Blindness by Jose Saramago

Ay yi yi. I don't know what to tell you. This book is an incredibly fascinating look into human nature from a socialist's point of view. It is also an incredibly grotesque, gruesome, and, well, grimy look into human nature from a socialist's point of view. It was very gross is what I'm saying. And graphic. Not even doing this on purpose, people.

The concept of the book is this: What would it be like if everyone on earth started going blind? And golly gee whiz if Saramago didn't completely nail it. There was like one thing in the book that I questioned and it was making some other point.

Anyway, for a book that's got impossibly long paragraphs, no quotation marks or separation between people speaking, what can only be described as a rape orgy, and floors covered with human excrement, it was actually kinda good. Like I had a very hard time finishing this book--I started skipping pages at one point that I mentioned in that list above and continued for a good 40 pages until suddenly I had no clue what was happening-- but I still want to recommend it and I am not the only person. It was disgusting and over the top; as one person in my modern lit class said, "When showing the horribleness of human nature you kinda have to be very careful not to cross over the line between realistic and completely unnecessary and Saramago is living on that line."

So, yeah.  If you are a mature reader, read this book, but uh... Skip certain parts at your own discretion and, if you picture things in your head very easily, read at your own risk.

Rating; Quite quite good. I have no clue why. It's just so deep, man.
Read again? No. It is way to difficult of reading. I might really finish it soon.
You read? I want to say yes but I don't know why. I want to say no and I know exactly why; I seriously do not want to have a blog with the words 'rape orgy' in it. Thanks alot, Jose.
Age? Upper teens maybe but they are probably too young. Yeah...

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Another sad one. Very sad. It is the story of a young boy whose father runs a concentration camp during WWII. Ending was a little contrived but it serves to get the author's point across so I don't find that a bad thing. Really a good one for showing the horrors of the Holocaust.

Read again? I'm not sure.
You read? Yes. This is one of those that you just have to read. Have to. Read. Just read it, ok?
Rating? Great! (Although my ratings have become slightly arbitrary as I didn't have any real definition for what a book has to do to get each one. I should do that.)
Age level? Preteen and above, but maybe keep away from kids you know are quite sensitive.

To Live by Yu Hua

A story of the life of a man growing old through China's Communist and Cultural Revolutions. Quite sad, quite good.

Read again? Probably
You read? Definitely. Be prepared to cry.
Rating? Great!
Age level? Young Adult: not a hard read but foul language.