Okay, so that quote might be a little out of context for those of you who haven't read Blindness yet, but I couldn't resist it. To any of you who are looking for a book that will pull you in after the first page, I highly recommend this book. It has a creepy post-apocalyptic feel to it, to which I can't say too much about with out giving away the ending. But I will say, pick it up! It's a quick read, and well worth it. If you want a short synopsis, here is a link to one of my favorite websites to help you out. And if you have read it, I would love to talk about one chapter in particular and the ending. Jeez. What a freaky book.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Blindness
"For the latter, blindness did not mean being plunged into banal darkness, but living inside a luminous halo." - Jose Saramago
Okay, so that quote might be a little out of context for those of you who haven't read Blindness yet, but I couldn't resist it. To any of you who are looking for a book that will pull you in after the first page, I highly recommend this book. It has a creepy post-apocalyptic feel to it, to which I can't say too much about with out giving away the ending. But I will say, pick it up! It's a quick read, and well worth it. If you want a short synopsis, here is a link to one of my favorite websites to help you out. And if you have read it, I would love to talk about one chapter in particular and the ending. Jeez. What a freaky book.
Okay, so that quote might be a little out of context for those of you who haven't read Blindness yet, but I couldn't resist it. To any of you who are looking for a book that will pull you in after the first page, I highly recommend this book. It has a creepy post-apocalyptic feel to it, to which I can't say too much about with out giving away the ending. But I will say, pick it up! It's a quick read, and well worth it. If you want a short synopsis, here is a link to one of my favorite websites to help you out. And if you have read it, I would love to talk about one chapter in particular and the ending. Jeez. What a freaky book.
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18 comments:
This has been on my list forever. Alas, I have just started a class on evaluating and selecting children's literature, and won't be reading anything with chapters for quite some time.
Well, I have to respect a girl who is in class. But I will say if you get a free day, you could easily read this whole book in one sitting.
I'd love to discuss, I gave the book back to the owner so I can't reference it, but I should be able to remember.
Ok, I finished it. I am ready to discuss, A.
Lets start at the end and work backwards, what did you gals think of how the book wrapped up? Was it weird that there was no explanation about why or how the blindness started, and then it just ended...did you feel like there was a little dues ex machina (sp?) going on?
Yeah, I did feel a little deux ex machina (I deserve no credit for knowing how to spell that, I looked it up) but since it was the same way at the beginning as it was at the end (unexplained and for no reason) that when their sight returned I wasn't expecting there to be a reason. I think I'm glad there wasn't a "cause" or "cure" for the blindness, as it takes the focus off how they got there, and puts it on their behavior once they are in that state.
Ok, I have many thoughts/questions about this book but the two that occurred to me today are:
1) Why is it that sight is considered the be-all/end-all of personal identity, this absolute and defining thing? Eg, blind people no longer need names because they no longer need to call themselves anything, they just shed that part of their identity. Also, that blind people don't have their own feelings, and therefore the epidemic of blindness necessarily precedes this inevitable falling away from humanity. Something like, before there was BLINDNESS, regular blind people felt with the feelings of others. Hmmm...
2) With all that hanging out in feces and whatnot, don't you think there would be at least some kind of other plague too, that would wipe lots of people out? What does it mean that no other disease at all seemed to spread, despite the lack of medicine and the utter filth saturating everything....
okay starting with point 2. i got the impression that people were dying of sanation issues although it was never discussed in length. the other thing about that, kind of realting to your first issue, i think that maybe the people wouldn't know if there was a "another plauge" becuase there were no real discussions among the masses, only in small circles. So while the group that we knew didn't suffer it doesn't mean that it wasn't happening.
and more on the first part of your questioning, i felt saramago was trying to give us a metaphore for how he thinks people live. "blind" to the world around us. as if we choose not to see these things that around us on a daily basis. because there really was no difference between what was going on in real life and what is taking place in this book. people are starving all over the world--from countries we don't know about to that guy on the corner of clark and lake, etc. etc. At least this is the impression I get about the book but I feel as though thats so obvious, so I guess I would like to hear if you kiddies have a different take.
No, I agree with that at least in large part. I just don't know if the metaphor of blindness totally worked for me in this sense, even though I did like the book.
And, I just feel like everyone would be wiped out by dysentery or something, whether they knew it was happening around them or not. But yeah, I know I know, I'm forcing issues of practicality on it....
off subject... here at L'Abri I've taken to the habit of reading aloud. I just finished Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and am going to start Wrinkle in Time on Monday. It has been a nice change from Derrida. That being said I'd recomend reading books aloud to a group of people. It has been a delightful experience.
I agree with Amber, that there were a lot of people dying from sickness, just not in the group we followed. I think the [is is the Doctor's wife who can still see?] probably helped them stay cleaner than the others. There many descriptions of people having difficulty going to the bathroom, and all the bodies and infections. There must have been some sort of sickness that was effecting them, but it wouldn't have been named or classified in the situation they were living in.
I talked to Cheyenne about this book last week, and she said she started it but couldn't finish because of all of the violence. What do you ladies think about the role of violence, rape, etc in this book?
if you get a chance zambam, even though its in hardcover, read The Road. cause holy smokes is it frightening and amazing and moving all at once.
Also if you get a chance find The Children's Hospital by Chris Adrian! Cause holy smokes, apocalypse (of course) angel narrators, medical jargon, mysterious theology, a floating hospital at the end of the world, spiritual powers, a pretty cover. Everything you have ever wanted in a novel but couldnt write it in time. However, having not finished reading it yet, i am more than a little suspicious.
Those of you who dont have jobs (you know who i mean) put it on a credit card, start reading, put my mind at ease.
Josie,
As you now know from the most recent post, I haven't been able to respond because of my sad loss, but I do very much want to talk about the chapters that took place in the ward, particularly the latter chapters. I can completely understand why Chey would put it down, I might have even considered it my self if I hadn't been blazing through the book. I found the description of the rape of the women to be rather disturbing, for obvious reasons, but aside, because it seemed completely unnatural. I just can't imagine any woman in the face of rape thinking about how they are gaining power because the men need them to commit this horrible hate crime. I felt like I was tripping, falling, drowning, in Saramago's deep seeded and masochist fantasies, which I wanted nothing to do with. I was literally yelling at the book, "YEAH FUCKING RIGHT! THIS IS BULLSHIT!!" Of course, I don't have experience in this area, thank the Lord, but I don't think one necessitates experience to oppose Saramago's creation in this particular instance.
I hope you are still reading this...
Ah, and FR, if you (or anyone else for that matter) wants to buy me a copy of the new McCarthy novel, I would love to read it. My internal struggle with reading hard cover books stops at having them purchased for me. If it is a gift I will love it and read it and discuss it (even if I don't love it after reading it) but I just can't buy it myself. So, odds are, its going to be at least nine months before you find me posting about "The Road" here. Sorry pal.
I'm still here.
I guess I don't really remember the women thinking they were gaining power through the rape part...but that is really twisted. There were many parts of the time in the ward when I was wishing it was a movie so I could look away. So brutal.
When you say "unatural" were you meaning the women's attitudes about it? Or did you mean that it was happening at all? Because although it was awful, I don't think it was unatural that it happened, rape is often used for control.
Sorry- I'm asking more questions to the sad broken computer lady. You don't have to answer these ones. =)
how did I manage to misspell unnatural not once, but twice. yeesh.
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