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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
reflective
slow-paced
I find this a difficult book to rate. On the one hand, I really didn't get on with the writing style. It may have been the translation, in that the writing style didn't fit well with Dutch, but I don't know, maybe it's just the writing style an sich that I don't gel with. On the other hand, I was intrigued by the premise and what Saramago would do with it. So I'm happy I read on and finished the whole thing. I just had to push myself to get through and that's a shame. Also, the ending was quite an anticlimax and in that sense a bit disappointing.
FYI: this is a sequel to Blindness. I didn't know that going in. The story is perfectly readable and understandable without having read the first book, but it does spoil the whole thing. (At least, that's what I assume, because the events of the first book are very often mentioned, starting from the midway point of the second book.)
FYI: this is a sequel to Blindness. I didn't know that going in. The story is perfectly readable and understandable without having read the first book, but it does spoil the whole thing. (At least, that's what I assume, because the events of the first book are very often mentioned, starting from the midway point of the second book.)
Saramago, oh Saramago. Can’t think of many other writers who speak to the core of what it means to be human. A book about the collective tyranny of political orders and the light that individuals might seek to puncture the darkness. Worryingly prescient in today’s world.
Really liked the premise of the story and the way in which it is written. Great ending.
As much as I love that guy, this book, being a nice picture of politics and citizenship, could be better. The attempt to connect it with Blindness just somewhere in the middle, out of a blue, and the ending, is spoiling it, imho. Still I enjoyed it a lot.
Dos años tenía en mi librero llenándose de polvo, hasta que tomé la iniciativa de leerlo. Quedé encantado con la premisa!, de cara al proceso electoral de 2018 en mi país, llegó a mi como un balde de esperanza con respecto a las futuras elecciones. Excelente en todo sentido, estaba super emocionado, no podía dejar de leer. ¿Estaba ante uno de mis nuevos libros favoritos? No. Repentinamente, como el propio narrador llega a mencionar, la historia toma un giro drástico, para enfocarse en un proceso sin fondo, solamente para probar el corazón del detective? Mi corazón poco a poco se comenzó a romper mientras veía como me acercaba al final del libro y la trama previamente establecida no fue retomada. Separo ambos tramos como historias separadas: una con los blanqueros y la otra como continuación de Ensayo sobre la ceguera y al no haberla leído con anterioridad, me quedo con una sensación incompleta de decepción. Supongo tendré que leer el primer tomo para ver si mi opinión mejora
Took me a while to get into this. I'll admit I wanted a more traditional sequel to follow Blindness, but I should have known better coming from this author. I had a hard time connecting with the story in the beginning (oh, 150+ pages...) because there were no personal names, no real character development. Sure, it was funny to listen in on the politicians, but I preferred the storyline when it met up with the characters in Blindness. Overall, an interesting and good read. Jose Saramago you make my head hurt!
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No