Winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize for Literature. A city is hit by an epidemic of 'white blindness.' The blindness spreads, sparing no one. Authorities initially confine the blind to a vacant mental hospital secured by armed guards.
Tristan hailed it as a parable of loss and disorientation, of man's worst appetities and hopeless weaknesses. The book reminded him of a couple of previous choices: "The Road" and "Midnight's Children". He labelled the book good, clever, memorable and allegorical. 8.5/10
Don explained how he had hoovered up the book and immediately liked it. He was also reminded of "The Road", along with "Lord Of The Flies". Saramago's style - pages of long sentences and dialogue without quotation marks - made for an easy read, although Don confessed to skipping a few paragraphs here and there. Don was very drawn to a scene when some of the book's characters shower in the rain. Don had done the same thing. He was less convinced by the conduct of the military, and the speed of a fire. 7.5/10
Robin |
Robin thought the book had many fantastic moments, and that the shocking scenes in the asylum were the book's peak. He felt it was downhill from that moment and that the book was overlong. 6.5/10
Hamish was impressed by the rapid fire opening and had high hopes for the book but thought it was downhill all the way after the scenes in the asylum. Hamish also questioned the need for "a happy ending". 5.5/10
Keith put his cards straight on the table. "An outstanding book" he announced, before questioning the ability of the notetaker to capture all the salient points made by the Hove Book Group's esteemed reviewers. He may have a point there. This book ticked all Keith's boxes: great plot, philosophy, sex, violence, experimental writing style, and great characters. Keith noted how the Doctor's wife had to constantly question how she should behave and react, and the prominence and significance of the character's homes. 10/10
Nigel acknowledged his debt to Tristan and the book group as it is unlikely he would have come across this book any other way. Nigel enjoyed the unusual style: no quotation marks for dialogue, and the long stream-of-consciousness sentences which he also found easy to follow. For Nigel the book was very powerful and disturbing. The more disturbing scenes forming an intrinsic part of a tale that remind the reader of the fragility of civilisation. Nigel was reminded how he should appreciate the wonder of the everyday - sanitation, drinking water, plenty of varied food, feeling secure - and, above all, the gift of sight. Nigel hailed the book as original, unusual, compelling, and memorable. 8/10
Nigel had also read the sequel to Blindness - Seeing - which he rated even more highly than Blindess. He urged anyone who had enjoyed Blindness to read Seeing.
Nick enjoyed the mix of drama and the everyday. We enjoyed Nick's return to the group after an absence that felt like an eternity. Welcome back Nick. Nick described it as an uncanny novel about blindness, sight and the very essence of human nature and society.
I think we are blind. Blind people who can see, but do not see.
Nick was transported into an alternate and terrifying universe. Saramago painted a vivid picture of society’s descent into anarchy. 7/10
Accepting his Nobel prize, Saramago, calling himself "the apprentice", and said: "The apprentice thought, 'we are blind', and he sat down and wrote Blindness to remind those who might read it that we pervert reason when we humiliate life, that human dignity is insulted every day by the powerful of our world, that the universal lie has replaced the plural truths, that man stopped respecting himself when he lost the respect due to his fellow-creatures."
Tristan felt that his film choice - A Town Called Panic - would provide some light relief after the dystopian world of Blindness. He was right. To one degree or another everyone got something out of the film.
Based on a Belgian TV show called Panique au Village, the film is by Stéphane Aubier and Vincent Patar, and is like a lo-fi Toy Story with the vibe of a live-action Terry Gilliam cartoon. The "plot" includes: accidentally ordering a million bricks from the internet; walls stolen by sea monsters; and Horse's piano lessons. A strange film to be sure.
Finally we discussed the "Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"
This film inspired an interesting discussion. Tristan was pleased to have found it. Everyone agreed that there was plenty to learn and be inspired by.
From http://www.thelastlecture.com: On September 18, 2007, computer science professor Randy Pausch stepped in front of an audience of 400 people at Carnegie Mellon University to deliver a last lecture called “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.” With slides of his CT scans beaming out to the audience, Randy told his audience about the cancer that is devouring his pancreas and that will claim his life in a matter of months. On the stage that day, Randy was youthful, energetic, handsome, often cheerfully, darkly funny. He seemed invincible. But this was a brief moment, as he himself acknowledged. Randy’s lecture has become a phenomenon, as has the book he wrote based on the same principles, celebrating the dreams we all strive to make realities. Sadly, Randy lost his battle to pancreatic cancer on July 25th, 2008, but his legacy will continue to inspire us all, for generations to come.
And so ended another wonderful Hove Book Group gathering. We all go our separate ways over the Summer and will reconvene in September. Hasta la vista baby.