Blindness by Jose Saramago

What do you suppose would happen if people suddenly started going blind for no discernible reason, and the people with sight were scared to death that the blindness was catching, so they quarantined the stricken ones in an old derelict mental hospital, with guards stationed outside to keep them in? Would order and civility be maintained, or would the situation devolve until it became survival of the most ruthless?

Many other writers have put their characters in similar situations of isolation from society--Golding in 'Lord of the Flies' and McCarthy in 'The Road,' for example. What makes Saramago different is that he writes with great compassion for human beings, with all their faults and frailties. Maybe the difference lies in the fact that he was in his 70s when he wrote this, and by that time an intelligent person must develop compassion and empathy or go mad.

"Blindness' has the flavor of an allegory, with none of the characters named: we have "the doctor," "the doctor's wife," "the girl with dark glasses," "the boy with no mother," "the old man with the black eyepatch," "the dog of tears." But Saramago allows the reader to form his own conclusions as to the meaning, perhaps giving clues but leaving much to think about.

The writing is clear and matter-of-fact, making scenes of horror and degradation even more effective by contrast. The punctuation, however, was a bit disturbing (for me, anyway): Saramago uses commas only, with no semi-colons, no colons, no quotation marks, no paragraphing in conversations, and few periods even. He also shifts between first-person and third-person narration with no transition. But after only a few pages, this works for him, and it even seems to fit perfectly into his pace. (To all former students: only a master can get away with this kind of disregard for correct punctuation!)

Another book by this writer, 'The Cave,' was one of my favorites from last year's reading. I am certain this will be one of my favorites from this year. Saramago won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998. I wholeheartedly concur with the selection. Highly recommended.