Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Blindness by José Saramago

40 reviews

kschuster's review

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Chronic illness, Death, Excrement, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual assault, and Violence

fromtheyellowchair's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Rape, and Death

sappypatheticm's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Chronic illness, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Gore, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Rape, Murder, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Vomit, Confinement, and Gun violence

requiredreading's review

challenging dark reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The kind of book and the style of writing and the depth of thought that make literature seem like a worthwhile pursuit in an often meaningless world. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Sexual violence, and Gun violence

isaospina's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Leí esté libro por primera vez en el 2011, como tarea del colegio. En ese entonces yo tenía 15, tal vez 16 años, era lectora por hobby, una diversión. Mis lecturas tenían poco análisis y apenas estaba incursionando en el mundo de los clásicos. 
Poco o nada recordaba de este libro, pero por doce años una cosa era clara: la Isa adolescente disfrutó, devoró, la marcó algo de este libro. ¿Qué? No sé porque no recordaba nada, pero siempre que lo veía en una librería pensaba "lo mucho que me gustó este libro cuando lo leí para esa tarea de español". 

Doce años después por fin me decidí a leerlo de nuevo. Reticente, sí, tenía miedo de no disfrutarlo nada porque siendo sinceros, muchas de las cosas que disfrutaba cuando era adolescente ahora las aborrezco. 
Afortunadamente no había necesidad de preocuparme. Este libro es uno en el mundo, es una obra maestra de Saramago. Es terrorífico, es filosófico, es una distopía de esas que hacen que se te erice la piel porque todo es demasiado real, todo es demasiado cercano a algo que ya hemos vivido. 

Leer Ensayo sobre la ceguera después del a pandemia fue una gran decisión (no creo que mi estado mental en la cuarentena hubiera mejorado un ápice si lo hubiese leído en ese momento), si Saramago hubiera estado vivo en medio de la pandemia del covid-19 seguro hubiera escrito algo más, o se hubiera ido de para atrás al ver qué tan realista Ensayo de la ceguera parece cuando se copara con lo que se hizo y cómo se manejó la pandemia de la vida real. 

Es claro que no es un libro para los débiles de mente o corazón, los sensibles a salvajismos y muchos, muchos relatos escatológicos. Todos estos relatos de lo horrible que puede volverse la humanidad son lo que hace que uno se haga mil y un cuestionamientos sobre la identidad personal, sobre qué nos hace humanos, la belleza, los sentimientos, el poder, las dinámicas sociales, las posesiones, la resiliencia y muchísimo más. 

El ritmo es tan rápido que uno tiene que parar la lectura para recuperar el aliento, para hacerse preguntas y tratar de responderlas (fallando, claro). El estilo de lectura no es fácil, con capítulos extensos y sin cortes o guiones para definir los diálogos, pero poco o nada resta a la calidad del libro. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Gun violence, Vomit, Physical abuse, Blood, Excrement, Pandemic/Epidemic, Homophobia, Violence, Animal death, Car accident, and Confinement

guinness74's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

An almost perfect book. An incredible work that is reminiscent of the early days of COVID, it has the grit of Upton Sinclair mixed with the wildness of Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies.’ A terrifying pandemic begins slowly but increases exponentially turning the world blind in Saramago’s novel. Chaos reigns as attempts are made to stanch the ‘infection,’ but the world continues to spin. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual assault, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Ableism, Confinement, Rape, and Police brutality

Minor: Infidelity and Vomit

citrusandwords's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Death, Excrement, Gore, Infidelity, Murder, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Rape, Blood, Violence, and Vomit

kstericker's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Vomit, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

thenoboshow's review

dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I found this book hard to look away from in some sort of morbid fascination. This book hits different after living through a pandemic teeming with selfish idiots. "This is exactly what would happen if this were to happen." An unfortunate mantra throught the reading.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Vomit, Chronic illness, Confinement, Excrement, Sexual violence, Ableism, Medical content, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, and Sexism

Moderate: Misogyny, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, and Infidelity

telliot's review

challenging dark medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Gore, Gun violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Sexual assault, Violence, Death, Body horror, Physical abuse, and Vomit