Read This Before Reading “Blindness”

Prepare for Intense Disturbing Scenes

José Saramago’s Blindness is not an easy read. The novel depicts a sudden epidemic of blindness that spreads through an unnamed city, causing chaos, fear, and cruelty. Readers should prepare for graphic, unsettling, and sometimes horrifying depictions of human behavior under extreme conditions. The book challenges comfort and confronts the darker sides of human nature.

A Story About Human Nature, Not Just Illness

While the premise centers on blindness, the novel is really about how society reacts when order collapses. People become desperate, selfish, or violent. Small communities form, hierarchies emerge, and moral codes are tested. Saramago explores how fear, isolation, and scarcity reveal both the best and worst aspects of humanity.

Unconventional Writing Style

Saramago’s style can be challenging for first-time readers. He often writes long sentences with minimal punctuation and uses few paragraph breaks. Dialogue blends into narrative without quotation marks. This technique forces readers to engage closely with the text and experience the story in a continuous, immersive flow.

Emotional Intensity

The novel is emotionally demanding. Characters experience suffering, loss, and trauma on a daily basis. Readers may feel tension, sadness, and even despair as they follow the struggles of the blind and those who try to help them. Prepare for a reading experience that is as psychologically taxing as it is thought provoking.

Themes to Keep in Mind

Blindness explores morality, empathy, social responsibility, and the fragility of civilization. Saramago asks readers to consider what happens when humans are stripped of safety, normalcy, and social rules. The novel raises questions about human behavior, ethics, and the resilience of the human spirit.

How to Approach the Book

Read slowly and patiently. Pay close attention to character interactions and the underlying social commentary. Do not be discouraged by the lack of conventional punctuation—this style reflects the confusion and continuity of the epidemic itself. Emotional preparation will enhance your understanding of the novel’s depth and impact.

Why It Matters

Blindness is more than a story about a city struck by a mysterious epidemic. It is a profound meditation on human nature, society, and the moral choices we make in extreme circumstances. Approaching it with readiness for its intensity ensures a richer and more meaningful experience.

Blindness 1st (first) edition Text Only

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