Canetti's most famous novel, The Blinding, had a difficult fate: its publication in Vienna in 1935 remained unnoticed by anyone, and only after gaining fame in England and America did it return to German literature, where it took a special place as a successor to the traditions of Kafka and Joyce.

The protagonist, Sinologist Peter Keen, leads a secluded life in his library and tries to minimize contact with society, devoting all his time to studying Chinese literary monuments. But one day, seduced by his housekeeper, Keane is forced to face reality and the outside world he fears so much...