Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
I adore Atwood's ability to vividly build a future world. It's not my favourite of her books, perhaps because there aren't really any likeable characters, but she doesn't know how to write a bad story. I love you Margaret Atwood.
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I feel weird giving the great Margaret Atwood a 2 rating, but when I thought about how I feel about this book, it's really only just okay.
I think the problem is with the two main characters, Stan and Charmaine. Stan is a just-this-side-of-domestic-abuse guy with a rich fantasy sex life and a survival instinct. Charmaine is a bubbly, blond, childlike woman with a chilling ability to self-deceive and look on the bright side for all the wrong reasons. These two are married. I don't know if I can say that the heart went last in their relationship, because their hearts never seemed all that involved in the first place. Sure, they didn't actively wish each other ill (much) but they certainly didn't think of the other person's welfare before their own.
You probably already know the basic plot of the book: Stan and Charmaine decide to become residents of the dual town of Consilience, half of which is a prison. Each person spends one month in prison and one month out, and the town's economy is based around prison employment. I know that prisons have become a for-profit industry in the USA, but the basic premise makes no sense at all- it's a town disappearing down its own ass, essentially. You as the reader have to swallow this and a whole lot more absurdity in order to get through the book. I suppose the best way to read it is with tongue in cheek the whole time.
Atwood is saying something here about capitalism, about sex, about consent, about trust. However, she says it by creating a hideous dystopian comedy that isn't really very funny. And she never lampshades it, never casts a critical eye on the system through any of her characters. Maybe she thought that would be too obvious, that she couldn't possibly agree with any of this. But it's not that obvious to me. When rape is played for laughs, when sexual exploitation is funny... well, it just isn't funny. Or I'm not the right audience for this. If it is funny, then it's such a nihilistic comedy that I couldn't enjoy it. "Check it out!" says Atwood. "Men are rapist pigs enslaved to their sex drives! An old woman wants to brainwash a cute young guy so that she can experience manufactured love! A cute little blond is really a cold-blooded killer! Isn't it a hoot?" Eh.
Also, there's an insinuation that Charmaine has experienced sexual molestation as a child, which is the reason for her Pollyanna-look-on-the-bright-side attitude, among other things. This is never really explored, but it's the only thing that gives any depth to the character. Maybe Atwood's aim is to show that even soft cute girls can be ruthless, but her tone was misogynist.
I feel weird giving the great Margaret Atwood a 2 rating, but when I thought about how I feel about this book, it's really only just okay.
I think the problem is with the two main characters, Stan and Charmaine. Stan is a just-this-side-of-domestic-abuse guy with a rich fantasy sex life and a survival instinct. Charmaine is a bubbly, blond, childlike woman with a chilling ability to self-deceive and look on the bright side for all the wrong reasons. These two are married. I don't know if I can say that the heart went last in their relationship, because their hearts never seemed all that involved in the first place. Sure, they didn't actively wish each other ill (much) but they certainly didn't think of the other person's welfare before their own.
You probably already know the basic plot of the book: Stan and Charmaine decide to become residents of the dual town of Consilience, half of which is a prison. Each person spends one month in prison and one month out, and the town's economy is based around prison employment. I know that prisons have become a for-profit industry in the USA, but the basic premise makes no sense at all- it's a town disappearing down its own ass, essentially. You as the reader have to swallow this and a whole lot more absurdity in order to get through the book. I suppose the best way to read it is with tongue in cheek the whole time.
Atwood is saying something here about capitalism, about sex, about consent, about trust. However, she says it by creating a hideous dystopian comedy that isn't really very funny. And she never lampshades it, never casts a critical eye on the system through any of her characters. Maybe she thought that would be too obvious, that she couldn't possibly agree with any of this. But it's not that obvious to me. When rape is played for laughs, when sexual exploitation is funny... well, it just isn't funny. Or I'm not the right audience for this. If it is funny, then it's such a nihilistic comedy that I couldn't enjoy it. "Check it out!" says Atwood. "Men are rapist pigs enslaved to their sex drives! An old woman wants to brainwash a cute young guy so that she can experience manufactured love! A cute little blond is really a cold-blooded killer! Isn't it a hoot?" Eh.
Also, there's an insinuation that Charmaine has experienced sexual molestation as a child, which is the reason for her Pollyanna-look-on-the-bright-side attitude, among other things. This is never really explored, but it's the only thing that gives any depth to the character. Maybe Atwood's aim is to show that even soft cute girls can be ruthless, but her tone was misogynist.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
one of those books where u couldnt predict where things were going at any point
any time i thought 'wow they cant exploit people any worse than this' i was WRONG
any time i thought 'wow they cant exploit people any worse than this' i was WRONG
What are you willing to give up for security? Would you give up your free will?
Margaret Atwood's new novel The Heart Goes Last is part of her Positron series, the first I have read. It has twists and turns that swept me into the plot line, and even when things got very icky I kept reading to discover what the heck was going on.
The novel is about Stan and Charmaine, a couple who have lost everything in an economic collapse. They are living in their car, fearful of night time attacks for theirs is a society were murder is common in the struggle for limited resources. Charmaine sees an advertisement for the Positron Project in the town of Consilience, offering full employment, a home, and work. They attend the marketing session. and are accepted. Charmaine buys into the dream world and Stan wants to let her have it.
The society is based on people willing to work one month in 'prison' for one month of normalcy.
The reader knows something is not right here and we want to find out what is behind this ideal society. It involves a complete loss of personal control, smarmy and immoral business practices, and scientific marvels that benefit the rich and powerful.
I warn you that there are very seedy things going on. Sex is used for control, and sexual desire and addiction is the motivation for some amazing technological developments.
Our couple learn they are pawns in a convoluted and bizarre scheme that will impact the future of Positron. Murder, threat of 'termination', loss of will, posing at robots--what these poor people endure!
In the end Charmaine and Stan get their just rewards, find peace, and learn how to love each other and enjoy what the heart has to offer.
I thank the publisher and NetGalley for a free ebook in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
I suppose it's unfair to rate every book Atwood writes against The Handmaid's Tale, but I can't help myself. I've seen what she can do and for better or worse, I expect that quality of work every time. This has led to some disappointment on my part, most significantly with the end to the MaddAddam trilogy which made me lose my mind a little bit.
The Heart Goes Last has some flashes of the brilliance in Handmaid's tale but it also suffers from some of the absurd circumstances and not thoroughly thought through sci fi elements of MaddAddam.
It starts out crushingly real - I believe these circumstances can happen, have happened, will continue to happen. I could even sort of get behind the idea of the community built around a prison. The idea of the alternates who occupy your house while you serve your bi-monthly prison sentence was compelling, as was the idea that a marriage only truly has the opportunity to fully break down once everyone is safe and comfortable.
I lost my willful suspension of disbelief when
There was a strong story beneath the weirdness but it is never fully realized. It got so quickly ridiculous and full of twists and turns, any believability was long gone. It's too bad, because I feel like the sinister underpinnings of Consilience deserved to be revealed and discovered in a way that didn't lend itself so readily to comedy.
The Heart Goes Last has some flashes of the brilliance in Handmaid's tale but it also suffers from some of the absurd circumstances and not thoroughly thought through sci fi elements of MaddAddam.
It starts out crushingly real - I believe these circumstances can happen, have happened, will continue to happen. I could even sort of get behind the idea of the community built around a prison. The idea of the alternates who occupy your house while you serve your bi-monthly prison sentence was compelling, as was the idea that a marriage only truly has the opportunity to fully break down once everyone is safe and comfortable.
I lost my willful suspension of disbelief when
Spoiler
Jocelyn takes Stan over as her personal sex slave. It avalanched from there, landing in a big heap of Elvis sex robots and a woman sexually obsessed with a stuffed teddy bear, knitted by the ladies in prison natch.There was a strong story beneath the weirdness but it is never fully realized. It got so quickly ridiculous and full of twists and turns, any believability was long gone. It's too bad, because I feel like the sinister underpinnings of Consilience deserved to be revealed and discovered in a way that didn't lend itself so readily to comedy.
I LOVED THIS BOOK! Granted the main character Charmaine was a tad whiny and she seemed like a complete duntz but what a great read! I can't wait to get the rest of the series!
I liked this book, but it was weird. Not my usual....
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is vaguely like the handmaids tale but way worse so I'm not sure what the point was