{"product_id":"manual-of-painting-and-calligraphy","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","brand":"José Saramago","offers":[{"title":"Trade Paperback","offer_id":53154076164387,"sku":"9780547640228","price":11.16,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/2258\/5123\/files\/9780547640228.jpg?v=1741160677","url":"https:\/\/epicreads.com\/products\/manual-of-painting-and-calligraphy","provider":"Epic Reads","version":"1.0","type":"link"}