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A review by nisanatreads
Die Stadt der Blinden by José Saramago
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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? Yes
3.75
It starts with one man and then spreads across the country - people suddenly go blind without any other symptoms. They can only see white and are helpless about what is happening to them. As the disease spreads, people are interned in a dilapidated asylum for the insane. As fear of the disease spreads, these interned people become a kind of model for the whole country, witnessing the depravity of humanity and how quickly society unravels when you can't see and can't be seen. There's only one woman among them who is immune and has to watch.
Saramago won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998, and this novel was specifically mentioned by the jury as an indicator of his mastery of the craft. However, from what I've read on the Internet, opinions are very divided and many people really don't like Saramago. I have to admit that I had a hard time reading this book because it's very densely written and Saramago delves into a lot of philosophical questions. It takes a lot of brainwork to get through, but I really appreciate the result because it leaves you with a lot of food for thought.
As a fan of Sally Rooney, I have no problem with unconventional writing styles, but Saramago is particularly difficult to read because he uses full stops sparingly, uses a lot of commas and marks a change of speaker by capitalising the first letter. This makes for very long sentences/paragraphs, but I think it also makes for a very realistic and authentic reading. His style is very lifelike and he has an uncanny sense of comedic timing and irony. He kind of turns the situation on itself by holding up a mirror, which is very interesting to read.
I didn't really fall in love with this book, but it's certainly a remarkable read and an experience I won't soon forget. You might want to read the content warnings as the content is very graphic and I had to take a lot of breaks as it was almost too much for me.
Find me on Instagram @nisanatreads
Saramago won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998, and this novel was specifically mentioned by the jury as an indicator of his mastery of the craft. However, from what I've read on the Internet, opinions are very divided and many people really don't like Saramago. I have to admit that I had a hard time reading this book because it's very densely written and Saramago delves into a lot of philosophical questions. It takes a lot of brainwork to get through, but I really appreciate the result because it leaves you with a lot of food for thought.
As a fan of Sally Rooney, I have no problem with unconventional writing styles, but Saramago is particularly difficult to read because he uses full stops sparingly, uses a lot of commas and marks a change of speaker by capitalising the first letter. This makes for very long sentences/paragraphs, but I think it also makes for a very realistic and authentic reading. His style is very lifelike and he has an uncanny sense of comedic timing and irony. He kind of turns the situation on itself by holding up a mirror, which is very interesting to read.
I didn't really fall in love with this book, but it's certainly a remarkable read and an experience I won't soon forget. You might want to read the content warnings as the content is very graphic and I had to take a lot of breaks as it was almost too much for me.
Find me on Instagram @nisanatreads