zoom_in Click to enlarge

Cain

▲ ▼

description Cain Overview

Cain is a novel by the Portuguese Nobel laureate José Saramago, originally published in Portuguese in 2009. As his final work, it offers a critical and satirical retelling of various episodes from the Hebrew Bible, primarily focusing on the Book of Genesis. The narrative follows the figure of Cain after he murders his brother Abel, as he is condemned to wander across time and space. Throughout his journey, Cain serves as an observer and participant in key biblical events, including the construction of Noah's Ark and the destruction of Sodom, where he frequently challenges the nature of divine authority.

help Cain FAQ

Is Cain by José Saramago his last novel?

Yes, Cain was Saramago's final novel, published in Portuguese in 2009, a year before his death in 2010. It offers a provocative, skeptical retelling of Hebrew Bible stories through the eyes of the wandering Cain. The novel received the São Paulo Literary Prize posthumously.

Which Bible stories does Saramago retell in Cain?

The novel covers multiple episodes from the Book of Genesis, including the story of Cain and Abel, Noah's Ark, the Tower of Babel, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Cain travels through time across these events, often challenging God's cruelty. Saramago blends them into a single, subversive theological meditation.

How does Cain differ from Saramago's earlier religious novel, The Gospel According to Jesus Christ?

While The Gospel According to Jesus Christ (1991) retold the life of Jesus from a humanist perspective, Cain takes an even more combative stance against the Old Testament God, portraying Him as capricious and violent. Both novels were controversial for their religious content among Catholic audiences. Cain is shorter and more episodic in structure.

Who translated Cain into English?

Margaret Jull Costa, Saramago's long-time English translator, translated Cain into English. The English edition was published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2011. Costa is also celebrated for her translations of Saramago's other works, including Blindness and The Cave.

swap_horiz

Looking for Cain alternatives? Compare top competitors ranked & scored

arrow_forward