Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

Blindness by José Saramago

36 reviews

rubyics's review against another edition

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Pandemic/Epidemic

laurenbowes's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, Murder, and Sexual harassment

stephanieanneauthor's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This story is a fascinating, and dark, look at humanity. The whole thing plays out like a social experiment - what would happen to us if we all suddenly went blind? By refusing to name the characters, it adds to the dehumanizing effects of the story. And by occasionally omitting to note which character is speaking, it adds to the confusion. Unfortunately, because of this lack of identifying information, I felt that some scenes dragged on a little too long. But overall, I enjoyed this bleak, hypothetical examination of the human race. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

f_zanini's review against another edition

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Pandemic/Epidemic

diana311's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Pandemic/Epidemic

jodzy's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.25

I really don't like slandering someone's work, especially because Saramago is a Nobel Prize winner, but I really couldn't wait more for this book to be over. Not because it was so gruesome in a good way, that it shook me deeply - it was gruesome in a bad way. 
I listened to the audio book version on Audible (I liked the narrator), therefor I didn't have any experience with the "confusing" writing people are critiquing, so I can't have any say in that. However, I don't quite understand what he was trying to say with this book, I found it rather misanthropic for no good reason. One thing that particularly stood out to me was the way he wrote women characters and his fetishization of extremely disturbing SA scenes, that (in my opinion) brought no real substance to the general story. While reading, it's almost like I felt his enjoyment in writing that.
Overall, I think this book had some good ideas, I liked the concept, but I think the execution could have been done better. I wouldn't recommend this book to others personally, there are other dystopian works that would probably be a more enjoyable (or uncomfortable but valuable) experience. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Excrement, and Sexual harassment

slrsnz's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Saramago is not for everyone, people that need structured readings will certainly struggle with his novels. 

That being said, this is my second book by him and his imagination amazes me. Truly makes you wonder about how fragile society can be in extreme situations like this, and how dependent we are of everyone, how connected we all are in one way or another. The story having a “good ending” doesn’t save the characters from all the hurdles they have yet to go through to return to a modern society. 

Saramago is slowly becoming one of my favorites, you honestly get used to the dialogues and at times to me they flow way smoother than structured ones. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical trauma, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

_ami_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

That was a very hard read, not because of the lack of quotation marks or paragraphing, but that halfway. I felt sick to my stomach. But it was a great story that explores the human mind and behaviour at these circumstances.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Vomit, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infidelity and Grief

guinness74's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

An almost perfect book. An incredible work that is reminiscent of the early days of COVID, it has the grit of Upton Sinclair mixed with the wildness of Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies.’ A terrifying pandemic begins slowly but increases exponentially turning the world blind in Saramago’s novel. Chaos reigns as attempts are made to stanch the ‘infection,’ but the world continues to spin. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Ableism, Confinement, Rape, and Police brutality

Minor: Infidelity and Vomit

moscatel's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Continuo a amar o estilo do Saramago, é tão único e cheio de personalidade. Entendo que não seja para todos, por causa dos devaneios e juízos de moral constantes, mas eu acho que tem o seu charme.
Estive o livro todo a tentar formular para que defeito humano é que a cegueira era uma analogia (ou metáfora, não sei bem a diferença) e porque é que só uma personagem não cegou, mas não consegui chegar a nenhuma conclusão.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Grief, Car accident, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Homophobia and Suicidal thoughts