José Saramago's Blindness
Published February 09, 2005
The system within the asylum quickly becomes chaotic and hellish. One wing of the hospital is designated for those who are already blind and the other wing for those who have been exposed to the blindness but have not yet become blind. The story mostly takes place in the blind wing, which quickly devolves. Sanitation is essentially nonexistent, stress levels are high and the characters quickly begin acting like little more than animals. The one thing that holds them together is the main character of the story, the wife of a doctor who is not blind. She pretends that she is blind so that she can function undisturbed within the wing, leaving her free to help her husband, who has succumbed to the illness. She stands as the emotional and moral center of the story, helping those around her as much as she can without giving away the fact that she still has her sight, for fear of what the others will do if they find out.
The doctor's wife is crucial to the novel. She is kind and graceful and moral, a calm in the middle of a truly horrific storm. She is the only one who can literally see what is happening to the people around her and the love and caring that she shows is amazing. She alone seems to understand the true scope of what is happening in the story and she alone sees the full scale of the horror that occurs. The grace with which she handles the situation is incredible. There is one scene in particular at night in the asylum that involves the relationship between her husband and another blind woman in the wing. What happens between them and the way that she handles it is both breathtaking and heartbreaking, leaving you pained and awed and thrilled. The generosity in that moment is overwhelming.
Blindness is a story that deals with the frailty of humanity and society. It is also about human nature. You may be left feeling exhilarated by the humanity on display through the doctor's wife early in the story, but there are also terrible, horrible events within the book that will leave you shaken. The novel deals with a true breakdown in society and how that can lead to the devolution of the members of that society. There are parts that will leave you sick and disgusted--appalled at the inhumanity that can, and does, exist in the world.
Yet, the grace of the novel--the grace of the doctor's wife--never fails to shine through. This story is about all of humanity, not just the bad parts. There are moments of quiet tenderness that are breathtaking and devastating--but that fill you with a great appreciation of just how incredibly kind and generous we, as humans, can be. This novel incorporates the full spectrum of what it means to be human, stripping away society to reveal the basic elements, impulses and desires of humanity.
- José Saramago's Blindness
- Published: February 09, 2005
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- Section: Books
- Filed Under: Books: Literature and Fiction
- Writer: Joel Caris
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I would definitely recommend starting off with Blindness. It has to be one of his best books and you'll probably really like it. It will also give you a good introduction to the way he writes.
I thought The Stand did a great job of dealing with the crumbling of society. I haven't read Lord of the Flies yet, but that's one of the books I keep meaning to pick up. In terms of end of the world type books, another good one is Swan Song by Robert McCammon. Personally, I put that right up there with The Stand. A truly great book.
And thanks for selecting the review for Advance.net.
Admist reports of rape and murder in New Orleans in the chaotic aftermath of the August 2005 hurricane, I wonder if Mr. Saramago had a comment regarding the accuracy of his predictions as depicted in "Blindness"?
It would be interested to know what he thinks, Stephanie. I know the last few days I keep thinking about that book and marveling--in quite a bit of horror--that something almost exactly like that is happening here, in the United States.
It's incredible, and absolutely horrifying.
The remarks about Saramago's BLINDNESS are right on target. The similitudes are horrifying, and Saramago as a great artist has indeed predicted with uncanny accuracy what happens to 'civilisation' as soon as the infrastructure breaks down. Martial law, governmental indifference, marauding gangs, all kinds of abuses and the near-disappeance of basic humanity. I will soon be publishing an article about this novel comparing it with Orwell's '1984'. If you come across any comments by Saramago on New Orleans, please let me know.
When i read what is happening to the 20 000 people trapped for 5 days in the Ernest M. Morial Convention Center, i thought right away about Blindness that i just read in the Spring. Since then, i regularly think about this book...But i always thought about it as a philosophical tale...And now that it is real...
I really liked your review, and it now that i think of it, I can see the parallels between it and hurricane katrina. I was wondering, do you have any comments on the use of animals in a lot of Saramago's descriptions?
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Great review, Joel. I too have been meaning to check out Saramago for years, though of course I've not yet done it. The Cave has tempted me several times in the book store, but now I'm tempted to put Blindness at the top of my list.
I'm reminded here of two other novels, one literary and one "genre fiction": Lord of the Flies by William Golding and The Stand, by Stephen King. Both deal with a breakdown in society and with the humanity and evil that emerges in individuals when the chips are down and the rules have blown away like the wind. It looks as though Blindness captures a new and intriguing angle on this theme.
This book review has been selected for Advance.net. You'll be able to find this and other Blog Critics reviews at such places at Cleveland.com's Book Reviews column.