Blindness
van José Saramago
Waarom lezen
This Nobel Prize-winning allegory delivers an unforgettable look at the fragility of civilization and the endurance of empathy. When a mysterious, contagious white blindness suddenly sweeps through an unnamed city, societal order swiftly unravels under fear and quarantine. The story follows a tiny group of survivors anchored by the only person who mysteriously retains her sight. It is a haunting, deeply moving study of cruelty, solidarity, and the fundamental structures that keep humanity intact.
Waar te krijgen
For audio listeners, the English edition is narrated by Jonathan Davis and is widely accessible in the Netherlands through Audible, Storytel, Kobo Audiobooks, and Nextory, as well as through public library digital systems via the Online Bibliotheek (or the Libby app if your local library uses OverDrive). Print and digital editions, including Giovanni Pontiero's English translation and the Dutch translation De stad der blinden, can be found via Bol.com, Libris.nl, ABC (The American Book Center), and Waterstones in Amsterdam.
Wat je kunt verwachten
The tone is grim, intense, and deeply philosophical. Saramago writes in long, flowing sentences with minimal punctuation, embedding dialogue directly into the prose without quotation marks or paragraph breaks, which creates a disorienting, stream-of-consciousness momentum that actually translates exceptionally well to audio. Content notes: contains explicit depictions of extreme deprivation, violence, sexual assault, and bodily indignities inside the quarantine facility.
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