Oryx and Crake

[Lewis]

Hi everyone.
I had to post something somewhere about 'Oryx and Crake'.
I read 'the Handmaid's tale' years ago and thought it was a one trick pony novel (Margaret Atwood, if you're reading this, shoot me now!).

Now I realise I need to go back and read it again because I read it when I was ill-equppied to appreciate Atwood's sublime writing ability.

I say all this because 'Handmaid's Tale' was the only Atwood I'd read up to 'Oryx and Crake and now realise that that is not only my loss but also my great gain - I have lots of Atwood books to look forward to.

I thought 'Oryx and Crake' was as good a piece of writing as I've come across in years. The structure is fantastic. She can do in a few lines what most authors labour to accomplish in a chapter. It's clever. It's funny. It's thought provoking.
Okay. That off my chest I'll go and write a proper review.

Lewis.

[Leslie]

Seems a bit contemporary for this group to me...

[Lewis]

Leslie,
You're probably right. 'The Handmaid's Tale' has been labelled a Modern Classic and I've no doubt that 'Oryx and Crake' will soon have the same honour conferred but perhaps I should wait and start up a 'modern classics' forum.
Best wishes.
L.

[Whitney]

I found snowman creepy couldnt wait to get out of his head.

[Bevin Kutluoglu]

I've only read half of Oryx & Crake ... but love The Handmaid's Tale.

Definitely check out some of the stuff she wrote earlier in her career (I went through a massive Atwood phase in my early 20s): The Edible Woman was her first novel (I believe) & I'm still haunted by the story. Also Cat's Eye & The Robber Bride. Brilliant, lovely, wonderful ... one of the authors that makes me excited about CanLit.

[Tome Reader]

I read Handmaid's Tale when I was twenty and was riveted in a grossed out way by the sex parts.

I read it again about 15 years later and was riveted by the dystopia and the status of women.

I need to read it again.

I read Oryx about 3 or 4 years ago and loved it. A marvelous dystopia. Tried to read Year of the Flood but set it down. Will try again. I also have a copy of MaddAddam (book 3 in the trilogy).

Cat's Eye was pretty good too. Not an Atwood dystopia but a pretty good psychological thriller (I think that's the genre it fits into) about mean girls.