Portuguese Nobel Laureate Saramago tells a fantastic tale about a city hit by an epidemic of "white blindness," in this work that is the basis for the upcoming movie with Julianne Moore.
Read More
Portuguese Nobel Laureate Saramago tells a fantastic tale about a city hit by an epidemic of "white blindness," in this work that is the basis for the upcoming movie with Julianne Moore.
Read Less
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very Good. Very Good condition. A copy that may have a few cosmetic defects. May also contain a few markings such as an owner's name, short gifter's inscription or light stamp.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. Good condition. With remainder mark. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
I wasn't very impressed by Saramago's writing style. Since he's won a pulitzer prize, I guess I'm just unable to appreciate his talents. I thought the story just went on and on about the same problems. Would have been better off getting this from the library instead of paying for it.
As far as the book condition: perfect condition and was delivered promptly.
gnomey
May 25, 2010
Blindness
Without explanation, people start going blind. Their blindness is white, which makes it all the more puzzling. The government quickly reacts by quarantining the blind, and using armed soldiers to keep them locked away.
Once people go blind, they're no longer 'people' or 'citizens' - they're 'THE INFECTED'. They're not fed adequately, and not allowed any medicine or cleaning products. The government could sent in workers in biohazard suits to distribute food and basic supplies, and provide medical care, but the government doesn't care. They put soldiers at the gates to the building where the blind are housed, and instruct them to shoot at the slightest provocation.
Very quickly, society inside the quarantine facility breaks down. The blind break into factions, and fight each other over food, valuables, and women.
The blind don't know it at the time, but their breakdown inside the asylum mirrors what is happening in the streets outside, and of course, outside of the book as well.
Praterviolet
May 11, 2009
Raises Anxiety Levels
A haunting story. Reminded me of the horror stories reported by the media that occurred in the Superdome during Hurricane Katrina.
smokedswede
Mar 12, 2009
good read
this book is an interesting read about an epidemic of blindness. the author is very effective at conveying group dynamics in a stressful condition.
BKsf
Nov 7, 2008
Beautiful and Bleak
If you're willing to overlook his punctuation style (i.e. many unnecessary commas, no quotation marks, quotes that flow in the middle of sentences set off by a capital letter) or if you can just get used to it, the book can be very rewarding. The dialogue was beautiful, and at times the language and imagery were utterly devastating. Its message is consistent from start to end, which can be somewhat one-note-ish, but the plot is well constructed and propels the action of the novel forward in spite of an arguably static message.
