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jjb21's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
jayvdw's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
The book is very interesting and a lot of different events take place. It takes a little while before the main character, the doctor's wife, is presented. The only person left who can see but presents to be blind. Through her eyes we see the conditions put on the blind, the first hastily put up quarantine, fuelled by fear, the conditions that followed, and the world just shortly after everyone has turned blind in a matter of weeks.
The book however is written difficultly, what is said is only separated by a comma before and after the text, and it is not written down who said what. The task of figuring this out is left to the reader. This style fits very well with the book's themes and puts the reader into the mind of the blind.
Graphic: Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Murder, and Sexual harassment
abijmieds's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Car accident, Murder, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
katenovah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Excrement, and Fire/Fire injury
stephanieanneauthor's review against another edition
- 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
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
lindseyhall44's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Excrement, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
isaospina's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Poco o nada recordaba de este libro, pero por doce años una cosa era clara: la Isa adolescente disfrutó, devoró, la marcó algo de este libro. ¿Qué? No sé porque no recordaba nada, pero siempre que lo veía en una librería pensaba "lo mucho que me gustó este libro cuando lo leí para esa tarea de español".
Doce años después por fin me decidí a leerlo de nuevo. Reticente, sí, tenía miedo de no disfrutarlo nada porque siendo sinceros, muchas de las cosas que disfrutaba cuando era adolescente ahora las aborrezco.
Afortunadamente no había necesidad de preocuparme. Este libro es uno en el mundo, es una obra maestra de Saramago. Es terrorífico, es filosófico, es una distopía de esas que hacen que se te erice la piel porque todo es demasiado real, todo es demasiado cercano a algo que ya hemos vivido.
Leer Ensayo sobre la ceguera después del a pandemia fue una gran decisión (no creo que mi estado mental en la cuarentena hubiera mejorado un ápice si lo hubiese leído en ese momento), si Saramago hubiera estado vivo en medio de la pandemia del covid-19 seguro hubiera escrito algo más, o se hubiera ido de para atrás al ver qué tan realista Ensayo de la ceguera parece cuando se copara con lo que se hizo y cómo se manejó la pandemia de la vida real.
Es claro que no es un libro para los débiles de mente o corazón, los sensibles a salvajismos y muchos, muchos relatos escatológicos. Todos estos relatos de lo horrible que puede volverse la humanidad son lo que hace que uno se haga mil y un cuestionamientos sobre la identidad personal, sobre qué nos hace humanos, la belleza, los sentimientos, el poder, las dinámicas sociales, las posesiones, la resiliencia y muchísimo más.
El ritmo es tan rápido que uno tiene que parar la lectura para recuperar el aliento, para hacerse preguntas y tratar de responderlas (fallando, claro). El estilo de lectura no es fácil, con capítulos extensos y sin cortes o guiones para definir los diálogos, pero poco o nada resta a la calidad del libro.
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Car accident, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic
moscatel's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
justahappyreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Excrement, Vomit, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death
lucimolri's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Ha sido durillo y tenso, no es para todo el mundo
Graphic: Animal death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment