BlindnessBlindness
Score Modern
What it's about
In an unnamed city, a man waiting at a traffic light suddenly goes blind, seeing nothing but a milky whiteness. The blindness spreads to everyone he meets, and the government rounds up the first victims and confines them in an abandoned asylum under armed guard. Only one person can still see: an eye doctor's wife, who has pretended to be blind so she could stay with her husband. Inside the asylum, society falls apart.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Bokklubben World Library of the greatest books, and Saramago won the Nobel Prize in 1998. It's a terrifying, moving allegory about what people are capable of.
You'll love it if you liked
The Road
1984
Lord of the FliesGood to know
Saramago writes in long sentences with no quotation marks and no names. It includes extreme violence and a scene of sexual assault.
By the numbers
- Readers79 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics55 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller34 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #57 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #233 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #464 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Dark, Thought-provoking, Adventurous
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A Deepness in the Sky
Parable of the Sower
Good Omens
Doomsday Book
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Quick answers
Is Blindness worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Bokklubben World Library of the greatest books, and Saramago won the Nobel Prize in 1998. It ranks #464 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 78.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Blindness about?
In an unnamed city, a man waiting at a traffic light suddenly goes blind, seeing nothing but a milky whiteness. The blindness spreads to everyone he meets, and the government rounds up the first victims and confines them in an abandoned asylum under armed guard. Only one person can still see: an eye doctor's wife, who has pretended to be blind so she could stay with her husband. Inside the asylum, society falls apart.
How long does it take to read Blindness?
About 8 hours (328 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Blindness?
If you liked it, try The Road by Cormac McCarthy, 1984 by George Orwell or Lord of the Flies by William Golding.