Rated of 5
by Raj Mathur
Worth the time, but still a disappointing foray from a magnficent author. She telegraphed the "twist" early on--of course it's fun to see if you get it right. But she's not in top form writing science fiction. Thankfully, most of the book isn't science fiction, but Atwood's crisp soul searching melodrama.
When she focuses on matters of the heart and body Atwood is without equal. The Blind Assasin could have dealt with this more---those who fought in the Spanish civil war, the women who liberated themselves in the depression, the businessmen who tried in vain to combat the depression. Perhaps next time.
Rated of 5
by Cynthia Pratt
I began reading this book because of a book club membership. At first I couldn't get through it the novel. I found it confusing and felt that Atwood wasn't getting to the point. She describes everything way too much. Consequently, I quit the book club because I was embarrassed about not being able to get through the very first book assigned. Then, one day, I saw the book in the library and decided to give it another chance. I read the chapters on my lunch daily breaks and complained to my coworkers how boring the book was. Then about half way through the story, I decided that I liked the science fiction portion of the novel and began to crave reading those chapters every day. It had taken me about four months to get there (seriously, it's a long book!). I figured out the ending around the last one hundred pages and finished them up in about two days. Was the book worth it? I think so, I recommended it to a coworker. Now, she's having the same trouble with it that I had, but I keep encouraging her to stick with it. She'll end up liking it as I did. I'm sure of it.
Rated of 5
by Bernadette
This is an amazing book! It is breathtaking, a wonderfully colorful journey through the life of a woman. Hours of great reading. Highly recomended! This book simply can NOT be missed!!! Make sure to read it you will NOT be upset! :)
Rated of 5
by Anonymous
This is simply the finest novel by a contemporary writer that I have read in the last three decades. Ironically, I almost put it down after nearly a third. I was baffled by and annoyed with the Blind Assasin chapters, considering them a distraction from the family story I was enjoying. I found myself skipping whole paragraphs. I stuck with it, becoming more and more fascinated. By the time I finished, I had been swept away. I IMMEDIATELY began to read it once more from the beginning, and I would recommend a second reading (at the very least) to everyone. Having had the truth revealed, the reader discovers layer upon layer of nuance and meaning. Not a word did I skip on this second reading; I was enthralled. I was in tears when I finished it the second time. My daughter, half a continent away, has begun it now, and I am reading it for the third time, so that we can discuss it by email as we go. (She, by the way, is LOVING the science fiction story that, for a time, put me off, and she is showing me symbolisms that I missed.) This third time I am simply relishing the lyrical beauty of Atwood's writing and the validity, wisdom and humor of Iris' "voice." I find passages reverberating in my mind as I fall asleep at night. These characters have become part of my emotional landscape. I suspect they will be me with for the rest of my life, and I am grateful to Ms. Atwood for bringing them to me.
Review (not rated)
by Anonymous
Wyman Jacobson Margaret Atwood was awarded the Year 2000 Booker Prize, Britain’s top fiction award, for her novel, ‘The Blind Assassin.’ This book will probably become a classic in modern fiction literature; however, it is highly complex with multiple layers and involves a novel-within-a-novel, entitled The Blind Assassin which involves two unnamed lovers and he tells her a science-fiction tale. The author is a brilliant story teller and the reader is greatly challenged to put the pieces together from the different methods used by her to construct this novel. Although, this is a rather long novel; every section of every chapter is in someway relevant to Iris’s memoirs and also to solving the mystery of the Blind Assassin and his lady lover. Iris’ memoirs include the life of her sister, Laura Chase, whose death is described on the first page of the book. Her memoirs also include the lives of Richard Griffin (Iris’ husband); Aimee Griffin ( Iris’ daughter) and Winifred Griffin-Prior (sister of Richard Griffin) whose deaths are announced in the first three Chapters. Although, this is a rather long novel; every section of every chapter is in someway relevant to Iris’s memoirs and also to solving the mystery of the Blind Assassin and his lady lover. This novel has the vitally important element of an unexpected and cleverly designed ending. It adds an interesting final twist to the already complicated events of this brilliant book of fiction. Wyman
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of 5
by Raj Mathur 
of 5
by Cynthia Pratt 
of 5
by Bernadette 
