You'd be ruined as God

Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin

I've blogged about my love of Margaret Atwood before (here and here), this month when I had nothing to read, I thought it would be a nice idea to re-visit one of her novels. 

The Blind Assassin conjurers up some very pleasant memories for me, as I first read it when I was on holiday by myself in Cambodia. I spent a whole day moving from teashop to teashop, eating copious amounts of baked goods and reading this book, which I found in a second-hand bookshop whilst I was out there.  

If I were to rank Atwood books I think this would come in about third, with The Year of the Flood and The Robber Bride taking first and second place. Ooooh or maybe fourth? I forgot The Handmaids Tale. 

The Plot: Iris Chase, now an elderly woman in ill health, recounts her life and relationships; including her childhood growing up with her unusual sister Laura, her later unhappy marriage to a cruel businessman and her meeting with Alex Thomas, a charismatic political radical. Embedded within the story is a novel-within-a-novel, the tale of The Blind Assassin, published posthumously under Laura Chase's name.

The Blind Assassin is very quotable, as it is so well written, check my quotes from books tag from some snippets. Though the plot is relatively simple, her clever descriptions and the way she can turn a phrase elevates the novel. There is a kind of melancholy feeling throughout the book, which works well with the narrative and the fact that is narrated retrospectively.

The story-within-a-story is also entertaining, and would have been enjoyable to read as a standalone book. It also has the advantage of combing science-fiction (a genre that Atwood excels at) into the novel.    

If you're an Atwood fan and are yet to read this novel, I'd bump it to the top of your list. Plus it's massive, so you get your moneys worth.    

the only way you can write

"The only way you can write the truth is to assume that what you set down will never be read. Not by any other person, and not even by yourself at some later date. Otherwise you begin excusing yourself. You must see the writing emerging like a long scroll of ink from the index finger of your right hand; you must see your left hand erasing it"

- Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin 

stiff upper lip

"I was told to keep a stiff upper lip [...] Funny they never say anything about the lower lip. That's the one your supposed to bite, to substitute one kind of pain for another"

-Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin  

age

"I looked sick, my skin leached of blood, like meat soaked in water [...] At least I can still call my hair my own, though it fizzes upwards as if I've been electrocuted. Beneath it there are glimpses of scalp, the greyish pink of mice feet. If I ever get caught in a high wind my hair will all blow off like dandelion fluff, leaving only a tiny pockmarked nubbin of bald head."

-Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin 

Margaret Atwood- Happy Publication day!

Margaret Atwood- what an absolute legend. She is one of my favourite authors, so I was  incredibly excited to find out that MaddAddam, the third book in her post-apocalyptic trilogy was out to day.

The Maddaddam Trilogy 

I pre-ordered my copy, and have just finished reading it. The review will be up in a couple of days, I just need to work out what I thought of it!

Some of my Atwood collection

I picked up The Blind Assassin second hand when I was backpacking around Cambodia. I spent the whole day sat in hammock, drinking cheap cocktails and reading this. Pure bliss.  

Handmaid Tale- probably the most famous of Margaret Atwood's books- they used to teach it at A Level, I'm not sure if they still do?  

I've read most of Atwood's novels. I particularly enjoy her dystopian fiction, her descriptions are so vivid, she can craft a very believable, scary world, it's like she's a prophet.