Journal Entry 1 by Ibis3 from Newcastle, Ontario Canada on Saturday, February 03, 2007

From the back cover:
"'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 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 cafés. As 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." 

Journal Entry 2 by Ibis3 from Newcastle, Ontario Canada on Saturday, August 11, 2007

Well, I wasn''t disappointed. I love books like this, with several stories going on at once and jumps back and forth in time. I figured out most of the "surprise twists" but it didn''t detract at all from the novel. I really got to know and to like Iris (and to detest her sister-in-law!! not to mention her husband...). I enjoyed the pulp erotic sci-fi parts and the biographical-family history parts in which Iris chronicles the rise and decline of the Button Factory and Port Ticonderoga. Fantastic book. I probably would''ve had more to say if I hadn''t waited 3 months to journal it. :(

One more thing. It''s a spoiler, so I''m putting it in white. Highlight to read:

Now we know by the end (though I suspected much earlier) that Richard had had his way with young Laura. I kept getting the sense throughout that there was also something incestuous going on between Richard and Winifred—she seems awfully attached to him...

I imagine some people will be annoyed by Iris''s lack of independence and will to be so controlled like that and not to apprise herself of what was going on with Richard and the factory and Richard and Laura and actively change things, but I think the point is that she was "sold off" at a fairly early age and was taken advantage of by Richard and Winifred. 

Journal Entry 3 by Ibis3 from Newcastle, Ontario Canada on Saturday, May 10, 2008

This book is being sent on a bookring. This is the order of go (updates are more likely to be made on the list on my profile page, so when you're ready to send, check there first).

1. ana-b (Zuid-Holland, Netherlands)
2. rapturina (Zuid-Holland, Netherlands)
3. kitten99 (Tyne and Wear, UK)
4. molekilby (Wales, UK)
5. arturogrande (Leicestershire, UK)
6. Tubereader (Greater London, UK)
7. amberC (Northern Territory, Australia)
8. bflybabe (Illinois, US)
... Back to Ibis3 (Ontario, Canada)

This book was sent to ana-b today. 

Journal Entry 4 by ana-b from Gouda, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Friday, May 16, 2008

Arrived today. In 8 days from Canada to The Netherlands, that is very fast.
Thanks Ibis3 

Journal Entry 5 by ana-b from Gouda, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Wednesday, June 25, 2008

I've tried several times, but I can't finish the book. I'm halfway through it and it gets a bit boring. The first part is interesting, but now I stop and I'll send it on. 

Journal Entry 6 by ana-b at By mail: to a fellow Bookcrosser in - Per post of in persoon doorgegeven, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Released 3 yrs ago (6/25/2008 UTC) at By mail: to a fellow Bookcrosser in - Per post of in persoon doorgegeven, Zuid-Holland Netherlands

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

On its way to Rapturina. 

Journal Entry 7 by rapturina from Yantai, Shandong China on Thursday, June 26, 2008

I had completely forgotten I had joined this ring, so it was a nice surprise to get this book! I've read a few other books by Margaret Atwood and was very impressed every time, so I have an inkling that I will like this one too. Lets hope it is as good as I'll think it'll be! :D 

Journal Entry 8 by rapturina from Yantai, Shandong China on Monday, July 14, 2008

I just finished reading this book and really enjoyed it. As I mentioned in my previous entry, I've read a few of Margaret Atwood's books and it seems like she goes for the same sort of literary form in every book she writes: the first three quarters of the book are a long introduction of sorts with nothing much happening and basically setting the scene. Then in the last quarter of the book she serves up a rather spectacular & fastpaced conclusion, which at first sight might seem a bit at odd with the slow beginnings, but I like it. First you get to know the situation & the characters really well, and then the actual story seems to happen, but because you are already really familiar with the setting & the characters, you really feel connected to them, so it makes the ending of the story all that much more exciting. If that makes any sense. :D

I also really liked this particular story. The era (the Interbellum) used as a backdrop for the story is really interesting to me, especially the position of women during that time. It's very subtly explained how little freedom women had - for example there are numerous references to a woman not being able to be on the streets or in a bar on her own. It doesn't really seem to be the main point of the story (or maybe it is?), but it is woven into the story in a very convincing yet subtle way.

Anyway, so I really enjoyed this book, thank you Ibis3, for the chance to read it! I have kitten99's address, but I'm not sure when I'll get the chance to go to the postoffice so I think I'll have to hold on to it for a bit longer. I'll try my very best not to keep it too long though! 

Journal Entry 9 by rapturina from Yantai, Shandong China on Friday, July 25, 2008

Sent to kitten99 today! 

Journal Entry 10 by kitten99 from Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom on Saturday, August 02, 2008

Received today - a nice surprise as I'd forgotten all about it! Hopefully it'll live up to all the hype I've read about this book. 

Journal Entry 11 by kitten99 at BOOK RING, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Friday, September 26, 2008

Released 3 yrs ago (9/26/2008 UTC) at BOOK RING, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

An interesting read - a really well-written twist on the book-within-a-book concept. A true page turner.

Posted on it's way today - thanks for the bookring! 

Journal Entry 12 by molekilby from BRITHDIR, Wales United Kingdom on Monday, September 29, 2008

Received today. Thanks to kitten99 for sending and Ibis3 for sharing. This is a book that I have wanted to read since a friend said it was very strange and a mixture of all sorts of genres, I shall wait and see. One more book before I start on this tome.

I'm also keen to see the use of the word Tableland. This was an answer in a cryptic crossword and we didn't think such a word existed until my aforementioned friend said they'd read it in this book. 

Journal Entry 13 by molekilby from BRITHDIR, Wales United Kingdom on Monday, October 13, 2008

This was an absolutely fantastic book. I enjoyed every minute of it and enjoyed the two threads entwining towards the finish. Difficult to write more without spoiling it, so I'm going to try a spoiler box:

Journal Entry 14 by molekilby at Bookring, Book Ring -- Controlled Releases on Monday, October 20, 2008

Released 3 yrs ago (10/20/2008 UTC) at Bookring, Book Ring -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Posted today to arturogrande. I still keep mulling this book over in my mind. 

Journal Entry 15 by arturogrande from Coalville, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Looking through the previous journal entries, it looks as though I'm in for a very interesting experience!
Thanks very much. I've got a couple of rings ahead of it, but I'm off work this week, so I'm hoping to be able to do a lot of reading. 

Journal Entry 16 by arturogrande from Coalville, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Friday, January 02, 2009

I've read a few Margaret Atwood books, and I think this is my favourite so far. I must admit I was a bit daunted when I first received the book and saw what a weighty tome it was, but once I got past the first pages, I just raced through it. The story (or stories, was there are a number of narrative strands) gripped me immediately and kept me wanting to read on. I too had guessed most of the plot twists before they were revealed, but I think that was Atwood's intention - to allow the reader to reach those realisations, rather than have them dramatically revealed.
In her own way, Iris was as subjugated to the will of the men in her life - first her father, then her husband - as the protagonist in The Handmaid's Tale. I was quite annoyed and frustrated on a number of occasions at just how compliant Iris was, but she was such a product of her upbringing and the times she was living in as to make it almost impossible to be anything else.
It's hard for me to say any more without revealing too much and spoiling it for the next reader. I do think though that molekilby's analysis of the relationship between the novel within a novel, The Blind Assassin, and Iris's story is spot on (it's in the spoiler box, so don't read it until after you've read the book!
Thanks very much for sharing this fabulous book. It's now on its way to tubereader. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

Journal Entry 17 by Tubereader from Bruxelles / Brussel, Bruxelles / Brussel Belgium on Monday, January 26, 2009

The book has arrived safely. I have a couple of rings ahead of it but it should not take too long to get to it. I will update this JE when I start reading it.

Thanks Ibis3 for sharing this book and arturogrande for sending it tom me!

FEB 9TH UPDATE: Just a quick note to let everybody know that I will start reading this book today. 

Journal Entry 18 by Tubereader from Bruxelles / Brussel, Bruxelles / Brussel Belgium on Saturday, April 11, 2009

Just a quick update to let everyone know that I am almost done with this book (only about a 10th of it to go!), so I have PMed the next in line for their address.

Hopefully will be done by Easter Monday! I will post a full review in a new JE once I finish the book. 

Journal Entry 19 by Tubereader from Bruxelles / Brussel, Bruxelles / Brussel Belgium on Sunday, April 12, 2009

Finally finished this book. It was tough to do so as I have been travelling a lot lately and the size of the book is not really appropriate to carry it around.

What can I say that has not yet been said in previous journal entries? Not much (without spoiling the book for the following readers). For me, it was the story of Iris' family that really caught me, sometimes I was wishing for the parts of "The blind assassin" to not have been included in the book. Of course, I understand their importance to the story, but I did not find them so interesting...

Another thing that I very much enjoyed in the book is the crudeness (do we say that in English?) with which Iris describes its process of becoming older and how she sees herself (so differently than how other people see old people). I found particularly amusing the parts where she reflects about people referring to old people in the third person or indirectly (i.e. How are "we" feeling today?).

I have enjoyed this book and it is another one ticked off the 1001 books list, what else could I ask for? Well, thanks again to Ibis3 for sharing (and for your patience whilst I have kept this book).

AmberC has asked to be skipped so I am now waiting for bflybabe's response before sending it. 

Journal Entry 20 by Tubereader at By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Released 3 yrs ago (4/27/2009 UTC) at By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

This book is now on its way back to Ibis03, it was posted yesterday (27th April) by regular mail from Luxembourg so it might take a bit to cross the pond but hopefully will arrive soon!

Thanks Ibis03 for sharing! 

Journal Entry 21 by Ibis3 from Newcastle, Ontario Canada on Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Back home. Thanks to everyone who participated!