Blindness is a powerful study of society's fragility. The triggering event is an outbreak of blindness that spreads gradually, leading ultimately to the collapse of all social institutions. Before this happens, we follow the unfortunate first few dozen victims, who are put under military guard at an asylum. Throughout, cruelty and physical decay run side by side with momentary tenderness, as the victims struggle on. The subject, conclusions and tone reminded me strongly of Primo Levi's writing on the Holocaust.

Lots of reviews of Blindness have referred to it as an allegory. One can consider blindness, or sight, or the isolated group of victims as analogous to something but the book, at its surface is already clearly about moral issues. Comments would be welcome, on this and on the end of the book ; I am unsure what to make of the church scene and the sudden ending -- is there more than simply leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions?