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carolab's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Gun violence, Blood, Body horror, Vomit, Death, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
queer_bookwyrm's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Blindness by José Saramago is a fiction novel translated from Portuguese to English. I won't lie, this was a rough read for me. The author doesn't use any dialogue tags nor does he even have any of differentiating dialogue from prose other than a comma (of which there are a lot, so good luck) and a capitalized letter. This was a slower read for me, because I often had to reread passages the be sure I understood the dialogue. The story itself was interesting, and I might have enjoyed it more as a movie.
Out of nowhere people are being struck blind, seeing only white instead of darkness. No one knows why or how this occuring, but it seems contagious, so they start some pretty extreme quarantine measures. The first people to go blind are rounded up and placed in an abandoned mental institution without help, doctors, or guidance. They are even barred from leaving by the military, who uses force when they feel threatened.
We follow a core group of people whose names we never learn. We witness the atrocities they witness and experienced when their time in quartile turned to chaos and robbed them of their dignity. Only one person hasn't gone blind, a woman referred to only as the doctor's wife. She alone carries the burden of sight for so many people.
This book was ultimately a story of loss. Loss of sight, loss of dignity, loss of life, loss of civilization, and the futility of it all. I'm glad I read this, but I'm good on reading another book formatted in this way. It might have been alright as an audiobook, if you do those.
Graphic: Rape, Blood, Excrement, and Vomit
Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
dan2's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Violence
rosalind's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Rape, Murder, Violence, Sexual violence, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Vomit, and Excrement
okjuls's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Rape, Sexual content, and Ableism
Moderate: Blood, Death, and Cursing
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
tatiana_vbb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexual content, and Violence
8odell's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Blood, Death, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Violence
morgan_07's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Police brutality
Minor: Alcohol and Excrement
therowdypi's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and Confinement
Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, and Police brutality