Book Review

The Blind Assassin, by Margaret Atwood.

I can't figure out if Margaret Atwood is a genius or seriously twisted. Her books are always amazing in complexity, in gorgeous language, and in sheer story. She had me at The Handmaid's Tale. It's interesting, because she's not really sci-fi, yet her works often involve some type of fantastic or futuristic references. She's literature, for sure. I love when people or things are tough to categorize!! Which this book certainly was. I'm having a difficult time trying to capture it for you.

OK, well, basically it's the story of two sisters, growing up in Port Ticonderoga. One of them is narrating the story, the other figures heavily in the direction of the plot. One is solid, the other ephemeral. Both are bound by society, expectations, family, and history-as-its-happening (i.e. the Depression). There's also a story within the story about, as you might guess, a blind assassin (this is the sci-fi-ish part). The rest you'll have to discover for yourself. All I can say is, about halfway through the book, my whole perceptions of what was what in this book, totally shifted. And that's good writing!!

Next book for review: The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak. I'm still working on it, but it's a doozy. In a good way.