Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Ensaio Sobre a Cegueira by José Saramago

17 reviews

_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.

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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. 

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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

amongthefaithless's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Excrement, Medical trauma, and Fire/Fire injury

lucimolri's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

• 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

Me ha gustado bastante! Mi mayor problema ha sido lo de que no estén marcados los diálogos y que se nota bastante que está escrito por un hombre, if you know what I mean…
Ha sido durillo y tenso, no es para todo el mundo

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Content Warnings

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

aritammarques's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

While I do not share the same feelings, or may I say, lack of faith, towards humanity on the edge of collapse I did find this book gripping and engaging. 
As always I love Saramago's characteristic writing style were the dialogue seems to lull you with it's rhythm and where a focused and intuitive reader needs not many explanations to know who's talking or how the action is unfolding.
Maybe it's because I share the writer's nationality but he's novels era always imprinted with such a familiarity that sceneries don't need very much describing for me to be able to picture them in my mind. And the way he uses common sense phrases either in the dialogue or in the descriptions always makes me chuckle.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

annihilatrix's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• 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? Yes

1.0

Truly just so much poop and rape and poop.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, and Medical trauma

surelyinthefountain's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

4.25

I read this during the summer of 2020, and it was not an easy read at that time. Saramago got more right than was comfortable. He writes with a very sociological kind of style, which I love about his work, though I'm sure some might find it dry. It won't make you feel better, but "Blindness" is an unflinching mirror and is, in my view, worth the effort.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, and Medical trauma