Monday 3 December 2012

"Thick plots are my specialty. If you want a thinner kind, look elsewhere."


So there's this Advent with Atwood thing happening in the world of the blogs, and although I'm not really in the market for a lot of Atwood this December (I've got TWO challenge books left, and that's too close NOT to win) I am taking part in the readalong of The Blind Assassin readalong that's happening because I thought, if not now then when? Exactly.

I actually started reading this sometime last year, read the first mini-chapter, shrugged, and then took it back to the library when I'd had it so long that I had bought my own copy. This was a mistake (the not-reading it, not buying my own copy) for I've now read the first quarter and ohmygosh it's pretty awesome!
Yes. Yes I do. Wait, what were we talking about?

Already in this first section I'm completely glued to the book, and frankly, it would have to be good for me to want to read it when I feel as crappy as I do right now (that's pretty damn crappy, folks). And it's weird because, if someone tried to explain it to me I'd probably be like, 'that sounds weird' and move on, but actually, I'm very much into it, so far. 

Let me explain it to you, so you can go 'that sounds weird' and move on. So the book begins with the death of Laura, the sister of the narrator of some parts of the book, and also, since quite a bit of the book (I assume) is told in the past, she's shaping up to be a main character, so even though we start with her death, I'm guessing we're going to learn everything that's important about her retroactively.

Or, maybe, we're supposed to learn things about her through the book she's left behind (called, funnily enough, The Blind Assassin). Because, in this first chunk of book, there are 'extracts' from the novel that 'Laura' wrote, and it's so very interesting because, instead of taking these bits of story for what they actually are (a whole story) I find myself reading them to find more clues about what Laura was like, and who she was which, I assume, is the whole point.

Basically, so far, The Blind Assassin is hitting all my buttons- there's a mysterious and yet clearly awesome character called Laura, there are meditations of what it's like to be old that, genuinely, I can't get enough of, and there are layers of story like you wouldn't believe, mixed in with newspaper articles and old lady diary entries and kind of everything you could want from a book. And, you know, stuff like this:
"Farewells can be shattering, but returns are surely worse. Solid flesh can never live up to the bright shadow cast by its absence. Time and distance blur the edges ; then suddenly the beloved has arrived and it's noon with its merciless light, and every spot and pore and wrinkle and bristle stands clear."

It feels like it's definitely too early to say 'Atwood, you've done it again', but that's really how I feel about the first bit of this book. I sort of kind of can't wait to read the rest. But I shall, for that is the readalong way.

16 comments:

  1. I read The Blind Assassin last year and I loved it. Absolutely loved it. Especially the book in the book. Really glad you decided to read it.

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    1. Me too! I'm so into it, it's crazy. Which is good, because I haven't been this into a book for a WHILE!

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  2. This is by far one of the best novels I've ever read. And of the Booker Prize winners it's definitely in the top echelons. She's so witty and the book within the book just adds to it.

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    1. Oooh, I'm so excited that it sounds like it's only going to get better! Ah Margaret, you are the BEST!

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  3. Aww, I hope you feel better.

    Also...ok. I read this when I was like 16. And remember almost zero about it except that it was ok? But that was my 16 year old self, so I have zero idea what I'd think of it today. I just read it because I liked the cover.

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    1. Thank you my dear!

      I feel like if I was 16 and reading this, I'd be like 'what the hell is this, I'm so confused, what is going onnn... Nope, hand me that Stephen King book." and so on. But I LOVES it and it is awesome and now I'm going to pester you to read it again alllll the time now. Unless it starts sucking.

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  4. Oh this sounds interesting! I haven't read any Margaret Atwood since I read The Handmaid's Tale in college so I've been meaning to give her another try.

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    1. I'm going to say (even at this point) that this is a good one to go with! I LOVE The Handmaid's Tale, and I liked Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood (the only other two books I've read by her) but this is already better than those two. So, yeah. :)

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  5. Why do you feel crappy? Stop that!

    This one sounds interesting and I really should read something else by Atwood. Hopefully the rest of the novel is as strong as the beginning.

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    1. I know right! Trying, man. I'm trying.

      You SHOULD read something else by Atwood (You've read The Handmaid's Tale already, I assume?) This is pretty awesome, but I'll keep going and let you know if you should read this or not ;)

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    2. I have read Handmaid. And that's all.

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  6. This book scares me and I don't really know why. The fact that you are loving it reassures me :)

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    1. Yay! It did kind of scare me that first time too, which is also why I didn't keep reading it. And dude, it is SO BIG. Which is obviously scary. But yeah, thus far it's preeeetty awesome!

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  7. Oh. Oh that quote. Yes.

    I have never read any Atwood! (I know, I know!) Where would you recommend I begin? And hey! Stop feeling poorly! We are not orphans in a Dickens novel, so knock it off!

    <3

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    1. I know right?! Margaret always knows the words to write.

      My recommendation to start with Atwood is always always going to be The Handmaid's Tale, because 1) dystopias ftw, and 2) feminism, ditto. Even if it is HORRIBLY upsetting and I had to keep stopping and going 'it's not real, it's not real' to myself. Cause I'm very sensitive like that.

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  8. I am loving that cover. This looks so good! And excellent quote you pulled out there. I've read Handmaid (AMAZEBALLS) and Alias Grace (also good because it made me want to churn my own butter), and now I want to read this too. And the other books you mentioned in the comments. I am Canadian. I am patriotically and legally obligated to read all the Atwood.

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