City of the Blind is a novel by José Saramago that tells the story of an unnamed city where an epidemic of sudden blindness spreads rapidly among its inhabitants. The government decides to quarantine the affected individuals in an abandoned mental hospital, where they must fend for themselves in a world of darkness and chaos.
As the city descends into anarchy, a small group of characters bands together to survive and find a way out of the quarantine. Among them is a doctor's wife, who mysteriously remains able to see while pretending to be blind in order to stay with her husband. Together, they navigate the challenges of living in a society where trust is scarce and survival is uncertain.
The novel explores themes of human nature, power dynamics, and the fragility of civilization as the characters struggle to maintain their humanity in the face of overwhelming adversity. City of the Blind is a powerful and thought-provoking work that challenges readers to consider what it means to truly see and understand the world around us.