The Blind Assassin

Hello Gentle Reader

I had just finished, and by just i mean roughly ten minutes ago, finished reading Margaret Atwood's Booker Prize winning novel: "The Blind Assassin."

I could have waited until roughly Thursday to write this review but i enjoyed it so much that i feel that it would be best to write it right now, while the tale, was still fresh in my head, and the lingering enjoyment; like the sweet taste of sugar lingers on your tongue, lingers in my mind.

The metaphor of "The Blind Assassin," by Margaret Atwood is compared to has been used so much that i thought i would used it as well. Alot like a matryoshka doll (Russian Doll), Margaret Atwood removes the many shells of this tale of a woman looking back on her life, and her sister, and their relationship, and the destruction of the family as they know it, and the slow deterioration of their lives, so perfectly that a person cannot help but feel as the characters do, and get emotionally charged and willing to defend them at all costs, knowing full well that they cannot.

The characterization is so deep that even though as the reader the would think of doing something, and says its justified the character would/will not be able to do it, because that would go against their characterization, though as the reader may get a certain satisfaction of it being done, the results would be bitter, and not feel to right. However, certain "things," do go around and around and when the time is right to strike, it is more then perfect, and the enjoyment and pride one (the reader) may feel swells inside of their (your) stomach and they just cheer with a sense of repaid justice.

The novel itself is rather large depending on which one you buy the one i had was roughly six hundred and thirty-five pages (635 pages) long, while another copy (if my research proves correct) is five hundred and thirty-six pages (536 pages) long. Relatively a large and detailed novel.

Genre wise this novel is Historical Fiction but also what critics call "Southern-Ontario Gothic," -- a genre that focuses on moral hypocrisy, the grotesque, mental illness, and is harsh realism (sometimes there is some supernatural aspects thrown into this genre but none in "The Blind Assassin,")

Many historical events, as the two World Wars, the great depression, and other historical events play into this novel, which give it a very realistic and historical setting with characters that are fictional, but could still be your neighbor, your grandmother, granddaughter, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, mother, or father.

There is no surprise after reading this novel that it did win the Booker Prize for its realistic, earth bound, and emotional narrative. It truly was a beautiful novel, and is a novel written at Margaret Atwood's finest point, and i hope another one will be put out, of the same quality after it.

This novel had made me angry at the villainy of the pastel wearing Winfred "Freedi," who was as passive aggressive and as evil as a pastel fashion wearing arrogant "new money," woman ever got/gets. Richard his sly and almost "political," disgusting motives make a person want to vomit. to the quietly powerful Iris that did her best to fight the circumstances and make do with the best she could, but then suffers immensely before taking charge and fighting back in a Iris fashion, of knowing what to do, but knowing when to do it, and even letting others sink their own ships.

I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a lovely complex, emotional read, where no everyone is punished, and not everything turns out alright, but still you understand that's life, and it is still slightly beautiful in its own way. For anyone that wishes a novel like that, i recommend "The Blind Assassin," by Margaret Atwood to you. It may very well be a novel that will certainly be re-read by myself in the future; and in that future there may even be large lizard men and space crafts that the likes of Alex Thomas had envisioned.

Take Care Gentle Reader
thank-you for taking your time to read this
and keep being well read

Morose-Mary