Blindness by Jose Saramago

Blindness is a dystopian novel, depicting a society where a peculiar kind of white blindness is so highly contagious that practically everyone is affected by it and society discontinues to function in a civilized way. The readers are witness to the very first man that goes blind. After being helped home, and his wife’s return from work, the blind man goes to an Ophthalmologist who is baffled by this condition. Later that evening, it turns out that the patients in the waiting room and the ophthalmologist himself go blind. As the disease spreads rapidly, the diseased are quarantined. The Doctor’s wife lies that she has gone blind as well so that she may stay by her husband. Of course the quarantine is an awful place, where the corrupt patients seize control over everyone. However, the disease spread so fast that eventually the patients escape only to find a broken society with no government to facilitate, no water, no electricity, no nothing; just people living like animals, defecating and dying on the street and groping their way around to find food and survive. However, the doctor’s wife can still see and she with their close knit group are able to survive. In the end everyone can see again. The reason I told you what happened is because it’s a lame ending, and it doesn’t deserve the honor of being kept ambiguous.
Furthermore, the narration is painstaking as it has to rationalize every aspect and emotion of the character. To some extent, I believe that Saramago is just rationalizing his own fantasies. For example, at one point in the quarantine the doctor’s wife sees her husband sneaking into bed with another woman. Although she is hurt by this she is understanding and walks over there and practically gives her blessing. Like that would ever happen. At least let her pretend she didn’t see it. The doctor is lucky enough to have his wife with him (considering that she is described as pretty and obviously in obscenely patient), as so many families were split.

I also did not understand why Saramago did not use names. It is explained at one point (like everything else is, not leaving much up to the reader’s imagination), but it still didn’t make sense to me. The doctor is the doctor, his wife is the doctor’s wife, the woman he cheated on her with is the girl with dark glasses. If none of the characters in the novel can see her dark glasses, why should she be identified by them? I suppose the blindness has catapulted them into a such a different world that their names and former identities no longer apply, but it just didn’t seem relevant, especially since they are identified by aspects of their previous way of life.

I can’t say I was that enthralled with this novel, and that’s bad since I was really anticipating reading it. Perhaps my hopes were too high. I felt like an interesting idea for a plot was wasted by an over-rationalizing, third person narrative which diminished any suspense or emotion from me since it was all so thoroughly explained.

A Book of Common Prayer by Joan Didion

Joan Didion’s A Book of Common Prayer depicts a common trend that was seen throughout Central America throughout the 1970’s, 80’s, and in some cases, even today. To emphasize the commonality of the regimes and coups that took place, Didion sets her story in the imaginary Central American country of Boca Grande. However, the story of the political climate is connected to the forefront of the plot in two ways: the narrator, Grace, is an American expatriate living in Boca Grande and widowed by a member of the ruling family and brings the main character, Charlotte Douglas, to life by narrating her story, and also when the coup overthrows the ruling family and Charlotte dies in the overtaking. Everything in between describes Charlotte’s marriage to an abusive alcoholic and professor of literature (who would have thought?) and to a Berkeley California lawyer, as well as her daughter’s involvement with a Marxist organization and her second, practically still-born child. During her time in Boca Grande, Charlotte is present during many meetings having to do with the overthrow of the regime, but she acts oblivious to what is going on around her. Perhaps she wanted to feel connected to her daughter without acknowledging the violence that would result.

Didion, as always, depicts the reality of the times. By depicting an American woman in Boca Grande, she is able to do so of both the Central American and American cultures, ranging from corrupt government and regimes, to the American lifestyle on many different levels represented by Charlotte’s husbands and daughter. They are all embodied in Charlotte’s character.

Although I enjoyed reading this novel, Didion’s matter-of-fact style, which I admire greatly, is better suited for her essays. I find her to be an excellent verbal photographer of her times always gathering telling snapshots of the existing range of cultures.

The Blind Assassin - by Margaret Atwood

Reading The Blind Assassin after The God of Small Things was very complementary. Both novels with a similar plot set in different cultures (Canada and India respectively): a family is traced for three generations with the first generation starting a modest company which in the second generation is challenged by the communist movement that the owners are sympathetic towards but cannot sustain the demands, and it is in the third generation that things begin to differ, well that and Atwood’s writing is far superior and less superficial. Also, alongside the story told by a daughter of the third generation, Iris, is the enigmatic novel of the Blind Assassin written by one of the siblings of the third generation. So, essentially Atwood has granted us the gift of two novels in one. Of course, The Blind Assassin depicts a part of the narrator’s life that she does not feel comfortable explaining as fact in her life story, but implies only subtly. Even though the plots differ by the time we reach the third generation, there are some striking similarities: the issue of class and marriage and forbidden love interests.

Although the book is long it moves at a quick pace and is not stunted by overly descriptive writing as it is in Roy’s novel. The characters are believable even though their situation is unusual.

One theme that is gently weaved into the book, yet holds a strong presence is that of God and religion. My favorite quotation regarding the theme: “A paradox, the doughnut hole. Empty space, but now they’ve learned to market even that. A minus quantity; nothing, rendered edible. I wondered if they might be used – metaphorically, of course – to demonstrate the existence of God. Does naming a sphere of nothingness transmute it into being?” The belief in God shows up in different forms and varieties among the many characters in the novel. Iris, the narrator and the one responsible for the quotation above, obviously is not a believer. Her sister Laura is a believer in the essence of God; she does not allow the superficial aspects of organized religion to interfere with her behavior and acts in a way that is peculiarly honest. In a sense this makes her so pure and innocent that she is exempt from carrying any of the burdens of the family and they all fall on Iris. Reenie, a woman who looks after them and manages the house, although good at heart also believes in God, but in an institutional sense as well; she often cares about how certain behaviors appear to the community and gossips as many religious people do. However, Reenie is a moral character and a pillar for the two sisters.

The different forms of belief extend to other secondary and tertiary characters as well. I do think that the way each character decided to believe in God has an indirect impact on their fate since essentially it determines their outlook on life. Laura’s disappointments in human nature are earth shattering and drive her to suicide, Iris’s practical atheism is what makes her a perfect candidate for taking on the family’s burdens, and Reenie’s well-rounded approach to life results in a normal family, yet she does contradict her own “Christian morals” by becoming pregnant before wedlock.

Atwood has created an honest, intelligent, beautifully written, and entertaining novel. It’s a book for all lovers of literature!