The Blind Assassin, Part 2 and Weekly Geeks

As I said in post prior: I don’t read reviews immediately before* reading and never after – or not until after I write my own review. Why?   Because I would probably never write a review if I did.

For example, let’s consider Nymeth at Things Mean a Lot.   You can read her review of The Blind Assassin and you’d have everything you need:    just enough of plot outline to know who the characters are, some samples of the beautiful writing, and plenty of curiosity to go get the book forthwith.    She also provides a tremendous resource to click and read other reviews.  And although my review gives just hint of a hint of a plot, and doesn’t tell as much as Nymeth’s, I do think we are in 100% agreement!     (And it’s not like this is supposed to be a competition…)

I did start with Nymeth’s and then went looking for others, just in case.    Which also happens to be the theme of Weekly Geeks this week!     Encouragement to seek out other reviews to books you’ve reviewed AND comment on other blogs and highlighting your own reviews that they might have missed. 

But first, a big shout out to Fyrefly for creating a blog search just for such an occasion and she wants our help to make sure all book review blogs are included.   Click here to check for yours and your favorites and let her know if any are missing.     

Her Google blog search service returned this list of reviews:     Result List for The Blind Assassin  and of these, I now offer  any I found that are not already  at Nymeth’s.

Belle of the Books – she, too, felt that something unknown was ‘missed’ and that the book begs for discussion (is that right?)

and she also points us to a review at Farm Lane Books – another admission of being let down at the end…

Did I miss anyone?

 

Notes from The Blind Assassin

MORE VOCAB
p.16  They’re sitting on a park bench, not to close together;  a maple tree with exhausted leaves above them, cracked dirt under their feet, sere grass around.    SERE – dried-up: (used especially of vegetation) having lost all moisture.

p.36  He’s a large man, Walter – square-edged, like a plinth, with a neck that is not so much a neck as an extra shoulder…   PLINTH – pedestal: an architectural support or base.

p.53  These last two materials could be obtained for next to nothing from the several abattoirs in the vicinity…   ABBATTOIR – slaugherhouse.

p.60  …, the cheese, the fruit, hothouse grapes draped over the etched-glass epergne.   EPERGNE – A large table centerpiece consisting of a frame with extended arms or branches supporting holders.

p.249  On the epicene white and gold desk there’s a radio the size and shape of half a loaf of bread.   EPICENE – Effeminate; unmanly.

INTERESTING QUOTES  (the first two remind me of JOURNALLING)
p.95  At the very least, we want a witness.  We can’t stand the idea of our own voices falling silent finally, like a radio running down.

p.283  The only way you can write the truth is to assume that what you set down will never be read.  Not by any other person, and not even by yourself at some later date.  Otherwise you begin excusing yourself.  You must see the writing as emerging like a long scroll of ink from the index finger of your right hand; you must see your left hand erasing it.   
Impossible, of course.
I pay out my line, I pay out my line, this black thread I’m spinning across the page.

p.308  Lose your temper and you lose the fight.

p.434    An unearned income encourages self-pity in those already prone to it.

 

♦

 

* I don’t like spoilers before reading a book – sometimes I don’t mind spoilers for movies, but I don’t like to open a book and having any expectations or knowing too much.    Especially, and Atwood book!   However, I do wonder if it would matter – she packs a lot of intrigue and suspense just in her writing style that even knowing everything,  I would probably still love the experience.