Phenomenal image systems at work in this novel

[Tim]

This is really a post for fiction writers. I was struck by the incredible image system Atwood uses in this book to influence the reader's subconscious reactions to her themes and subject matter. It's really well done, and provides a great example of how an image system can work in a novel. Read my analysis here: http://bit.ly/2nepoTU

Novelists, I'm curious as to your thoughts. Do you use image systems in your work? Do you think they're an essential aspect of a resonant novel? (Spoiler alert: I do.)

[Lynn]

Honestly I don't see what you see. I was left feeling flat after reading the book. When I read (and write) I see the images in my head like a movie. The disjointed manner in which this book was written left my brain thinking in jilted black and white, still-shot mode. That isn't a format my brain uses when reading. Between the overly used word-salad-analogies and comparisons, and the lack of quotations, I felt like I had run a mental marathon and got nothing at the finish line. I didn't have any emotions for any of the characters, even the ones the reader isn't supposed to like. It felt like one long "shock-value" read that made me glad I didn't pay for the book. Although, I think I'm one of the few that just doesn't get the hype. I have read better dystopian novels from less known authors. But, it is just my opinion.

[Tim]

Lynn wrote: "Honestly I don't see what you see. I was left feeling flat after reading the book. When I read (and write) I see the images in my head like a movie. The disjointed manner in which this book was wri..."

It's so subjective, isn't it? Always amazes me how opinions vary. Though I do agree with you that there are better dystopian novels out there, I was struck in particular by the image system and how it was used to provoke certain feelings of dread and disgust in the reader. Are there other dystopians you can point to that use image systems for a particular psychological effect?

[Lynn]

I think my favorite, although some might say it's not exactly dystopia, is the Atlantis Gene series. It's a sci-fi dystopian destruction of our planet kind of book. It sucked me in. I felt the cold, the dread, the fear, the confusion. With Atwood's book I felt none of that. I have written my own dystopian novel and hope I invoke the same reaction that the reader is IN the book, not just a bystander. As a reader and writer we should be immersed fully into the book without feeling like we are drowning but definitely submerged. Even a little uncomfortable at times.