A review by thegingerbreadhag
L'aveuglement by José Saramago

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

2.0

A dystopia about a pandemic of blindness, the government decides to (forced) quarantine people. Though it took me a while to get used to it (I felt out of breath), the writing is really interesting. It's as if we're getting lost in narration / dialogues like the characters are loosing their ways and lendmarks. I also liked the main character (the doctor's wife) and her relation with the young woman with dark glasses. Sometimes mother/daughter like, sometime partners-like, or each other confidente, I was always in awe each time they talked to each other or a chapter was about them. 

Now for what pissed me off and why I dont rate the book higher. 
I've read my fair share of disturbing and graphic violent stuff (Poppy War trilogy, Dirty Sexy Valley, some scenes in the Broken earth trilogy to name a few). But I'm so disgusted, disturbed, angry at the gang rapes graphically described scene I just read in this book. I read some reviews to check what other readers thought, and it's either too triggering, or they're justifying it because "it's a dystopia, bad shit happens". First, I'm thinking fair enough, it is a dystopia, and we don't even need to go in dystopian worlds for this to happen. But then I'm just pissed. Even if it does happen irl, even if it could (and would probably) happen in dystopian world, what do you get by describing in such vivid details ? I'm not advocating for a "safe space-y" kind of literature. (The trigger warnings were available, I checked them, thought I could handle them and gave the book a try, kinda my bad 🤷🏻‍♀️). But I'm genuinely wondering what does a 25 pages long chapter vividly describing gang rapes does to the story. Why the need for graphic sexual violence. You tell me my guy masters the art of the unsaid, of metaphors and connotations, but couldn't use them for this chapter ? And what for !!!! I get it the chapter is a pivotal moment for the character and the whole community, they either revolt or die of hunger, but it could have just been implied !! Or better, why even the need of a gang rapes scene to make your character capable of murder 🤯 and why do you center the reactions of the men whose wifes are abused ?? (The author criticizes the men's reaction, but still)

I'm still not on board with the comments that are like "it's a dystopia, bad shit happens". It reminds me of how the game of thrones show uses rape for their women characters' development, and it being justified by "well it's fantasy, medieval inspired, so of course it would happen". (Btw : YEAH. AND ? THERE ARE ALSO FUCKING DRAGONS IN THE SHOW. ARE WE BLAMING THAT ON HISTORICAL ACCURACY TOO, JOSH). Same here : yes it's a dystopia, yes it can be, as most dystopias are, a critic of modern society, and yes, rape is not exclusive to reality. But seriously ? You're telling me you asked yourself "what would happen if we all went blind" and one of the answer you come up with is gang rape ? Really ? I'm not asking for a lovey dovey scenario, or exclusively "solidarity, community, mutual aid and love conquers all" kind of stories. But I'll just say this. To have come up with gang rape as one of the answer AND one you chose to put exactly at the core of your book, just shows a deep lack of imagination, even if it's used as a comment on human morality.
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