Blindness

By: José Saramago

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

A city is hit by a sudden and strange epidemic of "white blindness", which spares no one. Authorities confine the blind to an empty mental hospital, but there social conventions quickly crumble and the struggle for survival brings out the worst in people.

There is one eyewitness to this nightmare who guides seven strangers -among them a boy with no mother, a girl with dark glasses, a dog of tears - out of their prison and through the barren streets, and the procession becomes as uncanny as the surroundings are harrowing.

A magnificent parable of loss and disorientation and a vivid evocation of the horrors of the 20th century, by Nobel Prize-winning author Jose Saramago, Blindness has swept the masses with its powerful portrayal of man's worst appetites and weaknesses - and man's ultimately exhilarating spirit.

English translation by Juan Sager.

©1997 Juan Sager (English translation); 1995 Jose Saramago and Editorial Caminho (P)2008 BBC Audiobooks America

Too philosophical

I only finished this book because I listened to a big portion hoping for relief. The reader was excellent but I did not enjoy the story.

Not the best.

Great plot. Just not very well written. I would prefer it if there’s nothing else.

So repetitive

The writer constantly would explain something and then explain it several more ways again and again. Like I got it move on. Other than that it wasnt horrible but just something’s I felt could have been left out. It was okay, hard to get through. Glad I am done.

Good overall

I’ll start with narrator- great in every way. Pleasant voice, clear, without annoyances.
Story: hmm there are disturbing parts, disgusting parts, surprising outcomes…… honest view of what humanity becomes when civilization crashes

No vision statement

Blindness by Jose Saramago is a tale of societal breakdown due to an unexplained outbreak of blindness. While having all the hallmarks of a contagious disease, medical etiology for the condition is never offered. Starting with one man who suddenly becomes blind, a city gradually descends into chaos as blindness slowly overcomes everyone except for a single woman who is the wife of an ophthalmologist. Initially with few numbers, the blind are segregated in a former mental asylum. Conditions degrade until the military perimeter is abandoned and a core clique wanders out and make their way through a nightmare of blind survivors. They manage to eke out an existence until, just as inexplicitly, sight slowly returns.

Saramago captures the terror that descends as sight is lost, both at the individual level as well as the societal level. Horrible people do horrible things even when sightless. It’s also clear that no one is prepared for what is happening as well as what’s to come. The one seeing woman makes for a fascinating character as she must at times pretend or fake being blind to prevent being overwhelmed, while still carrying the bulk of the responsibility for taking care of everyone.

The narration is superb with excellent character distinction. Pacing is smooth and on the brisk side.

An interesting premise but...

It got very padded with poetic ramblings and over selling of some situations. I liked the clever use of character identification and I thought it enhanced their personalities. The portrait of human nature's reaction to the epidemic is frighteningly believable. The reader (actor really) does a wonderful job in portraying so many different characters and their trials. My only critique is that I listen in the car and sometimes the dialog, perhaps deservedly so, gets very hard to hear. I guess that's why they invented the 15 replay! A tentative recommendation with a finger on the FF button sometimes. PS - I didn't like the ending.

Aren't we all blind

For two decades I was afraid to read this book and probably for a very good reason. Reading it especially now, makes a lot of sense as it was and still is prophetic in so many ways.

Captivating story

I have read the novel a couple of times and now listening to the narration was great as well

Good concept but so pretentious

So pretentious. Not sure if it's the translation, the Portuguese, or the writer. It's pretty hard to get through. Liked the concept, but could use 100x less philosophy in my opinion. A British narrator would have thrown it over the edge, good reading.

Good 'read'

thoughtful story about the assembly of society and human behavior. I started reading this book and really enjoyed the author's writing style...it adds an element to the story that you won't get with an audible version. I switched to the audible version so i could finish it... I spend so much time on the road and not enough time to put my nose in a book :( I recommend this read!