Blindness by Jose Saramago: A Book Review 
stanielsbookclub: On a seemingly ordinary day, in an unnamed metropolis, on an unnamed street, a car suddenly stalls traffic. As a crowd gathers to investigate the problem, they see a man in a state of panic and repeatedly yelling the same three words, I am blind. Just those three words and you are automatically pulled into Jose Saramago’s world in Blindness where a city bears witness to a sudden blindness epidemic that is highly contagious, yet without any medical explanations. Without a viable cure or plan of action, the government resorts to quarantining all the victims to an abandoned mental hospital where the inmates are forced to survive and co-exist without their taken-for-granted dependence on sight. However, amongst the inmates, one of them never became blind and this is the story told from her eyes.
After having read Blindness, I was paralyzed by Saramago’s ability to captivate the reader to the point where he makes the reader feel the emotions that his characters feel within the story. From fear to hopelessness to uncertainty, Blindness was incredibly real in its portrayal of a society’s reaction towards an epidemic whereby people began to lose such a fundamental part of their existence. Saramago also demonstrated incredible cognizance of the nuances that would be involved with the loss of sight, such as the loss of direction in doing even routine tasks such as finding the bathroom or the options for eating without the ability to cook.
Moreover, Saramago’s creation and evolution of a community created amongst the blind inmates was also a highlight of the book as he paints life into the development of a society with its own rules and conflicts while leaving small hints along the way as to what might be happening on the outside. For me, I found it extremely effective that readers know just as little about what is happening as the characters do and every discovery is made together. This kept me guessing throughout the book as to what is going to happen next.
On the other hand, I found the second act of Blindness to be much weaker than the rest of the book. To summarize briefly, the second act of Blindness involves a power struggle within the community of the abandoned hospital. Factions are created within the inmates, and elements of greed and selfishness to the food rations received are explored. While it could be rationalized that Saramago was depicting the ugly side of humanity and the attraction of power, I felt that it diverged too far from the original foundations of the story. It was unnecessarily graphic and it took away from the elements of the story which I felt were the most fascinating.
Overall, Saramago’s Blindness is one of those rare reading experiences that successfully bridges suspense, science fiction and drama together yet continues to be told in a manner that’s both believable and realistic. Furthermore, it provides interesting observations on the nature of human behavior devoid of our dependence on sight and the significance of this change to human nature really resonated with me. This book is highly recommended.
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Eating Animals
Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer
Upon picking up Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals, one cannot help but realize the skepticism out there for these types of books. Admittedly, Foer’s book follows a familiar wave of recent documentaries/T.V. specials/books that feature a prominent public figure who voluntarily take themselves away from their comfort zone and into an alien setting to learn about a pertinent social issue. This is followed by some sort of a narrative of their personal journey into discovering and learning of the issue while providing witty commentary and plenty of charm along the way, only to conclude the journey with heartfelt commentary about personal transformation and commitment to devote part of their future towards social change by setting up a charity…or something like that. Moreover, any recent discussion on vegetarianism versus carnivorism has had a tendency to become preachy and antagonistic as opposed to finding common ground. Thankfully, Foer manages to escape both pitfalls by offering readers a very smart and intellectual discussion that takes a much more realistic and holistic perspective on the issue of eating animals.
For Foer, the impetus for writing Eating Animals began with the impending birth of his first child. Foer himself had been a moderate vegetarian (tries to eat less meat, but if there is meat there or if the craving arises, they would make exceptions), which characterizes a lot of people’s situations today. However, the birth of his child created a new sense of sensitivity for Foer in relation to food. As he states in the book, “feeding my child is not like feeding myself: it matters more.” This led Foer to realize how much we often do not question the food we eat. We take it for granted, especially when it comes to eating animals. Under that purview, Foer sets out to uncover the process by which our meat travels in order to get to our plates.
While most readers today will have some awareness of how meat is produced, Foer’s provides extensive information not only on how modern meat, poultry and seafood are produced, but also the truths and untruths behind health labels and state laws in relation to modern meat production. Foer pulls back no punches in his coverage and any defenders of the modern meat industry who reads this will inevitably find themselves cringing at certain moments in the book. For Foer, this is precisely the point. The modern meat industry thrives on their customers not knowing and during Foer’s investigation; he was astonished by how much this industry is shrouded away from public awareness of their practice.
However, Eating animals ultimately focuses on human’s relationship with animals. It attempts to raise a discussion on themes such as human excuses for eating animals, how culture frames the eating of animals and the moral connection between humans and animals. Can humans continue to justify eating animals when they realize that chickens that are bred and housed for meat cannot even reproduce due to these conditions? Is a more humane way of raising and killing animals a good enough answer? Or, is the eating of animals fundamentally immoral?
While Foer presents a very sophisticated and progressive approach to furthering these issues, I was disappointed in his disregard for the social factors involved in relation to our diet choices. It has been well documented that people in a lower socioeconomic status often are wrought with making unhealthier decisions in their diet, and justifiably so. If the choice is between paying rent and eating mcdonald’s or paying for organic, fair trade products and coming up short on rent, no one under those circumstances would pick the latter choice. The issue of eating animals, when combined with social pressures and modern culture, becomes much more complex. Moreover, vegetarianism does not rid the world of issues pertaining to food, such as: genetically modified vegetables and the inequality of international trade are two examples. Perhaps, readers should be expecting an “Eating Vegetables” in the near future.
Overall, Eating Animals provides readers with an informative and reflective look into the modern practice of carnivorism. Even if it doesn’t change people’s lives, it will definitely challenge us to reflect on our own lifestyle and shed new light on whether we can continue to either deny or ignore the consequences involved with eating animals. While Foer’s book does contain a few clichés and certain parts of the book are slower to get through, it is a smart and well-written book that will appeal to anyone who is not a Foer fan. A definite recommend.
Somewhere Else
Somewhere Else by Jan Guenther Braun
Published by: Arbeiter Ring Publishing
Price: $19.95
Somewhere Else by Jan Guenther Braun begins with sixteen-year-old Jess Klassen, a homosexual teenager raised in a deeply religious Mennonite family in rural Saskatchewan. As her father is about to be appointed the president of the Mennonite College, Jess is finding it more and more difficult to live with the incompatibilities between what she has been taught in her upbringing, and her sexual orientation. Though she believed that she could turn to her family for solace, Jess quickly realizes that any discussion regarding the issue of homosexuality resulted in being stifled or a heated argument. Upon reaching the breaking point, Jess decides to leave everything behind. She takes a train out heading East with no destination in mind and thereby embarking on a journey of self-discovery and love.
Somewhere Else is ultimately a modern “coming of age” story driven by a very interesting premise. Here, Braun really excels in painting life into the relationships between the characters. From the fragility and naivety of Jess’s relationship with the first girl she falls in love with to the unpredictability and unconventionality of Jess’s relationship with Halfsteinn, a stranger who she meets and develops an unconventional friendship with, Somewhere Else really captures the emotional depth of Jess’s journey. Braun’s depiction of the torn between Jess’s search for an identity in contrast to that of her religious identity is also beautifully executed. The role religion played in Jess’s life after having realized her sexual identity was dealt with in a manner that didn’t cheapen the importance of either side. Another strong point within the story was Braun’s exploration into the inner dynamics and tensions within this Mennonite family as it unraveled, revealing the dark side of pride and the repression of feelings.
On the other hand, at certain points in the book, Somewhere Else plays more like a teen romantic comedy, especially during the romantic sequences involving Jess. There is one scene in the book where Jess was complaining about a person who had made an impression on her and her two best friends begin to explain that she is in love, how long it’s been since she’s been in love and she should not be afraid to pursue this wonderful opportunity, which instantaneously evokes any romantic comedy readers have ever seen. During these points, I felt that the book became too cliché and predictable.
Upon reading Braun’s book, I was hoping to gain more knowledge on the Mennonite religion. Having come from a non-religious background, I was interested in reading more on how a strictly religious community justifies their position on homosexuality or the specifics of why the Mennonite religion does not condone homosexuality. I was quite disappointed to find very little information within Braun’s book that delved into this issue. Further, the actual specifics of the Mennonite religion played a non-existent part in the book. It was just established and presupposed within the story. Certain characters may have alluded to a lifestyle, behavior, teaching or a personality trait that stems from their religious background. However, very little attention was paid to the actual Mennonite religion in an overall sense. I found that the omission of the actual religion within the book made me, as a reader, less appreciative Jess’s journey and less understanding of why her family would act in the way they did.
In short, Somewhere Else is much more of a character-driven story with exceptional emotional depth, especially during the final act of the book. Though the protagonist is a female in her teens, it should not deter readers from any age group from enjoying this read. Having said that, I would not recommend this book for those who are using it as a source to gain insight on religion and homosexuality.
The Power of Now
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
Published by: Namaste Publishing and New World Library
Price: $15.50
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle was originally published in 1997. Since the original printing of three thousand copies, Tolle’s book has now sold over two million copies worldwide and has been translated into over thirty different languages. It was also publicly recommended by Oprah Winfrey and continues to be on many bestseller lists. With such a staggering amount of praise and success under Tolle’s belt, The Power of Now well deserves being reviewed.
Though classified as a “self-help” book, The Power of Now actually proposes a much more comprehensive shift in how we think and act in our daily lives, bridging aspects of spirituality, psychology and religion into an integrated philosophy. In turn, Tolle’s message is quite simple: living your life in the present moment is the truest path towards real happiness and spiritual enlightenment. While that is banal truism, Tolle argues that it is actually much more difficult to achieve than most realize. Specifically, Tolle explains that humans are plagued by what he terms as the “ego”, or our false sense of self. The “ego” constitutes the part of our identity that works to define ourselves based upon things like: our jobs, our material possessions, our knowledge or education, our nationality, our belief systems, our religion, etc.
What Tolle argues is that we tend to view ourselves through these external filters as a means to construct our identity when, in fact, none of these characteristics are actually us. Rather, this image of ourselves is developed within our own minds, creating a barrier for us to truly experience the present moment. As opposed to living in the moment, we are driven by the “ego” which constantly steers us towards hoping for happiness in the future (ie. I will be happy when I purchase that new house or I will finally have made it when I have finished my degree) and dwelling in the past (ie. Where did I go wrong? Why did I make this decision or that decision?). Consequently, it is our “ego” that creates the negative energy in our minds, such as: fear, dread, paranoia, depression, doubt, etc. And it is only by transcending our ego by living in the now can we start to experience true happiness. From there, Tolle works to further describe and explicate what this means for our lives and our existence.
For me, Tolle’s book ultimately suffers from a few shortcomings. First, he structures the book as an ongoing dialogue between a pupil or the reader, and the master or Tolle himself. As he mentions within his book, the questions asked in The Power of Now are “frequently asked questions” he has come across during his teaching experience. On the other hand, I found that the tone of this question and answer structure to be quite condescending and contrived. Moreover, certain questions led Tolle to revisit past concepts again, echoing a repetitive idea rather than advancing the book itself. In addition, towards the end of the book, I was hoping that Tolle would present methods for the reader to practice his teachings, only to find that in order to continue along this journey, you must purchase more of Tolle’s works. One cannot help, but groan and snicker at how typical that is of the self-help genre.
Nevertheless, The Power of Now is quite a memorable read. While certain ideas may not be revolutionary, it is surprising how much one can relate to it. After having read Tolle’s book, I also found myself becoming more aware of moments when I am not appreciating the present; and moments when, even for a few seconds, I am completely immersed in the present, realizing how simple, yet majestic that feeling is. Tolle’s book serves as an excellent manual to constantly remind us of the now in a society that doesn’t.
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Generation A
Generation A by Douglas Coupland
Published by: Random House Canada
Price: $32.95
Generation A is the newest addition to renowned Canadian author Douglas Coupland, whose collection of works includes: Girlfriend in a Coma, Microserfs, JPod and the Gum Thief; just to name a few. In Generation A, Coupland explores a time set in the near future when bees are believed to be extinct. That is, until five people around the world: a farmer in Iowa who videotapes himself farming nude for a living, a young female vegetarian in New Zealand, a middle-aged woman from Canada who happens to suffer from Tourette’s Syndrome, an avid online gamer from France who looks like Sean Penn and the manager of an Abercrombie and Fitch call centre located in Sri Lanka suddenly gets stung by bees. Five people with seemingly no interconnections whatsoever until a simple bee sting unites them together and perhaps within these five lies the answer to why bees have become extinct or more importantly, how we can get them to return?
In Generation A, Coupland’s distinct blend of humor, wit, pop cultural references, clever observations and social commentary wrapped within a modern “blog” style of writing really shines once again as he paints life into this world through five different narratives. The short, interchanging passages of the five main characters creates a pace that is quick, but never reveals all too much too quickly as Coupland subtly unfolds the details bit by bit. Add that to a compelling plot and I found that I couldn’t stop myself from turning the pages; captivated by this sense of anxious anticipation in wondering which direction this book was going to go.
Then the book takes a sudden turn. Without spoiling too much, I’ll just say that there is a “story within a story” element during the middle of the book. While some readers may find it to be a departure from the main plot, I thoroughly enjoyed that part of the book. I thought it brought a lot of depth to the characters, finally revealing their background stories while simultaneously leaving hints as to how the world got to this point. For me, the “story within a story” element of the book offered many drastic changes of pace, taking the reader to different levels of highs and lows and it was executed masterfully by Coupland.
On the other hand, compared to the first two sections of the story, the final act of Generation A turned out to be a huge let down. After having created such potential for a powerful ending, Coupland provides a denouement that ultimately felt like a cop out. The haphazard explanations he gave to tie the whole story together felt out of place and just downright silly, reminiscent of endings you would see in bad b-list horror movies. Not only did the ending feel rushed, Coupland also appeared to have lost sight of the book’s central focus and the issue of bees becoming extinct ultimately gets lost in his attempt to end the story.
Furthermore, I found the development of characters within Coupland’s book to be very uneven. Within the five main narratives, it was apparent that certain characters were given more emphasis while the others never really grew throughout the whole story. In addition, I often found that throughout the book, the character’s voices were not as distinct as they could’ve been. Coming from completely different parts of the world, Coupland fails to really distinguish the five main narratives and emphasizing the nuisances of telling a story from five completely different cultures. For me, this made the story unconvincing.
Overall, Generation A deserves a mild recommendation. While it had a great premise and portions of the book were brilliantly written, it failed to live up to its potential. As with other works by Coupland, Generation A has that ability to make a reader laugh, cry and think all at the same time. On the other hand, I felt that Coupland tried to cover too much ground in Generation A and it would’ve been a much more stronger work had he narrowed his focus. In short, a good read but far from Coupland’s best work.
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow
Published by: Tom Doherty Associates
Price: $15.50 or free
Imagine living in a world where death and scarcity have ceased to exist; a utopia finally achieved. What would this utopia look like?
Therein lies the main premise in “Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom” by Cory Doctorow, a science fiction novel set in a transhuman futuristic society where death has been made obsolete by technology with the ability to backup one’s memories, transferring them to a new “cloned” body and be reborn with the option of customizing your own physical features. Material goods are no longer scarce and people are free to live out their hopes and dreams.
For Julius, a young man approaching the age of one hundred, he’s realizing his boyhood dream in Disney World, working for a group who is in charge of maintaining the Haunted Mansion ride. Jules could not ask for a better life until one day he discovers that he had been murdered and forced to reborn. With the determination of uncovering the truth behind his death, Jules’s world begins to unravel before him; leading him to a journey of self-discovery and the realization that the utopic society he resides may come with a price.
In Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, Cory Doctorow has created a truly unique and imaginative world; using it to raise important and thought-provoking questions such as: are we truly happy without death? Or, what is the essence of our identity if we can easily just transfer our memories into another cloned body? Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom forces us to reflect on our own modern culture, the use of modern technology and whether the direction it’s heading towards is really ideal. Doctorow’s dystopic world draws eerie parallels with practices commonly found on Internet, which I thought was executed brilliantly in the book.
On the other hand, I found the main plot of Doctorow’s book to be slightly underwhelming. Compared to the intriguing world that Doctorow had created, the main narrative of Jules and his journey failed to captivate me in the same manner. Rather, I found the characters to be one-dimensional, the twists in the story were predictable and the overall plotline to be quite shallow. Furthermore, due to the fact of it being also a relatively short book, I found myself filled with questions at the end and wishing that Doctorow could have further explicate certain details within the book.
Overall, this book has a lot of potential. The world Doctorow has created is a fascinating new take on the science fiction dystopian literature that can appeal to the general public as well as fans of the genre. Although the main story left me a bit dissatisfied with the overall experience as I felt that it had failed to live up to the potential created by Doctorow, I would be interested in reading further works by him as the questions he raises in Down and Out are extremely intriguing and pertinent to modern society. One interesting tidbit about this book is that Cory Doctorow released Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom under a “creative commons license”, meaning that readers can download this book for free from his website without any need for permission from Doctorow or the publisher. To me, it’d be very difficult to find a more enticing reason for readers to check out this book.
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