AUGUST: Baltasar & Blimunda | Lisbon Book Club

Event Details:

🗓️ Date: August 22, 2026
🕓 Time: 17h (Duration: 90-120 min)
📍 Location: Saldanha Residences - Food Court, Downstairs: Av. Fontes Pereira de Melo 42E, Lisboa

📚 Book: Baltasar & Blimunda by José Saramago

📖 Book Summary:
From the recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature, a "brilliant...enchanting novel" (New York Times Book Review) of romance, deceit, religion, and magic set in eighteenth-century Portugal at the height of the Inquisition.
Portugal, 1711: an amorous friar is pursued naked through the rubble-strewn streets of Lisbon; an enthusiastic procession of flagellants roars with pleasure over the damnation of adultery; a royal prince uses hapless sailors for target practice; and women dressed in colorful finery watch as lapsed converts and sorcerers are put to death by flames. In the midst of the terrors of the Inquisition and the plague, a seemingly mismatched couple discover the wonders of love. This poetic tale, graced with exquisite historical details and full of magic and adventure, is a tapestry of human folly and human will.

📚 Book Club Prep:
Whether you’re an ear reader (audiobooks 🎧), an eye reader (e-reader, phone, or digital copy 📱), or you love the feel of a physical book 📖—you’re welcome here!
We encourage you to support local bookstores and libraries when possible. And don’t forget: someone in the group often has a physical copy they’re happy to lend once they’ve finished—so check in the WhatsApp group if you’re in need!

Agenda:
🕰️ Arrive a few minutes early to grab a coffee or snack from one of the many cafes and restaurants nearby (if budget and dietary restrictions allow—please note, as of Jan. 2026 this is now a requirement of the establishment).
👥 Gather as a large group for introductions, then break into smaller discussion groups for more personal conversations.