On Sight and Insight

Rating:
Summary: A good book for anyone facing blindness
Review: A book review, by Carlton Griffin:

"On Sight & Insight, a Journey into the world of Blindness", by John Hull

After losing much of my vision over the past four years due to Retinitis Pigmentosa, I went looking for more information about going blind.

I recently finished this book and I've had a few days to reflect upon it. The book is written by John Hull, who tells about going blind as an adult. As a young man, John has blinding cataracts. He was blind for quite some time in the hospital, long enough to teach himself braille and read several chapters in the Bible.

The corrective surgery for the cataracts detached both of his retinas, one of which they were able to correct. He was blind in his left eye for the rest of his life, but his right eye stayed pretty dependable until he was about 45, and over the following three years he went completely blind.

It's a new book, John went blind in the 1980's and his book reads like a diary or journal. It's very easy to read and John easily holds the reader's attention.

John mostly tells what it is like, emotionally, to go blind. He talks about all aspects of blindness, but the focus on the book is to share how it affected and affects his emotions and his spirit; his soul. John really shares of himself in this book, it's very frank and in some places painful.

However, I enjoyed having read the book because it provided me with some information I was lacking, helped me come to terms with some things that before I could not conceive. I've been worried so much, the nagging question is always "What will it be like to go blind, how will I live my life?".

While John's book certainly doesn't fully answer that question, it does allow the reader to gain much insight into what it is like, at least from one man's perspective. While it did confirm a few fears I have, at least I feel more informed now; certainly the unknown is still more frightening than my actual fate.

I wish I could say more about this book, I think Mr Hull did a fine job. I refer to him as John in this review because I feel so close to him and his family, having read the book. If you want to know what it's like for an adult to go blind, John's perspective is wonderfully told in this book.

Carlton Griffin