It follows the unnamed narrator who takes long walks through England’s coastal landscapes. Along the way, he reflects on history, literature, and personal memory.
With vivid descriptions and a gentle, contemplative tone, Sebald connects insights about nature, decay, and human experience in an original and thoughtful manner.
László Krasznahorkai is a Hungarian author known for writing dense, reflective novels that explore existential questions, dark humor, and philosophical depth. Readers who enjoy José Saramago’s narrative style and deep thematic reflections might appreciate Krasznahorkai’s work.
His novel Satantango unfolds in a small, isolated Hungarian town, where the inhabitants live bleak lives and harbor secret hopes for change and redemption. The unexpected return of a mysterious character named Irimiás disturbs the quiet desperation of the villagers.
His arrival sets off a series of strange events, filled with deception, hope, and pessimism. Krasznahorkai builds a moody, atmospheric world in Satantango that invites the reader into a surreal, unsettling journey into human nature.
Albert Camus is an author worth exploring if you enjoy José Saramago’s style of thoughtful storytelling and philosophical themes. His novel The Stranger introduces readers to Meursault, an emotionally detached Algerian Frenchman.
The story opens with a simple, stark statement: the death of Meursault’s mother. From there, it plunges into his life and the events leading to a senseless act of violence on a hot beach.
Camus skillfully uses Meursault’s story to explore themes of absurdity, existence, and society’s expectations. Like Saramago, he confronts big ideas through straightforward yet powerful narratives.
Franz Kafka was a writer who explored themes of alienation, absurdity, and the dark humor found in everyday bureaucracy. If you enjoy José Saramago’s novels that blend the everyday with surreal and philosophical situations, Kafka’s The Trial may resonate with you.
In this story, Josef K., an ordinary bank employee, is suddenly arrested and put on trial without ever knowing what he’s accused of. The plot follows K.'s frustrating attempts to navigate the confusing and oppressive legal system that surrounds him.
The story portrays an eerie, almost dreamlike world where reason and logic fail, and Kafka captures perfectly the sense of bewilderment and anxiety that comes from fighting against unseen, irrational forces.
Readers who appreciate José Saramago’s thoughtful blend of realism and allegory will also connect with Salman Rushdie’s vivid storytelling. Rushdie’s novel Midnight’s Children follows Saleem Sinai, a child born at the stroke of midnight as India gains its independence.
Saleem’s life becomes intertwined with the history of an entire nation, his experiences reflecting India’s trials and triumphs.
Rushdie mixes magic realism, historical events, and personal narratives to create a rich, multi-layered story of identity, destiny, and the hidden connections between personal lives and sweeping historical change.
Thomas Bernhard was an Austrian author known for his sharp, critical narratives and complex characters. If you enjoy the provocative style and insightful observations in José Saramago’s novels, you might find Bernhard intriguing.
A great starting place could be his novel The Loser , which is about two fictional piano students who studied alongside the real-life virtuoso Glenn Gould.
In this intense and darkly humorous story, the narrator reflects obsessively on the burden of pursuing perfection, talent, and the destructive impact of self-comparison.
Bernhard’s style is relentless, funny, and full of strong opinions, often leaving his readers both amused and deeply unsettled.
Clarice Lispector was a Brazilian author known for her deep, philosophical explorations of inner life and identity. Her novel The Hour of the Star tells the story of Macabéa, a young typist living in poverty in Rio de Janeiro.
Macabéa’s life is simple and unnoticed—she dreams small dreams, listens to the radio, and wishes for love. Through a narrator who often interrupts himself to reflect on life’s purpose and storytelling itself, Lispector unfolds the quiet tragedy of Macabéa’s existence.
For readers who appreciate José Saramago’s blend of introspective narrative and social commentary, Lispector’s work offers a similarly thoughtful reflection on human existence and compassion.
António Lobo Antunes is a Portuguese author whose novels are known for their complexity and powerful storytelling. Readers who appreciate José Saramago’s thought-provoking narratives may find Antunes’ style equally engaging.
One book to check out is The Land at the End of the World, which draws on Antunes’ own experiences as a doctor in Portugal’s colonial war in Angola.
It tells the story of a young man’s struggle with the harsh realities of conflict and isolation, blending vivid memories and emotional truth. Through rich language and intense imagery, Antunes captures the raw pain and confusion of war, making it impossible to put down.
Enrique Vila-Matas is a Spanish novelist known for his clever blend of fiction and literary essay, often exploring themes of identity, reality, and literature itself.
If you enjoy José Saramago’s playful narrative style and reflections on human life, you’ll likely appreciate Vila-Matas’s Bartleby & Co. This inventive novel follows a mysterious clerk who becomes fascinated with writers who suddenly stop writing altogether.
The narrator embarks on a quest to document the history of such authors, revealing curious anecdotes about figures both real and fictional. Vila-Matas captures readers with humor, intelligence, and a rare talent for combining fiction with literary history.
Roberto Bolaño was a Chilean author known for blending intricate stories with sharp observations of human nature. If you appreciate José Saramago’s thoughtful narratives and distinctive voice, you’ll probably find Bolaño’s writing similarly engaging.
His novel 2666 is an ambitious work divided into five interconnected parts. The book centers around a series of murders in the fictional Mexican city of Santa Teresa.
Through different characters—scholars, journalists, detectives—Bolaño offers a powerful view into violence, art, and obsession. His direct prose, complex themes, and fascinating characters echo the kind of depth readers often enjoy in Saramago’s novels.
Readers who enjoy José Saramago’s rich imagination and philosophical depth may find Jorge Luis Borges equally fascinating. Borges, the Argentine writer known for his thought-provoking short stories, explores reality, infinity, and identity in captivating ways.
His collection Ficciones is an ideal introduction. In one story titled The Library of Babel, Borges imagines an infinite library containing every book ever written—and every possible variation.
He beautifully illustrates humanity’s endless search for meaning and the mysteries that define our existence. Borges creates worlds that challenge perceptions and linger long after the pages are closed.