Overview:
Margaret Atwood's 38th book is not one story, but four: the tales nested perfectly in Russian doll style, one dovetailing into the next and providing a launching point for those still to come. It's initially dizzying, then dazzling and -- finally -- very compelling to watch Atwood weave her brilliant tapestry.
Margaret Atwood poses a provocative question in her new novel, “The Blind Assassin.” How much are the bad turns of one’s life determined by things beyond our control, like sex and class, and how much by personal responsibility? Unlike most folks who raise this question so that they can wag their finger — she’s made her bed, and so on — Atwood’s foray into this moral terrain is complex and surprising. Far from preaching to the converted, Atwood’s cunning tale assumes a like-minded reader only so that she can argue, quite persuasively, from the other side.
Though The Blind Assassin's plot sounds horribly complicated -- or at the very least convoluted -- Atwood pulls it off without visible effort. In fact, this is Atwood at the zenith of her story weaving powers: it must be. How can it get better than this? The Blind Assassin is seasoned Atwood: mature Atwood. A book that, at various times, gives us a little bit of each of the styles she's experimented with through the years. There is the distant, terse Atwood in the Laura Chase novel, there are snippets of poetry at various places in the book. Then there are the tight historical detail and classic storytelling in the Iris Chase journals and the gorgeous flights of fancy and fantasy when we visit Sakiel-Norn. The resulting mosaic is breathtaking from the standpoints of both craftsmanship and storytelling.
ENJOYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!
Sincerelyours
And Blessed Are The Ones Who Care For Their Fellow Men!
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