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Notes on Blindness
A journey through the dark
by John Hull
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Pub Date
Feb 09 2017
| Archive Date
Apr 27 2017
Description
A rediscovered modern classic: a life-affirming account of one man's journey into blindness
'A gift to the whole of humanity' Cathy Rentzenbrink
Days before the birth of his first son, writer and academic John M. Hull started to go blind. He would lose his sight entirely, unable to distinguish any sense of light or shadow. Isolated and claustrophobic, he sank into a deep depression. Soon, he had forgotten what his wife and daughter looked like.
In Notes on Blindness, John reveals his profound sense of loss, his altered perceptions of time and space, of waking and sleeping, love and companionship. With astonishing lucidity of thought and no self-pity, he describes the horror of being faceless, and asks what it truly means to be a husband and father. And eventually, he finds a new way of experiencing the world, of seeing the light.
Based on John's diaries recorded on audio tape, this is a profoundly moving, wise and life-affirming account of one man's journey into blindness.
'Poignant and wise' Andrew Solomon
Published in partnership with Wellcome Collection.
A rediscovered modern classic: a life-affirming account of one man's journey into blindness 'A gift to the whole of humanity' Cathy Rentzenbrink Days before the birth of his first son, writer and...
Description
A rediscovered modern classic: a life-affirming account of one man's journey into blindness
'A gift to the whole of humanity' Cathy Rentzenbrink
Days before the birth of his first son, writer and academic John M. Hull started to go blind. He would lose his sight entirely, unable to distinguish any sense of light or shadow. Isolated and claustrophobic, he sank into a deep depression. Soon, he had forgotten what his wife and daughter looked like.
In Notes on Blindness, John reveals his profound sense of loss, his altered perceptions of time and space, of waking and sleeping, love and companionship. With astonishing lucidity of thought and no self-pity, he describes the horror of being faceless, and asks what it truly means to be a husband and father. And eventually, he finds a new way of experiencing the world, of seeing the light.
Based on John's diaries recorded on audio tape, this is a profoundly moving, wise and life-affirming account of one man's journey into blindness.
'Poignant and wise' Andrew Solomon
Published in partnership with Wellcome Collection.
A Note From the Publisher
Notes on Blindness is the book that inspired the BAFTA-nominated, Emmy-winning documentary of the same name.
Notes on Blindness is the book that inspired the BAFTA-nominated, Emmy-winning documentary of the same name.
Advance Praise
"There is wisdom on every page... a gift to the whole of humanity."
Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of 'The Last Act of Love'
"The incisiveness of Hull's observation, the beauty of his language, make this book poetry; the depth of his reflection turns it into phenomenology or philosophy."
Oliver Sacks
"There is wisdom on every page... a gift to the whole of humanity."
Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of 'The Last Act of Love'
"The incisiveness of Hull's observation, the beauty of his language...
Advance Praise
"There is wisdom on every page... a gift to the whole of humanity."
Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of 'The Last Act of Love'
"The incisiveness of Hull's observation, the beauty of his language, make this book poetry; the depth of his reflection turns it into phenomenology or philosophy."
Oliver Sacks
Available Editions
| EDITION |
Other Format |
| ISBN |
9781781258590 |
| PRICE |
£9.99 (GBP)
|
| PAGES |
240
|
Additional Information
Available Editions
| EDITION |
Other Format |
| ISBN |
9781781258590 |
| PRICE |
£9.99 (GBP)
|
| PAGES |
240
|
Average rating from 2 members
Featured Reviews
Elaine D, Reviewer
This is a great book. It gives real insight into what it can be like to lose your sight and covers all sorts of situations that perhaps, as a sighted person, you might not think about. John reflects on the fact that he 'saw' his first child, but not his youngest. He wonders whether his memory of the child's face is accurate as surely they will have changed over time. I'm paraphrasing here from my memory of the book, but the point is that this memoir is full of very personal, highly emotional reflections such as this.
The only negative for me was that the 'back story', that is John's biography and the story of how his sight deteriorates and is eventually lost, is covered in the 'Introduction to Touching the Rock'. Touching the Rock was the original title for this book and the introduction is placed at the end of Notes on Blindness. I felt it would have been better placed at the beginning as this is where you get the context of John's story and understand what has led him to become blind.
Nevertheless, Notes on Blindness is exceptionally well written and is a very moving and interesting account.
Featured Reviews
Elaine D, Reviewer
This is a great book. It gives real insight into what it can be like to lose your sight and covers all sorts of situations that perhaps, as a sighted person, you might not think about. John reflects on the fact that he 'saw' his first child, but not his youngest. He wonders whether his memory of the child's face is accurate as surely they will have changed over time. I'm paraphrasing here from my memory of the book, but the point is that this memoir is full of very personal, highly emotional reflections such as this.
The only negative for me was that the 'back story', that is John's biography and the story of how his sight deteriorates and is eventually lost, is covered in the 'Introduction to Touching the Rock'. Touching the Rock was the original title for this book and the introduction is placed at the end of Notes on Blindness. I felt it would have been better placed at the beginning as this is where you get the context of John's story and understand what has led him to become blind.
Nevertheless, Notes on Blindness is exceptionally well written and is a very moving and interesting account.
