2020 Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book with a character with a vision imparement

[baronessekat]

Blindness by José Saramago

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


On an average day, a man is suddenly struck blink - but instead of dark he sees nothing but white. within 48 hours more than a dozen people have been inflicted as well, including the eye doctor he saw about the condition, his wife, the man who first helped him and three people who were in the waiting room of the eye doctor's office.

The health ministry, fearful of a sudden outbreak, take those inflicted and suspected of being contaminated to an old hospital for quarantine. Refusing to leave her husband, the doctor's wife pretends to be struck blind as well, though she retains her sight.

Once in quarantine, the "internees" as they are called quickly find themselves in a situation where they are not only at the mercy of the government for survival, but against other internees who revert to the most base of human behaviors. With the help of the doctor's wife, the small group of originally inflicted, struggle to survive in this "new normal".

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I got this book free with my Audible Subscription through their new "Audible Plus" program.

This was a deeply disturbing story as it shows how quickly humanity stops almost being human when faced with a crisis. IT was also interesting in that not one character has an official name. They are called "The Doctor's Wife", "The Doctor", "The First Blind Man", "The Boy with the Squint", "The Man with the Black Eye Patch" and so on.

I did enjoy Jonathan Davis' reading of this book. And I think it was his reading that kept me going when it got really uncomfortable.

I haven't decided if I want to actually track down the movie that was made several years ago based on this book - it has several actors I like, but knowing the story I"m iffy. I can't say if I would recommend this book or not. I guess if you want an uncomfortable, though provoking look at humanity, this would be a good book for it.



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