The Blind Assassin in Pick-a-Shelf

Oct 04, 2014 Rosemary rated it liked it · review of another edition

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I like a lot of Margaret Atwood's books, but I found this one rather slow and ponderous: well-written of course, but hard to justify 600+ pages worth of reading time. Other people have mentioned twists and surprises but I didn't experience those, just a long, sad story slowly revealed. Maybe it's because I'm used to reading mysteries - I guessed certain things were not as they seemed from the start.

There is some beautiful description and amusing detail of the two sisters’ lives as the daughters ...more

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Apr 22, 2020 Nat rated it really liked it

Finally! Finally I have finished this book which has haunted my dreams these many years!

I have tried and failed to read this book at least three times. Finally, this time I said I would finish it, or I would die trying, and I have managed to make it to the end. The thing is, it's a well written book. I've always liked Atwood's work, which is what made it so painful to struggle with this one. It's just that it's so long, and basically for the whole thing, nothing is happening. The story that the Finally! Finally I have finished this book which has haunted my dreams these many years!

I have tried and failed to read this book at least three times. Finally, this time I said I would finish it, or I would die trying, and I have managed to make it to the end. The thing is, it's a well written book. I've always liked Atwood's work, which is what made it so painful to struggle with this one. It's just that it's so long, and basically for the whole thing, nothing is happening. The story that the man is telling at the beginning about the blind assassin was to me the best part and I wanted badly to get back to that, but instead we had to sit through endless pages of Iris either a) bemoaning the process of old age and buying lots of food that she never finished or b) telling us all about her long, dull, and sad childhood. It was just really hard to get invested in this story.

To add to that, the things that were "twists" seemed pretty obvious from pretty early on. For one, (view spoiler). For the second, (view spoiler).

There was also a lot that was very good here, and that was what kept me reading. Iris and Laura in particular are such real, dimensional characters and you really feel for the way they're trapped by expectations and understanding of what women have to be. And the whole thing is beautifully written, and the innermost story with the blind assassin is particularly lovely. Thinking back on the story after having finished, all the little details resonate so clearly and intimately with the story. This was very sad and yet hopeful, somehow, at the end. That the truth might finally come to light and that, hopefully, Iris might find some peace, unmoored from other people's needs and expectations. ...more

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