Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Blindness cover art

Blindness

By: José Saramago
Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Buy Now for £15.99

Buy Now for £15.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Book of Disquiet cover art
The Girl Next Door cover art
Nightmare in Berlin cover art
A Room of One's Own cover art
Sheva's Promise: Chronicle of Escape from a Nazi Ghetto cover art
Brave New World cover art
In the Country of Last Things cover art
Dies the Fire (Dramatized Adaptation) cover art
48 Hours cover art
Doomsday Book cover art
The Kill (La Curee) cover art
The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury cover art
The Invisible Man cover art
Imajica cover art
A Long Time Until Now cover art
Little Women cover art

Summary

A city is hit by a sudden and strange epidemic of "white blindness", which spares no one. Authorities confine the blind to an empty mental hospital, but there social conventions quickly crumble and the struggle for survival brings out the worst in people.

There is one eyewitness to this nightmare who guides seven strangers -among them a boy with no mother, a girl with dark glasses, a dog of tears - out of their prison and through the barren streets, and the procession becomes as uncanny as the surroundings are harrowing.

A magnificent parable of loss and disorientation and a vivid evocation of the horrors of the 20th century, by Nobel Prize-winning author Jose Saramago, Blindness has swept the masses with its powerful portrayal of man's worst appetites and weaknesses - and man's ultimately exhilarating spirit.

English translation by Juan Sager.

©1997 Juan Sager (English translation); 1995 Jose Saramago and Editorial Caminho (P)2008 BBC Audiobooks America

What listeners say about Blindness

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    209
  • 4 Stars
    120
  • 3 Stars
    75
  • 2 Stars
    29
  • 1 Stars
    18
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    222
  • 4 Stars
    107
  • 3 Stars
    39
  • 2 Stars
    20
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    189
  • 4 Stars
    99
  • 3 Stars
    61
  • 2 Stars
    28
  • 1 Stars
    16

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Easier to follow than a guide dog

It was an OK story, being bought up by a blind father I feel I am quite knowledgeable about this disability. This is just a story and for that it held my attention, just . Close your eyes, shut off you senses and don't try and apply logic or reality to this, and it's mildly entertaining. I generally listen to my audio books more than once, that won't be the case with this one.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Compelling, sometimes dark, often thought-provoking

This was a really engaging story superbly read. Not always an easy listen by any means, as Saramago doesn’t hold back on the grimness and barbarism of this world plunged into toil by an epidemic of blindness. The narrative is compelling and the characters’ journey is interesting and frequently thought-provoking.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Superb book and flawless narration

What made the experience of listening to Blindness the most enjoyable?

A harrowing book but well worth the ride.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Blindness?

The ending. I stopped what I was doing and put everything on hold until the final words had been spoken.

Which character – as performed by Jonathan Davis – was your favourite?

Jonathan Davis' narration was phenomenal. This is a man who was born to read books aloud. The way he takes on every single character - with such care and consideration - is amazing.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When the doctor's wife gets bloody revenge on the brute who has abused her, on behalf of all the women, was particularly satisfying.

Any additional comments?

Some people have found this book hard to read due to the lack of punctuation. This being an audiobook removes that obstacle. The narrator makes it accessible and engaging. Great book, great narration.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good story

This is an interesting story, it makes you wonder what would really happen if people suddenly went blind, reminded me of the traffid books.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • w
  • 02-02-13

Discussion

Great book to provoke a discussion. I really wanted to keep discussing this with friends and family.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Intriguing

It is an intriguing book, but I was disappointed with the ending. I feel left “hanging in the air”

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Amazing narration

This is a brilliant and dark book with absolutely fantastic narration. If you like Camus or JG Ballard, this’ll probably be up your street 👌🏽

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Far too much dialogue

Parts of the story is quite good but could have been half the length. The narrator drones on and on, so boring

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A good story, beautifully told

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. The plot was excellent and the descriptions thorough. The narrator did a wonderful job and presumably the translator too.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • C
  • 02-12-23

Brilliant

Absolutely loved this title. What an incredible tale that takes you on a real rollercoaster. A tale on the good side and animalistic side to Human nature.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!