Comments (36)

What did you think about this title?
1 to 25 of 36 items
Oct 31, 2023
"It's a harrowing look at human nature. When a plague of blindness strives a city, the best and worst human impulses come to light. Not for the faint of heart!" - Monica W.
Oct 25, 2023
Mentioned in a small death in lisbon
Apr 07, 2022Kimberleygray rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I thought this was a great story. No spoilers but basically a single case of blindness turns into a pandemic (assumed) of everyone going blind. The story works its way through how the Government tries to control. How those effected turn…
Nov 21, 2021jeannettekeir rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I read Blindness after seeing the play based on the book. The play was an amazing theatrical experience and it followed the book closely. I found the book very powerful and of course the additional detail in the book made for a even darker…
Nov 12, 2021Lowell_R rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed Blindness as it was a gripping read and aptly captured the social upheaval that results from an (admittedly far worse than COVID-19) epidemic. It's a dark and disturbing read, the constant references to human excrement…
Feb 19, 2021bonster1026 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This is as perfect as fiction can be.That I picked it up in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is nearly uncanny because the Nobel prize-winning author’s brilliantly distinctive work is about an epidemic: White Blindness. Translated from…
Oct 13, 2020Anita_Dickey rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I read this book to furfil the goal read a book with a character with a vision impairment or enhancement (a nod to 20/20 vision). it's also #181 on the list of 300 books everyone should read once challenge featured on listopia. It was…
Aug 26, 20201aa rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A terrific book; fun to read; peppered with aphorisms and insights that one reads but can't linger over. None of the characters have names, and the book follows the actions of a small group of characters; it ends on a hopeful note.
emilyhart66
Jan 27, 2020
Chilling metaphor. Raises the question: what is my personal blindness? Have read other books by this author and think this is his best.
Feb 18, 2019
This account of a society with "white blindness" left me with images I cannot unsee - even after 2 years (perhaps USA 2017-19 is a time especially ripe). Am now reading Camus "The Plague", and realize I must reread to fully reopen the…
Feb 15, 2019Tigard_HollyCP rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
At first I had a very hard time getting into this book because of its lack of punctuation and paragraphs. But as I got into it, somehow the imagery became very strong for me, and a couple years after reading it I still have very vivid…
Dec 12, 2018alexy93 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A vision to human nature. Human nature is presented as being no different, fundamentally, from animal nature – self-serving and ultimately geared towards mere survival. Saramago was a proponent of Hobbes. Thomas Hobbes argued that man is…
Mar 12, 2018LexiLou2 rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
I'm glad that I persevered past the first 2 sections as this unique writing style makes sense once you allow yourself to let go of the habitual preference for formal dialogue grammar and structure. I didn't finish this book as I found the…
Oct 30, 2016
This book is life as it is today with many taking more than they deserve or can ever use leaving others barely to survive or to die from want instead. Man is said to be the higher animal. I doubt it. I had to both read the book along with…
Jul 12, 2016SanAnselmoStaff_Linda rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Brilliantly written and riveting. A powerful story worth exploring and experiencing.
Feb 08, 2016
One of the greatest writers of 20th century and one of the best Portuguese literature tittle.
Jun 02, 2015mkchantelois rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Slow to get into, but ultimately brilliant. Haunting. Vivid. A true piece of literary virtuosity.
Oct 04, 2014No_Stalkers4Me rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Dark, compelling.
Felicia_Caro
May 05, 2014Felicia_Caro rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Although at the beginning I was frustrated with Jose Saramago's style of writing (very stream of consciousness), I slowly became accustomed to it and now 'Blindness' is probably one of my favorite books conceptually. This is a tale of…
Apr 13, 2014lukasevansherman rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I've read a few books by the late Portuguese Nobel winner Jose Saramago, but this is by far the best. He's sometimes described as a fabulist and compared to Calvino, Eco and Murakami. This novel, about an unnamed city, struck by a plague…
Nov 18, 2013stupeykat rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Incredible! Powerful! An unusual style of writing, but once I adjusted it draws you into the story of base human nature - and I found myself wondering... what would you do, who would you become? A MUST READ! I look forward to reading…
Aug 17, 2013afraalmussawir rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
This book is difficult to read. The style is often confusing (and I assume that's a direct translation, not just the translator's quirk), but far more important is the disturbing subject matter. I almost put the book down permanently when…
Jul 08, 2013JCLMELODYK rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
What happens when everyone becomes blind? Does human decency prevail over evil, does society crumble, who survives and at what cost? Only one unnamed woman remains sighted as a strange white blindness overtakes the city. She leads her…
Aug 08, 2012va7vax rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I couldn't read past the beginning few chapters. Too distressing to read the esperiences of the people going blind. Very well written with an interesting style of making the dialogue all run together without punctuation. It adds to the…
Jul 17, 2012rireads rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
The writing style is very different - not a lot of paragraph breaks and extremely long sentences - but it's a very interesting idea. I felt drawn to the scary plot and the interesting perspective. I had a hard time finishing it though,…