theblindassassin

I think today is a day for another #unpopularopinion I read The Handmaid‘s Tale when it was first published. Actually, I only tried to read it. If I had known what #DNF meant back then that‘s what I did. It seems like everyone thinks this is one of the greatest books ever written. I understand that it was groundbreaking. It seems more prescient now than ever. But I just didn‘t like the book. I‘ve never read another #MargaretAtwood book. (cont)⬇️

CatLass007 But I‘ve been thinking about giving her another try sometime this year. So I am requesting recommendations. #TheBlindAssassin is what I‘m leaning toward right now. 2y

Prairiegirl_reading I have heard the blind assassin is her best. I tried edible woman way back when and swore I‘d never read another but I read oryx and crake a few years ago and I liked that.It‘s pretty dark though. Dystopian. It‘s the first in a trilogy. I liked it enough to continue the series even though I ended up thinking it was the best of the three. 2y

SaunteringVaguelyDownwards I think Handmaid's Tale feels a lot more stilted than much of Atwood's other work because she's writing it as if it were the recovered manuscripts being debated at an academic conference many years after the fact. I agree that Blind Assassin and Oryx and Crake are closer to her normal storytelling style. 2y

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CatLass007 @Prairiegirl_reading @SaunteringVaguelyDownwards Thank you for your comments and opinions. I value the thoughts and thoughtfulness of all my Litsy friends. 2y

TheKidUpstairs What kind/genre of books do you generally lean towards? One of the things I love about Atwood is that she writes in so many different genres, so even if some of her books don't work for you, it doesn't mean that none of them will! A few of my favourites: Alias Grace (historical fiction), Oryx and Crake (dystopian society/speculative fiction), The Robber Bride (literary fiction about complicated friendships), The Penelopiad (mythology retelling). 2y

TheKidUpstairs @Prairiegirl_reading I did the same thing, with the exact same books! I hated Edible Woman and thought I just didn't like Atwood. Until a friend forced Oryx and Crake into my hands and I read it in a weekend! 2y

Daisey I didn‘t enjoy The Handmaid‘s Tale either, but I‘m more of a historical fiction reader and really enjoyed Alias Grace. 2y

CatLass007 @TheKidUpstairs I like almost all genres. I don‘t really care much for romance when it‘s the only focus of the book. I outgrew Barbara Cartland, Danielle Steele, and Harlequin Romance when I was still in high school. I‘ve even enjoyed the occasional Western (anything by Robert B Parker is an automatic read and even re-read, I tried some of the authors with whom the estate contracted, and they were a disappointment). SFF, mystery, biography… 2y

CatLass007 Also, what exactly is speculative fiction? It all seems like science fiction to me. I think dystopian fiction is just a sub-genre of science fiction. Okay, I confess, I‘m old and out of touch. 😆 2y

TheKidUpstairs @CatLass007 LOL, it does seem like so many different ways to say the same thing, doesn't it! Yes, I think speculative fiction is another sub-genre of science fiction. I guess I think of it as “If the science being done now continues to its possible conclusion, this is where we could end up“. If that makes any sense. One of those things I don't really know the definition of, but I know it when I read it 😆 2y

TheKidUpstairs @CatLass007 None of her books (that I've read) really focus on romance as the main storyline, which is nice. Her more contemporary (well, contemporary to the time she wrote them) literary fiction works tend to focus more on relationships between friends and family - The Robber Bride and Cat's Eye are two of my favourites for that. Alias Grace is my all time number one (historical fiction with an unreliable narrator thrown in). 2y

TheKidUpstairs Unpopular Opinion: I did not like Blind Assassin. I know lots of people who loved it, but it just didn't do it for me, and I'm not sure it's one of her more accessible works (not that that's necessarily a bad thing) 2y

CatLass007 @TheKidUpstairs Thanks for the, not a definition, more like a connotation. I wasn‘t really referring to romance in Atwood‘s books. Just romance in general, e.g. Bridgerton. 2y

CatLass007 And I don‘t really care for anything with zombies. I tried listening to Peter Clines‘s Ex-Heroes and I was quite disappointed. At least Audible has a return policy. 2y

CuriousG Alias Grace is good, and I also liked Oryx and Crake 2y

CuriousG One of my favourites that never gets discussed is HagSeed. It is a contemporary take on The Tempest. 2y

KathyWheeler @CuriousG You‘re right! I never realized that HagSeed rarely gets discussed when Atwood‘s work is talked about, but I loved it. 2y

CatLass007 @CuriousG @KathyWheeler I‘ve never seen HagSeed mentioned in any discussion of Atwood‘s work. I think I‘d remember that title. 2y

KathyWheeler @CatLass007 There‘s a series of books by Hogarth Press that are modern takes (very loosely) of Shakespeare plays. HagSeed is Atwood‘s contribution to that series. 2y

CatLass007 @KathyWheeler I noticed that when I looked up the book on Audible. I guess I‘ll have to add them to the infinite wish list. 2y

rwmg If you're uncertain about Atwood, I would definitely recommend the Penelopiad (a re-telling of the Odyssey) because it's short.

My understanding is that speculative fiction is a catch-all term to cover science fiction, fantasy, superhero, and supernatural/paranormal fiction, and probably other genres/subgenres as well. 2y

CatLass007 @rwmg I looked at the Penelopiad and I enjoy mythology so it‘s something I‘m considering. Last year I listened to both Circe and The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Both were excellent. 2y

SaunteringVaguelyDownwards @CatLass007 Speculative fiction is an umbrella category to describe genres where the narrative is generated by speculation. It includes science fiction (what would the world look like in the future if...?), fantasy (what would the world look like if magic/dragons/witches/etc existed?), and historical fiction (what would the world be like if X event had been different?) 2y

PaperbackPirate I didn‘t like The Handmaid‘s Tale either, but I loved The Robber Bride and Hag Seed. 5mo

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