One aspect of Ernesto Sábato's sprawling Sobre héroes y tumbas (1962) concerns the implicit sympathy of the novelist with the "uncomplicated of human spirit," as represented by the central character Martín. In support of this sympathy the novelist contrasts Martín's intimate involvement with Alejandra with the detached preoccupation of the novelist manqué Bruno, and on another more pervasive level, common people are contrasted with the decaying Olmos family. But perhaps the most significant contribution in terms of Sábato's subtle panegyric of the simple folk is Olmos Vidal's "Informe sobre ciegos," a complicated and fascinating conceit that in the last analysis becomes an ironic burlesque of the ponderous interpretations of existence by the degenerate intellectuals.

Vidal's "Informe," the third part of the novel, is part diary, part confession, part exposé. Given the absurdity of Vidal's premises concerning the underground movement of the blind that is...