#46 The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
It is difficult to write a good summary of The Blind Assassin, but I will do my best. The Blind Assassin is about Iris Chase, the daughter of an
influential family in Port Ticonderoga, Canada, growing up in the early 20th Century with her unique sister Laura. It is also the story of Iris's present day life as an elderly woman, reflecting on the past. Much has changed in the past several decades. Laura has died of apparent suicide, and has posthumously become a important (albeit scandalous) author a novel also known as The Blind Assassin (which is printed here in its entirety). As Iris writes down the story of her childhood and times as a young woman, shocking truths about Laura and her past come to light.
The Blind Assassin is a unique Jewel of a novel that would have failed utterly if not written by an author as skilled as Margaret Atwood. What makes it so interesting is how well she interweaves no less than four different stories. To begin with, there is the story of Iris as an old woman. Then the story of Iris as a young woman. Thirdly, there is Laura's novel The Blind Assassin. Within this novel-within-a- novel, one of the characters tells a science fiction story to his lover. These four stories represent a great mixing of genres (contemporary fiction, historical fiction, science fiction, as well as some mystery elements), resulting in a unique whole. I also enjoyed how the stories themselves are far form stand alone. You learn things in the-novel-within-a-novel that impact your opinion on the characters just as much as Iris's past impacts her present.
Also worth mentioning is just how beautiful and multilayered Atwood's prose is here. I found myself, several times, reading passages over and over so I could appreciate them more fully. The characters found here are equally as beautiful and multilayered, especially the female characters. Iris is a really likable narrator. As an old woman, I enjoyed her feisty attitude, which occasionally resulted in some laugh out loud moments. As a young woman, I occasionally became frustrated with her for her passive nature, but ultimately understood her and sympathized with her.
I read The Blind Assassin as part of a unique experience, 1book140 (formerlly known as 1book1twitter), a large twitter-based book club with participants around the world. I found the format, which stretched the reading of the book out over a month (although not always great for my poor memory), suited this novel quite well. It forced me to slow down my normally race-car fast method of consuming books, and truly appreciate Atwood's writing. The twitter format, although not the best for longer discussion, was a great opportunity to reflect on the beauty of the prose, the air of mystery that permeated the earlier chapters, and the readers reactions to certain events. I would certainly participate in a similar book club again. I would also love to read more books by Atwood.
Rating: five stars
Length: 521 pages
Source: shelf
Other books I've read by this author: The Handmaid's Tale
Next up I will be reviewing In the Belly of the Bloodhound by L.A. Meyer, and Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
xposted to temporaryworlds , bookish , and goodreads
influential family in Port Ticonderoga, Canada, growing up in the early 20th Century with her unique sister Laura. It is also the story of Iris's present day life as an elderly woman, reflecting on the past. Much has changed in the past several decades. Laura has died of apparent suicide, and has posthumously become a important (albeit scandalous) author a novel also known as The Blind Assassin (which is printed here in its entirety). As Iris writes down the story of her childhood and times as a young woman, shocking truths about Laura and her past come to light.
The Blind Assassin is a unique Jewel of a novel that would have failed utterly if not written by an author as skilled as Margaret Atwood. What makes it so interesting is how well she interweaves no less than four different stories. To begin with, there is the story of Iris as an old woman. Then the story of Iris as a young woman. Thirdly, there is Laura's novel The Blind Assassin. Within this novel-within-a- novel, one of the characters tells a science fiction story to his lover. These four stories represent a great mixing of genres (contemporary fiction, historical fiction, science fiction, as well as some mystery elements), resulting in a unique whole. I also enjoyed how the stories themselves are far form stand alone. You learn things in the-novel-within-a-novel that impact your opinion on the characters just as much as Iris's past impacts her present.
Also worth mentioning is just how beautiful and multilayered Atwood's prose is here. I found myself, several times, reading passages over and over so I could appreciate them more fully. The characters found here are equally as beautiful and multilayered, especially the female characters. Iris is a really likable narrator. As an old woman, I enjoyed her feisty attitude, which occasionally resulted in some laugh out loud moments. As a young woman, I occasionally became frustrated with her for her passive nature, but ultimately understood her and sympathized with her.
I read The Blind Assassin as part of a unique experience, 1book140 (formerlly known as 1book1twitter), a large twitter-based book club with participants around the world. I found the format, which stretched the reading of the book out over a month (although not always great for my poor memory), suited this novel quite well. It forced me to slow down my normally race-car fast method of consuming books, and truly appreciate Atwood's writing. The twitter format, although not the best for longer discussion, was a great opportunity to reflect on the beauty of the prose, the air of mystery that permeated the earlier chapters, and the readers reactions to certain events. I would certainly participate in a similar book club again. I would also love to read more books by Atwood.
Rating: five stars
Length: 521 pages
Source: shelf
Other books I've read by this author: The Handmaid's Tale
Next up I will be reviewing In the Belly of the Bloodhound by L.A. Meyer, and Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
xposted to temporaryworlds , bookish , and goodreads