312. Blindness

Blindness
Henry Green
1926
Around 215 pages

I've read quite a few Henry Green novels. I think he is talented, but he has never left too strong of an impression. I do think I was a flouncy Oxford boy in another life, and he certainly captures that culture well. Also, reading something so well-written from somebody so young is always impressive (on a personal level, it's actually devastating).

John Haye is a student of Noat, which I guess is like an anagram of Eton...kinda (see this is the kind of wit they miss out on by not admitting women). We get to read his diary, and he's a pretty typical student. We have the same literary tastes at least. He's blinded in a freak train accident and his life takes a bit of a left turn.

Having a character lose a sense really gives a writer a chance to flex those creative fingeys. Green did a wonderful job of communicating the all the internal and external shifts in this character's life. This also had an original plot that didn't go in the usual direction that can take stories like this to a sappy place.

I also appreciate his brevity. I think he'll grow on me.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Published when Green was an undergrad at Oxford.

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