The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

I discovered a deep love for Atwood’s writing through Cat’s Eye not The Handmaid’s Tale. For some reason I’m having trouble getting into her more science fiction based novels. The Blind Assassin might be the solution. It switches between a book supposedly written by Laura Chase, sister to Iris Chase who narrates most of the story and the actual story. The story between Iris and Alex Thomas is one that takes place off the page. The twist at the end will leave you reeling (although you may have already worked it out) and I think Atwood could have got another three hundred pages out of what happened with Iris’s daughter and granddaughter. And those three hundred pages would have been devoured like the rest of the book. Honestly, I didn’t really get at the beginning that ‘The Blind Assassin’ was meant to be an allegory of what really happened between Iris and Laura. But eventually all becomes clear. Atwood is an expert at leaving things unsaid and as a result leaving her readers wandering around, wanting someone to talk to about what they’ve just experienced. I am planning a re-read, starting sooner rather than later. Then I’ll attempt The Handmaid’s Tale again. The Blind Assassin won the Booker Prize in 2000.