{"product_id":"manual-of-painting-and-calligraphy-9780547640228","title":"Manual of Painting and Calligraphy","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eFrom the Nobel Prize winning author--a novel that takes us into the last days of Salazar's dictatorship when a second-rate artist is commissioned by a wealthy client to paint a portrait and the political and intellectual struggles that ensue.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eManual of Painting and Calligraphy\u003c\/em\u003e was José Saramago's first novel. Written eight years before the critically acclaimed \u003cem\u003eBaltasar and Blimunda\u003c\/em\u003e, it is a story of self-discovery set against the background of the last years of Salazar's dictatorship. A struggling young artist, commissioned to paint a portrait of an influential industrialist, learns in the process about himself and the world around him. The brilliant juxtaposition of a passionate love story and the crisis of a nation foreshadows all of Saramago's major works. A must-have for any devotee of the great Portuguese Nobel laureate, \u003cem\u003eManual of Painting and Calligraphy\u003c\/em\u003e is now available in the United States.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Taut and compelling.\" --\u003cem\u003e Los Angeles Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Beautifully realized, heartbreakingly honest.\" -- \u003cem\u003eProvidence Journal-Bulletin\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Almost impossible to put down.\" -- \u003cem\u003eAustin American-Statesman\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Harpervia\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/01\/2012\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780547640228\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 256\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.57lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.10h x 5.40w x 0.70d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 12\/01\/2011 pg. 96\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/01\/2012\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/05\/2012 pg. 2\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/01\/2012 pg. 89\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 04\/01\/2012 pg. 24\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Jos\u0026#233; Saramago","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42916932190389,"sku":"9780547640228","price":11.86,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_c54a0474-d74a-4442-9d94-737397ae6ae4.jpg?v=1687274010","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/manual-of-painting-and-calligraphy-9780547640228","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}