Blindness
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Joke and Hannah's Buddy Read
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Fauuzzie
(last edited Apr 24, 2012 01:12PM)
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rated it 5 stars
Apr 24, 2012 01:10PM
A chapter a day then?
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owkay, if ok for you starting tomorrow, forgot my copy at home, but i can read one chapter tonight and start discussion tomorrow ...
I see that Jose Saramago is similar to Cormac McCarthy with regards to the fact that they both hate quotation marks...
Saramago hates paragraph breaks as well, and character names. one long long paragraph for pretty much the whole book.one hell of a book though
It's definitely an intriguing idea.I think that a white blindness, as opposed to the typical dark blindness, would be much more difficult to cope with.
It takes some time to get the feel of the book because his dialogues are reduced to a chaotic impressions, but i think the whole anti-paragraph thingy adds an extra dimension of anxiety, becoming blind in an instant ..i think your toughts would be quite incoherent.I agree with you hannah white blindness is much more difficult to cope with, just like Saramago describes: instead of veiling everything in black, this white blindness is luminous, it swallowed up rather than absorbed.
I like the way the author paints the atmosphere...his accurate description of morning traffic jams is exactly how it feels...
Hmm...I guess you're right. I was slightly confused reading that:) The blind man asked the perfect question, too: Why me?
That's exactly what I would think if that happened to me.
and so typical , the good Samaritan stealing his car, poor guy and also typical while coping with the blindness thing, trying so hard ( and obviously failing) not the think about the car. I personally would also hope the thief would become blind!
Haha, he probably does:DI wonder if it will be explained what the cause of the white blindness epidemic is...?
well we'll see when we read along i guess ;)
I like how Saramago doesn't just say BAM, the town is blind. He describes the events leading up to the characters' becoming blind. It's realistically gradual.
Our main characters are blind and alone, have been quarantined by the government in an abandoned mental facility, and have been told that in the case of any kind of catastrophe, even death, they are on their own and will not recieve any kind of external assistance...All this, and yet, it still doesn't seem like a horror novel. Well, not the typical kind at least.
Saramago...talented writer:)
Yes, i like the way hè is able to describe the characters and make you feel with them eventhough they don't have names. I thought it would be more diffcult to suck you into the story, but in a way it works fine.
Wow. I am now certain that a sudden epidemic of blindness would be one of the worst things that could happen to the world.
yeah it sucks, especially when you start to think what is so evident isn't anymore...I'm very impressed by the doctor's wife, not only is she very practical and inventive ..the love for hus husband is very touching
and och yeah after the thief was groping the girl with the dark glasses..Karma payback time :D Btw, the way the girl with dark glasses is looking out for and comforting the little boy is very naturally...
It only makes sense that someone would take up the responsibility of taking care of him, since his mother isn't there.
well..normally yeah, but not sure everyone would do it.The blind wing just received new visitors, they came from the infected wing. Where they were kicked out and didn't have the time to take the luggage.
You actually feel the fear levelling up...and mistrust.
The thief is getting sicker and like they said they wouldn't receive treatment nor medecins..the conversation between the doctor and the segeant also illustrates the panic and fear there is to get contaminated by this white blindness. As for food ..well they don't get enough..i am wondering what will happen when people get really hungry and the discomfort is getting worse, i think we probably see the bad side of humanity ...
The shooting out of fear of the thief ..i made me think of living in a warzone...makes me wonder how hard it must be for both sides in a warzone..the people living there and the soldiers who have to be always on their guard.
It's so great to read a book where the author doesn't sugarcoat anything. It's all so real, because you know what happens in this book is exactly what would happen if the epidemic were to occur in reality. I am a little sick of reading books where the severity of the events is played down to satisfy the readers.
Luckily, this isn't one of those.
yess..reality ain't that pretty. I'm positive that degradation of humanity would happen if you are forced to experience it that way.Also the thugs in the asylum..it took some time but it was destined to happen someday..people are always eager to find advantages/ parasite on the back of others.
also the demand for woman...well i'm not sure i wouls accept that as easily as the women did..wwhat the docotr's wife did ..well it mus have been the hardest decision in her life to take a life in that way..brave woman..
It's fortunate that she's the one who can still see, because she's comes off as very rational. If you think about it, there were only two options: To go or to starve. She probably realized that, too, and knew what she had to do.
yes she seems to be the strongest character...and indeed when under those circumstances you don't seem to have many options..but the gradual degradation of humanity...it most be worse of you can see..and the burden and responsability you have to carry..never complaining.
and al the main characters, well it didn't think it would be possible since it always harder to identify with the characters when they have no name, they seem to have found a spot in my heart.like the side character " the dog of tears", i really liked that dog!
My favorite person? Well, either the doctor's wife or the old man with the black eyepatch.But if we're not talking people, then the dog of tears, definitely:) It's agreed, he (is it ever referred to as a "he"?) is the best:D
i think it is a he :-) if we are talking about persons then we agree again!and i have to say first i tought the first and blind man and his wife were to whining to like them like the others, but after what she went through with the other women, somehow it made her stronger which is impressive after that ordeal.
The author is definitely capable of creating well rounded characters with different layers. Like when the doctor went to bed with with the girl with dark glasses and his wife witnessed that, it broke my heart. Especially when she didn't feel any anger towards them but felt sorry.
That's what it is with these characters! They're well-rounded. The scene you mentioned definitely shows that. At first I was mad that she wasn't mad about the doctor sleeping with the girl with the dark glasses. After some consideration, though, I realized...she is a good wife. And a good person for letting it slide. I'm amazed at her ability to do that. The heroines in all the books I read after this one will seem so...uhh, what word fits best? Wimpy. Petty. Fluffy. All of the above...
OK, one little thing I noticed that I loved: the part where the doctor's wife goes into the supermarket storage area (page 229). She's completely walking in the dark, and Saramago describes the darkness as "a thick paste that sticks to her face." I find that description so accurate, don't you? It's one of the only times where I can really say that an author has described something absolutely perfectly.
yeah definitely so..he shows us reality like it is...reality is neither black or white but more like shades of gray..like the character aren't flawless what makes the so much realistic. Absolutely the heriones in other books will be sissy's in comparison to ther :-)
and yes most of his descriptions are quite accurate but esppecially in that scene you can perfectly imagine how it must be for her. So what do think of the fact they made a film out of the book? Can't seem to think they can grab al that filthiness, gritt but also hope and braveness and compassion; also more practical..the white milky blindess? how could they make that believable? Because of the particular way the author is capable of describing it, it almost felt like i was stumbling around blind when i was reading it. The book felt so real you can almost smell the stink ..( happy it stayed to almost tough :-))
Hmm...well, the movie might be a good adaption, but in this case, I'm certain the book will win over it. I think it's the tough realness of it. I may have to check the movie out to see if it does the book justice.Though I will say there are certain scenes I don't exactly want a visual of...
It's going to be quite a task to rebuild civilization from the ruins it has become.Should be easier with their eyes, though:)
It was about a 4.5-ish. Although due to the GR rating system, I guess I'll have to round up to 5 stars. Not too big of a deal. It was a really good book. Thanks for suggesting it, Joke!:)
you're welcome :-) it is one off my favorites too!yeah wonder how easy life will be like afterwards and of the boy ever found his mum...and will the man with the eyepatch and the girl with dark glasses stay together?
There's a sequel to it? YAY!!And for once, I'm not dreading reading a sequel...
yeah, altough not sure i would call it a real sequel. It is more of a political satire. There are some characters of blindness but more like side characters. It was a bit of a disappointment to see it as a real sequel, like to find out what happens after, altough blindness gives some background it would say it was more of a stand-alone...but still it wasn't that bad :-)
So then it would be considered as more of a companion novel than a sequel.That's about accurate. I mean, I don't think our protagonists could handle another installment starring them:)
worst book I have ever read. So surprised that I persevered and finished it.Perhaps things were lost in the translation into English??
It was written in a rather peculiar style..it was easier to digest in french then english tough..nevertheless i preferred the english version
Any particular reason why?
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