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Margaret Atwood

Oryx & Crake is moving pretty fast to the top of my TBR list, I've read Blind Assassin, Alias Grace & Handmaid's Tale and they were really good. Margaret Atwood is becoming one of my favorite writers this year.
 
Ronny said:
Oryx & Crake is moving pretty fast to the top of my TBR list,
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Yeah, it's the same with me. People really seem to like this book, and I have read The Handmaid's Tale, which I enjoyed. I just have to wait for the book to become available at the library.
 
The longer it's been since I read this, the better it gets in my mind. I really, really, really want to give it a reread, and it's only been a year!

Brilliant book.
 
Martin said:
The longer it's been since I read this, the better it gets in my mind. I really, really, really want to give it a reread, and it's only been a year!

Brilliant book.
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That's the way her other books were for me. I liked them the more I thought about them and remembered them. I'll have to stop by the book shop this week, oh bother :)
 
Ronny said:
That's the way her other books were for me. I liked them the more I thought about them and remembered them. I'll have to stop by the book shop this week, oh bother :)
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The very same thing has happened to me. The more I think about Oryx and Crake the more I like it. And I liked it quite a bit when I read it.
 
Okay, so I've been struggling to read Atwood since I was about 14 years old, and gave up around 18 and moved on. It's a few years later and I'm ready to try her again so am considering bumping one of her books up on my TBR list, should I try Oryx and Crake first or something else?
 
Prairie Girl, first of all, do you like sci-fi dystopic books? If you do, then I'd recommend Oryx and Crake, hands down. If sci-fi's not your thing, then I'd suggest Alias Grace or The Blind Assassin for a re-introduction to Atwood.

Last night I was mulling over the things I like about Atwood's writing. It occurred to me that she's really good at revealing the bitch that lurks within most of us women. She's not afraid of showing all the cattiness and vulnerability, the dependence/independence struggle, the admirable and the not so. I used to find her writing extremely depressing. It took me years before I realized that what I saw as darkness was a reality in her writing about women that I wasn't quite ready to accept.
 
Her observations of women are excellent. I also like the way she weaves class and human weakness into her books (the ones that I've read anyway). Out of 'The Handmaid's Tale', 'Blind Assassin' and 'Oryx and Crake', my favourite is 'Blind Assassin' but all three have left me thinking about the various themes that run through them.
 
Clara said:
Out of 'The Handmaid's Tale', 'Blind Assassin' and 'Oryx and Crake', my favourite is 'Blind Assassin' but all three have left me thinking about the various themes that run through them.
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I've only read The Handmaid's Tale, and plan on reading Oryx and Crake, but I have to admit that I have never heard of Blind Assassin. What did you like about it?
 
Ell said:
Prairie Girl, first of all, do you like sci-fi dystopic books? If you do, then I'd recommend Oryx and Crake, hands down. If sci-fi's not your thing, then I'd suggest Alias Grace or The Blind Assassin for a re-introduction to Atwood.

Last night I was mulling over the things I like about Atwood's writing. It occurred to me that she's really good at revealing the bitch that lurks within most of us women. She's not afraid of showing all the cattiness and vulnerability, the dependence/independence struggle, the admirable and the not so. I used to find her writing extremely depressing. It took me years before I realized that what I saw as darkness was a reality in her writing about women that I wasn't quite ready to accept.
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Ell, you rock. I don't hate sci-fi, I just haven't really read any sci-fi. I've been kind of leaning towards Alias Grace, though I"ve heard such great things about Oryx and Crake. To be honest, I've always just had a problem with Atwood, I've always found her rather pretentious, though I know that's no reason for me to judge her writing.
I just know that I will enjoy her, it's just getting myself to the point where I'm able too. I have a feeling I might be there now.
 
MonkeyCatcher said:
I've only read The Handmaid's Tale, and plan on reading Oryx and Crake, but I have to admit that I have never heard of Blind Assassin. What did you like about it?
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It's set in the twentieth century and follows the life of Iris Grace and her relationship with her sister and various others. It encompasses themes like jealousy, social status, ageing and the difficulties of family life. Without giving too much away, there are great twists and the ending made me cry!

Atwood writes beautifully. There are few (if any) wasted words and she develops her characters so well that I felt totally engaged with them.

It's a very different book to 'The Handmaid's Tale' and 'Oryx and Crake' in that it is set in the past but Atwood's style still comes through. There is also another story that runs through; a novel within a novel.

I really hope you give it go - let us all know what you think.
 
Clara said:
It's set in the twentieth century and follows the life of Iris Grace and her relationship with her sister and various others. It encompasses themes like jealousy, social status, ageing and the difficulties of family life. Without giving too much away, there are great twists and the ending made me cry!

Atwood writes beautifully. There are few (if any) wasted words and she develops her characters so well that I felt totally engaged with them.

It's a very different book to 'The Handmaid's Tale' and 'Oryx and Crake' in that it is set in the past but Atwood's style still comes through. There is also another story that runs through; a novel within a novel.

I really hope you give it go - let us all know what you think.
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Thanks for the brilliant review, Clara, I'm definately adding it to my TBR list now :)
 
Hi

I'm not sure what to read next from Atwood.

I read A handmaid's tale a while back and loved it! Eager to read something else from her I picked up The robber bride.

While the robber bride wasn't bad, (the characters were very real which is a big plus) it wasn't great either. I found my self wishing I could finish the book and read something more, well entertaining; whereas with A handmaid's tale I wished to book wouldn't end.

I need a suggestion what to read next from her. If I enjoy the next thing I read from her I'll be a fan, else I might dismiss her as a average writer with flashes of brilliance, which might be an injustice to someone able to write two such uniquely different books.
 
I've just started Oryx and Crake, as recommended by someone on here. Can't remember who, but thanks anyway (Monkeycatcher??).

I'm enjoying it so far, but the invented words for the altered animals I find slightly annoying, and they break the flow of the writing for me.

I think this is going to be a quick read :)
 
Last night I was mulling over the things I like about Atwood's writing.
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Where else but on TBF would you read a sentence like the above? This is exactly what I love about TBF, and it is also what I love about Ell.

Last night I was mulling over the things I like about Atwood's writing. It occurred to me that she's really good at revealing the bitch that lurks within most of us women. She's not afraid of showing all the cattiness and vulnerability, the dependence/independence struggle, the admirable and the not so. I used to find her writing extremely depressing. It took me years before I realized that what I saw as darkness was a reality in her writing about women that I wasn't quite ready to accept.
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These kinds of conversations don't take place just anywhere, ya know?

:D
 
I finished Oryx and Crake last night. Highly amusing and very satisfying. It is my first experience of Atwood. It was interesting to be made to think about certain issues without being preached at.

So, any Atwood experts out there - where should I go next? Any suggestions will be very welcome.
 
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