Welcome to Litsy!

“When all is said and done, what is clear is that all lives end before their time.”
― Jose Saramago, Blindness

I read this many years ago well before COVID and as with all pandemic books I cannot help but compare to what we have experienced the last few years. This book is much worse than what I experienced, and while I don't agree with every thing my government did, but yikes the government Saramago has created here is chilling. This is an impressive and brilliant look at humanity. Often harsh (check TWs) but incredibly realistic. 👇

This was really haunting. So bleak, dense, required real concentration. I got a little frustrated at some of the misogyny (only the women are worried about their clothes matching when EVERYONE IS BLIND 😤) but still a pick. Def not light hearted.

#birthdaybashreadathon #scarathlon #mischiefandmayhem

I went for the Saramago, I returned with a #BookHaul 😁📚
I haven't yet read the first of Ferrante's Neopolitan books, but when I do, I'll have the second ready.
Registration is a 1954 collection of contemporary Chinese short stories.
Triste's History is Argentinean author, Vázquez Rial's, story of death squads during his country's period of governmental terror.
⬇️

Waiting on my kindle to read.... #temptingtitles #withblind @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

#TemptingTitles Day 14: #WithBlind - looking forward to reading tagged book. Read and reviewed Invisible Cities when I was in Bari, Italy last year.

I am posting one book per day from my extensive to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it, I just do. Some will be old, and some will be new. Don‘t judge me - I have a lot of books. Join in if you want!

#ABookaDay2023

This is a good/wild read.

Easily one of the more intense books I‘ve read in a long time. Premise: People suddenly start to go blind and then are abandoned by their government and asked to fend for themselves - result? Absolutely chaos and anarchy, the disruption of order and organisation, the breakdown of humanity as we know it. Highly compelling work, triggering in parts, vivid descriptions makes your skin crawl. Loved every minute of it.

There are definite pandemic vibes here, but this rather brutal novel resonates even more with themes of global climate change and environmental degradation caused by the blind pursuit of profit and short-term pleasure. Either way, neither the characters nor people outside of the fictional world are likely to learn anything.

Non-theme read, 8 readathon hours, 86 points for #TeamSlaughter #scarathlon @Clwojick

With the sudden onset of white blindness, the characters really have to work on their listening skills #listeningday #julyjam @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @eggs

Blindness is a very layered, complex novel which explores human nature through an imagined epidemic of blindness. This dystopian narrative is at times philosophical and meditative, at others action-fuelled. Blindness functions in many ways; it is both wilful and fought against, the characters are blind to each other and themselves, society is blind to moral obligations and the characters to the role we all play in the social reality.

I read till the misused punctuation became to much of an obstacle, it didn't make me feel blind, felt like I was grading papers and someone was on their way to a rewrite, if you want to make me feel blind maybe don't tell how the rooms are painted and furnished, I can hear just fine, I often close my eyes when I'm eavesdropping so I can concentrate, no quotes, no periods just destroy my ability to get inside your book and listen to your story.

#society when the shtf. #conflictedworlds

#conflictedworlds #illness
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @eggs

"Blindness is a private matter between a person and the eyes with which he or she was born"

ok, trying this: not a club but a post. and not a recent read, but a supposedly Good Book that I hated: Jose Saramago's Blindness. hated. h.a.t.e.d.
what's yours?

Reading a book about a worse pandemic in the middle of a pandemic was disconcerting at times. The epidemic of blindness and how humanity reacts and survives was moving and disturbing. The long unbroken narrative with shifting perspectives worked and heightened the sense of not knowing what was happening and why and how long it would last. The descriptions of the smells and deteriorating conditions and brutality were visceral.

What a strange story! Surprising and disturbing in many ways but also thought provoking. Like nothing else I‘ve ever read, it examines what makes us human and what people are willing to do when society breaks down and all expectations of community and decency are abandoned in the interest of survival. This has been on my #TBR for nearly 9 years! Thanks @TheAromaofBooks and #BookspinBingo for finally reading! #ReadingEurope #Portugal

Current #audiobook while painting. Really intriguing so far. #BookspinBingo #ReadingEurope #Spain @TheAromaofBooks

Page turner- looking for a copy to read in Portuguese.

An epidemic of blindness suddenly hits, at first the government attempts to quarantine those afflicted but soon everyone is blind. Except one women, she guides and takes care of a group of blind people. I really enjoyed the writing style and I really questioned how this situation might pan out in reality.

#ReadingEurope2020 #Portugal @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

I've wanted to read this one forever it seems, so I'm happy I finally pushed myself to get it off my TBR. Although it took me a little bit to get used to the lack of punctuation for the dialogue, I found myself wrapped up in this story and unable to put it down.

Excellent dystopian thriller with lots of heart. I will definitely have to read more by this author now.

Catching up while enjoying great sunny day!!

Abstract yet totally worth reading

#7booksin7days

Day 3

#7days7books

Day 3 ~ Books that changed me or left a deep impression upon me

Tagging @Soubhiville to play along, if you want to.

#7days7books
#7Tage7Buecher

Seven books that left a very deep impression and/or changed me.
day 7

With the world currently gripped by coronavirus hysteria this account of a mysterious illness that causes instant blindness seemed a timely choice. The style is initially challenging, long, run-on sentences, no conventional names etc, thus replicating in the reader the disorientation felt by the characters. The descent into brutality is swift and inexorable. Unique and unforgettable.

An epidemic of white blindness (a blank white is experienced) suddenly hits and the first sufferers are sent to an asylum. As more people are struck, everything spirals into epic dystopian proportions.

Wow, I loved this and would love to discuss. Punctuation is minimal (see my previous post) but easy to get into the narrative flow.

Unforgettable! Definitely seeking out author‘s other works; several are #1001Books, but not this one.

More 👇

I have been engrossed with this story of what happens when an epidemic of blindness hits, in spite of the punctuation style throughout (see above). Also none of the characters have names — they‘re “the doctor‘s wife”, “girl with dark glasses”, etc.

But tonight am having a hard time. I‘m sure it didn‘t help that I had two mango martinis along with a very filling Indian dinner 😋 with hubby tonight 🥴🍸🍸. Will get back to this tomorrow!

I don‘t usually put my reading goals out there as far as challenges, etc — but I‘m excited about the ones I plan to do in 2020! They‘re as follows:
#authoramonth2020 @Soubhiville
#readwithmrbook @MrBook
#ReadingEurope2020 @BarbaraBB @Librarybelle
#classicschallenge2020 @Reviewsbylola
#1001Books (ongoing challenge)

I don‘t expect to get much reading done in January as I‘ll be away the second half.

Tagged book fits 2 of the challenges 📚📚

A #Blackandwhitecover from my read list.

#NamasteNovember @Eggs

When the whole world goes blind, what becomes of society? Jose Saramago toys with this question, exploring human nature and the world we see- or in their case, no longer can see. Intriguing read and one that definitely gave me some things to think about.

Almost everybody in the world goes blind except they see white.

#BlackorWhite #SeptemberSins
@Jenniferw88 @NataliePatalie

7 days 7 covers - day 4

When you ask me what my favorite book is, the answer is always either Blindness or The Road, depending on which one I‘ve most recently reread. As usual, this book was a wonderful experience. As soon as this readathon is done, I plan on reading the sequel “Seeing”.

I‘m participating in the Tome Infinity and Beyond readathon that started today, mostly because it gave me a fun reason to reread Blindness. I freaking adore this book. This reread is just as good as every other one.

Imagine a world where people suddenly go blind and there is no rhyme nor reason for this bizarre epidemic. While at times difficult to read due to the structure and that its a translated book, that should not prevent you from picking up this dystopian masterwork by this Pulitzer Prize winning author.

I read this book in about a day after a friend of mine recommended it to me. The book grabbed my attention and didn't let me go until I finished.

"we did not become blind, I think we are. Blind who, while seeing, do not see".
(blindness)
One of my favorite writers.
4 stars on goodreads
#book #readingchallenge2019 #litsy #toread #bookly #bookworm #josesaramago #blindness #litsybook #goodreads

Dystopian and dark AF. Just what I was looking for.

#OneWordReview : "MASTERPIECE".

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:

"Inside us there is something that has no name, that something is what we are."

“The difficult thing isn't living with other people, it's understanding them.”

"I don't think we did go blind, I think we are blind, Blind but seeing, Blind people who can see, but do not see"

(due to word limit I'm adding some more quotes in comment section below)

I bought this book on my recent trip to Portugal. It is my first by the Portuguese author Jose Saramago. It is way outside my comfort zone! An epidemic of blindness hits the city and it shows the social structures we take for granted falling apart. At times it is brutal and dark but it is also brave and heroic and well written.
It has a strange writing style with long paragraphs and minimal punctuation. I am glad I read it and would read another

I wanted to share my travels in Portugal 🇵🇹 I have come to Obidos north of Lisbon. It is a beautiful medieval walled town well known for its book shops and literary festival. I am staying at “The Literary Man Hotel” which has books every where. Above top left is the book shop which was originally a church where I purchased Jose Saramago‘s book Blindness. Other photos are from our hotel and myself at the medieval wall. Such a gorgeous place❤️

I am lucky to be travelling in Portugal at the moment. It is amazing.. lots of coloured tiles and brightly painted houses, cobbled streets and ancient churches. I found these beautiful book marks today and couldn‘t resist😍✈️📚#travel #portugal

I just finished watching this for movie/bookclub. The movie was very true to the book but with much omitted of course due to length. Visually it was artsy (blurry and very black and white). Book was better as usual.

A productive January for me. Maybe cause I was sick and alot of these were less than 300 pgs. I usually average 7-8 books a month.

#Finale #anewchapter
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @vkois88