Blindness

Rating:
Summary: Open your eyes to "Blindness"
Review: When I first opened Blindness, the first thing I noticed was the scarcity of paragraphs and the utter lack of quotation marks. I braced myself for a 350-page endurance test of wordy description and stream of consciousness. I am delighted to report that my first impression was completely wrong.

This book is direct, uncluttered, and immediate. It becomes a page-turner with the very first paragraph, and the tension, anxiety, and pace do not let up until the last page. (Not that this is the measure of a great book; but it helps!)

Blindness is storytelling at its best. It has it all: a terrifying premise; interesting, flawed and conflicted characters; realistic dialog; allegory; social commentary; plus, the added bonus of a fast pace. Furthermore, Saramago tells it all with smooth, effortless prose. The story is horrifying, nauseating, devastating, and uplifting. It is an emotional rollercoaster that succinctly reflects all that is disgusting, beautiful, cowardly, heroic, selfish, and giving in human nature. It is a monument to the human condition under the worst of circumstances.

The Nobel Committee definitely knew what they were doing when they awarded the Prize to Jose Saramago. This book is a treasure. My book club was also unanimous in praising this book. So do yourself a favor and read it! I can't recommend it highly enough.