Take a photo of a barcode or cover
desaevio95 's review for:
Blindness
by José Saramago
Remarkably disturbing. Interesting, sickening, and unavoidable all at once. Saramago's unique, but overwhelming Faulkner-esque dialogue (there's practically no punctuation) creates a tunnel vision effect that truly provides a harrowing reading experience. Recommended only for the brave.
N.B. Didn't finish due to time constraints for the book report I had to write about this.
EDIT: 2nd Read (1/28/19):
I finally finished the book this time. Blindness remains the most disturbing book I have ever read. The depravity, violence, and extremely distressing descriptions of gang rape, excretions, and corpse piles really make for a depressing read. It makes you think a lot about how humans react to hardship, and makes one very grateful to still possess eyesight. The doctor's wife is a thoroughly compelling protagonist whose emergence into the central role is so subtle, yet by the time the novel ends it is impossible to think of its events without thinking of her role in them. She is altruistic to a fault, impossibly sensitive and strong, yet uniquely selfish and at moral odds with herself and the horrors of the chaos she has apparently been chosen to witness. It's really powerful stuff. Saramago's writing style is unique but the book definitely could've gone through more edits. Towards the end, the rambling nature really got out of control and I felt that the characters and themes became lost in the need to preserve the borderlining on over-the-top convolutedness of the narration. It is a heavy read that will give you a lot to think about it, but the material is of course extremely distressing. Have your favorite album on hand to help remind you of the goodness in the world.
N.B. Didn't finish due to time constraints for the book report I had to write about this.
EDIT: 2nd Read (1/28/19):
I finally finished the book this time. Blindness remains the most disturbing book I have ever read. The depravity, violence, and extremely distressing descriptions of gang rape, excretions, and corpse piles really make for a depressing read. It makes you think a lot about how humans react to hardship, and makes one very grateful to still possess eyesight. The doctor's wife is a thoroughly compelling protagonist whose emergence into the central role is so subtle, yet by the time the novel ends it is impossible to think of its events without thinking of her role in them. She is altruistic to a fault, impossibly sensitive and strong, yet uniquely selfish and at moral odds with herself and the horrors of the chaos she has apparently been chosen to witness. It's really powerful stuff. Saramago's writing style is unique but the book definitely could've gone through more edits. Towards the end, the rambling nature really got out of control and I felt that the characters and themes became lost in the need to preserve the borderlining on over-the-top convolutedness of the narration. It is a heavy read that will give you a lot to think about it, but the material is of course extremely distressing. Have your favorite album on hand to help remind you of the goodness in the world.