The Blind Assassin
Margaret Atwood
578 pages
“Ten days after the war ended, my sister Laura drove a car off a bridge.” These words are spoken by Iris Chase Griffen, married at eighteen to a wealthy industrialist but now poor and eighty-two. Iris recalls her far from exemplary life, and the events leading up to her sister’s death, gradually revealing the carefully guarded Chase family secrets. Among these is “The Blind Assassin,” a novel that earned the dead Laura Chase not only notoriety but also a devoted cult following. Sexually explicit for its time, it was a pulp fantasy improvised by two unnamed lovers who meet secretly in rented rooms and seedy cafés. As this novel-within-a-novel twists and turns through love and jealousy, self-sacrifice and betrayal, so does the real narrative, as both move closer to war and catastrophe. Margaret Atwood’s Booker Prize-winning sensation combines elements of gothic drama, romantic suspense, and science fiction fantasy in a spellbinding tale.
Reading this book transformed my perspective and made me see things differently.
This novel intertwines the story of two sisters with a science fiction narrative, leading to subtle reveals and buried memories that keep you guessing until the end.
For fans of traditional novels, this story weaves a rich narrative that captivates with its depth and complexity.
This novel is like reading a mystery; every time you think you know what is happening, a new piece of evidence slides into place until you question everything. It's about two sisters and events that tore them apart, woven together in a way that keeps you piecing the story until the full picture is revealed.