Book Review: Blindness

Published in 1995, the dystopian novel Blindness by Jose Saramago expands the bounds of pandemics beyond viruses. Starting in the midst of rush hour traffic, an old man suddenly loses his vision without warning. Shortly after receiving an inconclusive diagnosis of his sudden “white blindness”,  the people around him become infected with the affliction, including the doctor that diagnosed him. Frantic to understand the science and origin behind this unexplainable pandemic, the doctor informs the government, thus starting a government-operated quarantine of the infected. The poor management of the shoddy quarantine center and the neglect of the internees in the center creates a recipe for disaster. In addition to the terrible living conditions, ethics go on the back burner when every one must fend for themself. Using blindness as a metaphor for sin, the pandemic of white blindness reveals the true colors and integrity of people when they can not be observed. I enjoyed this novel because of the raw depiction of the cruelties of human nature and the exploration of the “what if’s” in science and medicine. I would give this book an 11/10.