My first journal entry

by Faultier, 24 March 2026

I'm a bit nervous to write this, because this is my first blogpost here. So I want to start by thanking you for coming here and reading this bit.

Today I spent my entire afternoon fixing the book collection page. I decided it would be better to do it all in one go, even if I have over 200 books. It was pretty good, as I got to remember some great pieces that I already got, and also fix some mistakes I had made in my personal catalog. I hope some of you who read this journal can find some good reads in there as well.

Because of all this time thinking about my books, I started to long for the time when I read all day long. I had to move away for a few months, and left my books at home, so currently I haven't got anything to read. I'm considering maybe buying some of those cheap newspaper stand books, just so I can keep my mind fresh with reading.

I also ended up remembering my only book review: that of Saramago's Blindness, which I will publish down below. Please be aware that this was written in 11 August 2025, so the writing style may be quite different from my current informal vibe. I hope you reader like it.

A Review of Saramago’s Blindness

My understanding of the work that gave him his Nobel prize

I must start by saying that I read this book in its original form, in European Portuguese, and so any translation quirks would have been unable to hinder my enjoying of this piece.

The book has a simple premise: a man suddenly finds himself blind, but not blindness in its usual sense, as he sees all white. We follow along as this white blindness spreads through the city, and how people end up reacting to this poorly-understood, fast-growing malice.

The main topic of the book isn’t blindness though, but the decay of societal norms. As more and more people get blind, simple concepts of well-being start being discarded, in what descends to an insufferable situation quite quickly. Fear and isolation become main themes in these people’s lives, and forms of abuse show up in different ways through different characters, each one in a different sense – some physical, some mental, and some by omission.

José Saramago writes in a very unique way, adjoining direct and indirect speech inside of paragraphs, making distinguishing who says what more difficult than usual. This may or may not have been intentional, but this writing style makes the reader feel blind themselves, as if the chaos of the characters’ lives transcends onto the paper and ink.

The single character who continues to see has great importance to the story, as her vision plays a crucial role in most of the story’s events. Translating blindness to its metaphorical sense of loss of normality, that character’s vision is interpreted as lucidity in a sea of madness. As more and more of control is lost in life, her steps are carefully maneuvered to make sure that total collapse doesn’t happen, at least towards the main cast.

The text in the book is dense, and forces the reader to carefully understand each situation. At all times does it remind you of the importance of seeing – for the characters, in a literal sense; for the reader, in metaphors – to avoid the descent to insanity. Even the choice of ambient, an asylum, is made to force you to read into the words, and not just directly.

I personally believe that the way that the author chose to present his idea of control, of caring for those around you, and of maintaining strength despite of abuse, is so properly done, that it engraves itself into the reader, permanently changing their view of society and structure. It forces the reader to understand the importance of maintaining “seeing” even when all of society has gone “blind”; it makes them remember how being able to understand is important, and more so when close people have lost it.

It is very clear why Saramago got a Nobel prize in literature. This book is one that everyone should read.

If you reached the end of this article and have something to say to me, feel free to contact me. I appreciate every message. I hope I can get to see you again soon.