Blindness

Rating:
Summary: A Total Horror
Review: Without a doubt, this is the most vulgar, boring and warped book I've ever read. If I want to be depressed, I can do it all by myself without reading a debased book like this.

Rating:
Summary: overall worth the read
Review: It's been lauded as one of the best novels of the century; with that hype in tow, I was let down. It is a good but tenuous read. I say tenuous because of the style of writing- no paragraphs or quotations- it can be taxing on your nerves.

The story itself is the movie "Outbreak". As the contagion spreads, the characters turn into "Lord of the Flies". It is very predictable. the story of an unraveled society has been done over and over.

You will be saddened, you will be disenchanted with society and humankind, you will already be familiar with the theme. You will come away in a bad mood, and thanking God for your eyesight. But bottom line is, if any book affects you this much, as it did me, then it must be worth the read. It was.

Rating:
Summary: This book has its moments...
Review: This is really a great book, but it has its flaws. Saramago is a Nobel Prize winner, obviously a legend, but his language in this text really limited what he did with it. I was in awe at the profoundity of some of the passages, yet found some ridiculously monotonous and void of meaning. The ending was very abrupt, and did not do justice to the possibilities the book had. A moving story and interesting style (get used to no quotation marks!) make this a pretty good book, though I probably won't read it again.

Rating:
Summary: The power of human dignity
Review: Blindness talks about human beings at the edge. Its brutality lies in the true representation of the misery of all of us: if you admire yourself, if you are a satisfied person don't buy this book. It hurts. It shows the worst of human nature. But it shows also a way to survive discovering the power of dignity of human beings. It's an unforgettable lesson about respect and love, about loneliness and despair, about hope and forgiveness. To make it shortly, it's a wonderful book.

Rating:
Summary: A Downer
Review: This is absolutely the most revolting book I have ever read. I have to admit, I didn't finish it. I could only get about 3/4 through it. If I want to be depressed, I don't need a book to do it for me.

Rating:
Summary: Blindness
Review: Although Jose Saramago's novel, Blindness, was a difficult read, I found it to be quite enjoyable overall. The plot moved on rather slowly at times, which was not helped by the lack of grammar and punctuation, but it never ceased to hold my attention. I found the story to be quite effective, despite the translation, but there was one aspect that bothered me - the ending. For all of the challenges that this book presented in reading it, I did not find the ending satisfying enough to justify the lack of explination in the conclusion.

Overall, this book overcame all of its minor downfalls, and was a very good novel.

Rating:
Summary: A Brilliant, near-mythic Modern Odyssey
Review: This novel is one of the best books that I have read all year. Saramago's concept of a world caught up in a disease of blindness was a brilliant one, but his accomplishments in making this event seem plausible are superior. The book's entire structure adds to the blind quality of the novel: The characters are unnamed, save for a vague moniker that breifly describes them (example: the girl with dark glasses, the old man with the black eye patch). The dialogue is unquoted and placed within the text, virtually unmarked. Chapters are unnamed, and the text is written in large, lengthy paragraphs, mimicking the fact that sensations would come with no breaks, that all would seem as one. The book's only downfall is its occasional difficulty. Though the prose is simply, elegantly written in a somewhat sparse style, its blocky format can be too much for some readers to handle at a time. As well, the unquoted, often unattributed dialogue can become confusing after a lengthy passage of conversation, as the reader is unable to tell who is speaking. Besides these minor pitfalls, this book truly resembles a modern retelling of many mythological stories, but with a tragically human bent that draws the readers in and makes them feel a part of the action. An excellent, thought-provoking read, worthy of any bibliophile's library. Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: WILDLY PROVACATIVE
Review: While I didn't care for the strange use of the English language, I do find Blindness to encompass the most wildly provacative and original premise I have yet to find. It is a novel of horror and far surpasses anything Stephen King or Clive Cussler has ever written. Blindness tells the tale of the breakdown of society and as it does, it shows us just how fragile that society really is. That something such as this could really happen only adds to the chilling tone of the tale. Saramago is certainly one of the most brilliant authors now writing and Blindness is a novel that would do any author credit. The translation is perfect and the novel loses nothing by not having been originally written in English. Highly recommended for those looking for something different, chilling and highly intellectual.

Rating:
Summary: An Eye Opening Tale
Review: You approach Blindness from a distance. The subject is so utterly chilling that you ask why go on. First, there is the unusual style of the writing. The lack of regular paragraph breaks, odd punctuation and no quotes makes for a slow read. You soon realize that this book must be read slow for a variety of reasons. The primary one being that you need to absorb the magnitude of characters horrific situation. The story actually frightens you but like the characters you soon grow more accustomed to the situation. After the first fifty pages, I found the story so consuming that I had to keep reading. Despite no character having a name you are drawn to them completely. This is not an ordinary book. It is a work by an enormously talented author (who I had not previously heard of). This book forces you to contemplate how fragile society can be. It illustrates a complete breakdown of our way of life. It is certainly not for the faint of heart but a must read those seeking provocative litature. You may want to read this with a friend or in a club. It will generate conversation. I strongly recommend Blindness.

Rating:
Summary: "Hats off, gentlemen, a genius"
Review: I never read anything that goes as deep into the human soul since Dostoievky's "Karamazov Brothers". Undoubtedly one of the great 20th century classics.