The Blind Assassin

[Ellen]

How does this book make you feel?

[Mark]

fat and sassy

[Mollie]

Just finished it. I really liked the writing style - in each book I've read by Atwood, I feel like she does a great job of developing the characters well and telling a really good story.

It was a little slow in places, but I think it makes sense due to the nature of the story - some parts of Iris's life were slow, and it seems like she was pretty bored for most of her life.

I won't give anything away but the last 30 pages are CRAZY! So much stuff happens! AHH!

[Josiah]

This book is exhausting to read! I am really enjoying it. Just got to b"Book X, page 397. I'm hoping to make a post after completing with plenty of spoilers but this post will be general enough.

How do you guys take the poetic writing style? What do you feel is the effect of the presentation of "The Blind Assassin" between Iris' narrations?

I feel that, in response to Mollie's comment on the length and depth of the text, the sexier sci-fi action of the meta-novel serves pragmatically to spice things up. I found myself looking forward to these more explicit passages that break up Iris' frankly depressing and sometimes convicting views on life as a woman in the 20th century. It's hard to think about how real Margaret Atwood's depictions of misogyny and oppression of woman turn out to be, especially with today's hot-button issue of rape culture. Just some thoughts bouncing around as I read. The plot continues to thicken, and I'm loving making my way through slowly.

-J