Death with Interruptions
“Death with Interruptions” by José Saramago is a thought-provoking novel published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2008. This first edition, written in English and spanning 238 pages, explores the intriguing premise of a world where death ceases to exist. As the new year begins, the absence of death initially brings joy and celebration among the populace, but soon reveals the complexities and challenges that arise from eternal life.
Readers will encounter a narrative that delves into the reactions of various societal figures, including politicians and religious leaders, as they grapple with the implications of this unprecedented phenomenon. The story also presents a unique perspective on death, personified as a character who contemplates her own existence and the potential for love. With elements of dark fantasy and satire, this work invites reflection on the nature of life and mortality, while intertwining themes of humor and the absurdity of human experience.
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Nobel Prize-winner Jose Saramago’s brilliant novel poses the question–what happens when the grim reaper decides there will be no more death? On the first day of the new year, no one dies. This of course causes consternation among politicians, religious leaders, morticians, and doctors. Among the general public, on the other hand, there is initially celebration–flags are hung out on balconies, people dance in the streets. They have achieved the great goal of humanity: eternal life. Then reality hits home–families are left to care for the permanently dying, life-insurance policies become meaningless, and funeral parlors are reduced to arranging burials for pet dogs, cats, hamsters, and parrots.
Death sits in her chilly apartment, where she lives alone with scythe and filing cabinets, and contemplates her experiment: What if no one ever died again? What if she, death with a small d, became human and were to fall in love?
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