The blind assassin by margaret atwood published by virago press ltd on 2000 genreslists. This concludes our discussion of this months selection, margaret atwoods the blind assassin. She introduced me to her work my freshman year of high school and her books opened up my world. The blind assassin is a story that winds slowly through the lives of a wealthy canadian family before, during, and after the depression. Entitled the blind assassin, it is a science fiction story told by two unnamed lovers who meet in dingy backstreet rooms. Discuss the intricate structure of this novel and the methods atwood used to construct it. The blind assassin summary and study guide supersummary. The blind assassin margaret atwoods the blind assassin is a killer novel, all right, but it can see exactly where its going. Alternating with sections of her narrative are chapters from a story entitled the blind assassin, told in the present tense.
They are introduced by the newspaper voice at the start of the book. With her thoughts, the book skips between her 1930s and 1990s. The last time i read an atwood book was years ago and it was the handmaids tale. The the blind assassin community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. How much are the bad turns of ones life determined by things beyond our control, like sex and class, and how much by personal responsibility. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. My paperback copy is 637 pages, but every one of them is a joy to read.
There is an eerily similar structure to margaret atwoods long awaited novel, the blind assassin. John mullan on the blind assassin guardian book club books. We are delighted to welcome the the north shore page turners to the store for their second meeting of 2020, as they discuss the booker prizewinning novel the blind assassin by margaret atwood. The blind assassin by margaret atwood reading guide. Peter farnums summary of blind assassin tacoma retired. While the blind assassin is widely considered a modern classic today, it wasnt altogether favorably received when it was published. Reading guide for the blind assassin by margaret atwood discussion guide for book clubs. Book club books margaret atwood on the blind assassin guardian book club. Peter farnums summary of blind assassin tacoma retired mens. Go fug yourself book club past book club discussions. The blind assassin is a novel by the canadian writer margaret atwood. The blind assassin is quite simply atwoods most emotional, yearning, heartfelt, sexy, and elegiac book ever.
The blind assassin is a tale of the chase family from world war i through the end of the 1990s. Peter farnum s summary of blind assassin tacoma retired. I got my own copy of the handmaids tale not long after moving to the city, but other than that i hadnt reread any of her books that i had been introduced to over ten years ago. If you were the chosen girl in sakielnorn, born and taught to be a sacrifice, would you accept your destiny. The blind assassin by margaret atwood is a novel in which iris chase explains the circumstances leading to the death of her sister, laura iris marries the wealthy. Atwood has said that the form of the blind assassin was influenced by early twentiethcentury collages, in which newspaper excerpts were glued onto canvas and then painted around and overthus framing two ways of representing reality, each of which contradicted the other but also complemented it. Would that all book club selections were as good as this one. The counterpart story, the blind assassin, is a strange futuristic tale that dramatizes in unusual fauxoriental fashion a nameless womans obsession with a sciencefiction writer whose imaginings blithely mirror and exploit his power over her. The blind assassin by margaret atwood, paperback barnes. Peeling away the obscuring levels of narrative takes patience and no small amount of endurance, but each layer is sharper and smoother than the last, making the outer layers seem rough and disposable once the polished core comes into view. Thus begins the blind assassin, margaret atwoods new novel. The blind assassin margaret atwood, 2000 addresses the question. When you return to iris, it is through a 1947 newspaper article announcing the discovery of a sailboat carrying the dead body of her husband, a distinguished industrialist. This months selection was margaret atwoods the blind assassin.
The blind assassin is a long book by todays standards. W riting the blind assassin was a startandstop process. It was first published by mcclelland and stewart in 2000. The introduction, discussion questions, author biography, and suggestions for further reading that follow are designed to enhance your reading groups discussion. Its two concepts that almost go together, but also almost dont.
John mullan on the blind assassin guardian book club. The novel begins with the mysterious deatha possible suicideof a young woman named laura chase in 1945. In this multilayered novel, a dying octogenarian recalls her past, including her forced marriage, her sisters suicide, and the publication of her sisters science fiction novel, the blind assassin. This 66page guide for the blind assassin by margaret atwood includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 15 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis.
The blind assassin by margaret atwood book club discussion. The premise of the book is an autobiographical confession of the protagonist, iris chase. The majority of the book is told from the perspective of iris chase, an elderly woman reflecting and writing about her life and her family. I always thought of the concept of a blind assassin to be contradictory in a weird way. The writing is exquisite, each detail and description thoughtful and showing the fertility of atwoods imagination. When i was home for christmas, i grabbed atwoods the blind. Set in canada, it is narrated from the present day, referring to previous events that span the twentieth century. The blind assassin by margaret atwood penguin random. When we return to iris, it is through a 1947 newspaper article announcing the discovery of a sailboat carrying the dead body of her husband, a distinguished industrialist. Opening with the death of the main character, laura chase, the story is intertwined with the text of lauras only published novel, also entitled the blind assassin the quirks and eccentricities of the once very welltodo chase family is chronicled from the birth in 1916 of iris, lauras older. My first idea was to write about the generations of my. How do you explain the sentence the way down is the way up. The blind assassin paperback tattered cover book store.
Margaret atwood on the blind assassin guardian book club. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. Atwood writes in three different forms in the blind assassin. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. I must admit this was a book that you had to put some effort into. Some people started reading it, not knowing what it was, and theyll continue reading it forever just because this. At the outset, the book concerns socialite iris griffen. The page turners bookclub is led by kelly malitz and is open to the public. John mullan on the blind assassin guardian book club among the tricks and puzzles, the overwhelming sense of design encourages the reader that there will be answers john mullan.
The blind assassin may not be a groundbreaking work of art, but its smoothness, wit and mournful wisdom are deeply ingratiating. Were currently discussing this months selection, margaret atwoods the blind assassin, in a series of posts to be followed by a. The author explains how she made two attempts to introduce the central. Laura chases older sister iris, married at 18 to a politically prominent industrialist but now poor and 82, is living in port ticonderoga, a town dominated by their onceprosperous family before the first war. See more ideas about the blind assassin, margaret atwood and words. This latter tale is published as the work of iriss younger sister laura, whose death in. It can be read as a blind person who assassinates people i. The blind assassin margaret atwood, 2000 knopf doubleday 544 pp. Reading guide for the blind assassin by margaret atwood. I liked the book but wasnt a critical enough reader at the time to fully. The novels title is actually the title of the story within, written by the narrators sister, laura chase, who on the very first page of the book, you learn, drives herself off a bridge ten days after world war ii ends. What goes on four legs at dawn, two at noon and three in the evening.
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