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Reader Reviews | |
Review by Jenika (290608) Rating (9/10) Review
by Jenika The story begins with an elderly Iris Chase describing her younger sister Laura's suicide in 1945. From here, she recounts her youth; from being the eldest daughter of fallen industrialist Norval Chase, to her forced and unhappy marriage with her father's rival, Richard Griffin and the events which led up to Laura's suicide. Along the way Iris reveals hidden family secrets and a love affair that time had buried, as she writes a final memoir to her long-lost relative. Much of the novel's originality comes from its layered structure. Alternating with Iris's memoir are excerpts from a novel, also titled The Blind Assassin said to be written by Laura and published posthumously. These excerpts follow a bittersweet love-affair between two anonymous people. Within this story is another, as the unidentified man conjures Science Fiction stories for his lover. The complexity of the story is further deepened through newspaper clippings that are also interwoven within the plot. They cover superficial events such as town picnics, society balls and gatherings, but serve to shed more light and alter perceptions as the story progresses. By presenting the tale from multi-layered perspectives, Atwood sets up different viewing points for the reader, both enriching and complicating the story. The polished newspaper clippings cover only surface, outsider perceptions, yet form the outer layers of the tale. The fondness mixed with raw lust between the two lovers reveal a hidden, alternate dimension which is further elaborated through the man's own graphic, violent and surreal tales. Finally, Iris effectively unites the different plots together into one story, as she narrates the past with a forthrightness and honesty that can only come with old age and exposes the truth about her family history. Throughout the novel, readers are kept in suspense through the subtle clues and hints that Atwood provides, luring the reader into wanting more. The seemingly unrelated tales eventually link together to form the climax of the story - the shocking reason for Laura's death and the point at which Iris's life changes forever. Tragic, compelling and bittersweet, The Blind Assassin contains an originality and boldness all of its own, which no doubt helped it win the Booker Prize in 2000. Much like her other novels The Handmaid's Tale and Catseye Atwood paints raw human nature with a rare insightfulness that vividly immortalizes her characters; most notably the eccentric Laura Chase who cannot help but be admired for her blind faith in what is good and just.
The Blind Assassin is not for those who feel like having
an easy read. However, for anyone feeling up to a challenge, it
is definitely worth the effort. The novel tells an extraordinary
tale, by using a breathtakingly original plot and structure, while
it also lays bare the destructive things people are capable of
and the way love can fight against the sordid, uglier and manipulative
side of human nature. |
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