M.H. Blindness is a powerful novel in which José Saramago reveals both the darkest and the most luminous sides of human nature at the same time. In a society collapsing under fear and uncertainty, we witness – at a breathtaking pace- how quickly selfishness and brutality can become normalised; the feeling of “what will happen on the next page?” never disappears.

Yet the novel is not only a gripping story; it is also a profound inquiry into the moral compass of humanity. Blindness here is not merely physical, but an ethical blindness – towards others, towards suffering, and towards responsibility. The fact that one character is still able to “see” reminds us that compassion, solidarity, and conscience are still possible.

For this reason, Blindness is also highly relevant today, whether we think about the climate crisis, the wars happening all around us, or the systematic destruction of the environment and nature. Saramago’s deeper warning is that catastrophes do not arise from ignorance, but from our choice to remain blind even when we can clearly see.