Atwood, Margaret The Blind Assassin ISBN 13: 9780771008634

The Blind Assassin - Hardcover

9780771008634: The Blind Assassin
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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 cafe s. 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.

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Review:
The Blind Assassin is a tale of two sisters, one of whom dies under ambiguous circumstances in the opening pages. The survivor, Iris Chase Griffen, initially seems a little cold-blooded about this death in the family. But as Margaret Atwood's most ambitious work unfolds--a tricky process, in fact, with several nested narratives and even an entire novel-within-a-novel--we're reminded of just how complicated the familial game of hide-and-seek can be:
What had she been thinking of as the car sailed off the bridge, then hung suspended in the afternoon sunlight, glinting like a dragonfly, for that one instant of held breath before the plummet? Of Alex, of Richard, of bad faith, of our father and his wreckage; of God, perhaps, and her fatal, triangular bargain.
Meanwhile, Atwood immediately launches into an excerpt from Laura Chase's novel, The Blind Assassin, posthumously published in 1947. In this double-decker concoction, a wealthy woman dabbles in blue-collar passion, even as her lover regales her with a series of science-fictional parables. Complicated? You bet. But the author puts all this variegation to good use, taking expert measure of our capacity for self-delusion and complicity, not to mention desolation. Almost everybody in her sprawling narrative manages to--or prefers to--overlook what's in plain sight. And memory isn't much of a salve either, as Iris points out: "Nothing is more difficult than to understand the dead, I've found; but nothing is more dangerous than to ignore them." Yet Atwood never succumbs to postmodern cynicism, or modish contempt for her characters. On the contrary, she's capable of great tenderness, and as we immerse ourselves in Iris's spliced-in memoir, it's clear that this buttoned-up socialite has been anything but blind to the chaos surrounding her. --Darya Silver
From the Inside Flap:
Margaret Atwood takes the art of storytelling to new heights in a dazzling new novel that unfolds layer by astonishing layer and concludes in a brilliant and wonderfully satisfying twist.

For the past twenty-five years, Margaret Atwood has written works of striking originality and imagination. In The Blind Assassin, she stretches the limits of her accomplishments as never before, creating a novel that is entertaining and profoundly serious.

The novel opens with these simple, resonant words: "Ten days after the war ended, my sister drove a car off the bridge." They are spoken by Iris, whose terse account of her sister Laura's death in 1945 is followed by an inquest report proclaiming the death accidental. But just as the reader expects to settle into Laura's story, Atwood introduces a novel-within-a- novel. Entitled The Blind Assassin, it is a science fiction story told by two unnamed lovers who meet in dingy backstreet rooms. When we return to Iris, it is through a 1947 newspaper article announcing the discovery of a sailboat carrying the dead body of her husband, a distinguished industrialist.

Told in a style that magnificently captures the colloquialisms and clichés of the 1930s and 1940s,
The Blind Assassin is a richly layered and uniquely rewarding experience. The novel has many threads and a series of events that follow one another at a breathtaking pace. As everything comes together, readers will discover that the story Atwood is telling is not only what it seems to be--but, in fact, much more.

The
Blind Assassin proves once again that Atwood is one of the most talented, daring, and exciting writers of our time. Like The Handmaid's Tale, it is destined to become a classic.

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  • PublisherMcClelland & Stewart Ltd
  • Publication date2000
  • ISBN 10 0771008635
  • ISBN 13 9780771008634
  • BindingHardcover
  • Edition number1
  • Number of pages536
  • Rating

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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Dust Jacket Condition: New. 1st Edition. New, May Have Minor Shelf Wear To Dust Jacket. - For More Information On Condition. Please See All Photos. The Blind Assassin Is A Tale Of Two Sisters, One Of Whom Dies Under Ambiguous Circumstances In The Opening Pages. The Survivor, Iris Chase Griffen, Initially Seems A Little Cold-Blooded About This Death In The Family. But As Margaret Atwood's Most Ambitious Work Unfolds--A Tricky Process, In Fact, With Several Nested Narratives And Even An Entire Novel-Within-A-Novel--We're Reminded Of Just How Complicated The Familial Game Of Hide-And-Seek Can Be: What Had She Been Thinking Of As The Car Sailed Off The Bridge, Then Hung Suspended In The Afternoon Sunlight, Glinting Like A Dragonfly, For That One Instant Of Held Breath Before The Plummet? Of Alex, Of Richard, Of Bad Faith, Of Our Father And His Wreckage; Of God, Perhaps, And Her Fatal, Triangular Bargain. Meanwhile, Atwood Immediately Launches Into An Excerpt From Laura Chase's Novel, The Blind Assassin, Posthumously Published In 1947. In This Double-Decker Concoction, A Wealthy Woman Dabbles In Blue-Collar Passion, Even As Her Lover Regales Her With A Series Of Science-Fictional Parables. Complicated? You Bet. But The Author Puts All This Variegation To Good Use, Taking Expert Measure Of Our Capacity For Self-Delusion And Complicity, Not To Mention Desolation. Almost Everybody In Her Sprawling Narrative Manages To--Or Prefers To--Overlook What's In Plain Sight. And Memory Isn't Much Of A Salve Either, As Iris Points Out: "Nothing Is More Difficult Than To Understand The Dead, I've Found; But Nothing Is More Dangerous Than To Ignore Them." Yet Atwood Never Succumbs To Postmodern Cynicism, Or Modish Contempt For Her Characters. On The Contrary, She's Capable Of Great Tenderness, And As We Immerse Ourselves In Iris's Spliced-In Memoir, It's Clear That This Buttoned-Up Socialite Has Been Anything But Blind To The Chaos Surrounding Her. --Darya Silver. Seller Inventory # 005154

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