This novel is an epic in praise of death, and Saramago, who writes without malice or hatred—indeed, he invites us to embrace death—presents us with a shocking, fantastical surprise from the very first pages, thanks to his humor and biting satire: the next day, no one died. Death ceased in a small, unnamed country, and its inhabitants no longer died, their sick remaining in their illnesses. This might seem wonderful at first to those who yearn for immortality, but Saramago quickly reveals that it is a catastrophe threatening humanity. The government cannot cope with this unprecedented situation. The pension system has collapsed, hospitals and nursing homes are no longer adequate, and funeral homes have gone bankrupt. The absence of death has unleashed unparalleled chaos, unprecedented in human history, and humanity must accept it as the other side of life. One cannot live without death, even though it appears as a contradiction to life; in reality, we must die for life to continue.