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brisingr's review against another edition
4.0
For a book in which not much is happening directly, and a lot of the content is based on flashbacks, I actually ended up enjoying this way more than I thought I would. It was a joy to see such a colorful cast of characters and such a diverse depiction of women, and... I don't really know how to explain, but you can really feel the way time passes and the changes it brings with it, and it was really such a storm of a story, and I really loved it.
Margaret Atwood is also just an incredible writer, and even if I read this book in translation, there was still a lot left of her unique voice.
Margaret Atwood is also just an incredible writer, and even if I read this book in translation, there was still a lot left of her unique voice.
giulia24's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
sloaneshea's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
sailor_marmar's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
agnestyley's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Oh, to be a woman: envious, selfless, strong, fallible, obsessive, dependable, complicated. Three female narrators, who appear as stereotypes and cardboard cutouts of the post-feminist era at first, turn out to portray the truly intense depth of the female experience.
"Male fantasies, male fantasies, is everything run by male fantasies? Up on a pedestal or down on your knees, it's all a male fantasy: that you're strong enough to take what they dish out, or else too weak to do anything about it. Even pretending you aren't catering to male fantasies is a male fantasy: pretending you're unseen, pretending you have a life of your own, that you can wash your feet and comb your hair unconscious or the ever-present watcher peering through the keyhole, peering through the keyhole in your own head, if nowhere else. You are a woman with a man inside watching a woman. You are your own voyeur."
I adore Margaret Atwood. I raced through this (lengthy) novel faster than I raced across Europe on ICE Deutschebahn trains. Though I must remember that her novels will never have satisfying endings - to love Atwood, you have to be okay with mystery and intrigue, or you will simply combust with dissatisfaction.
"Male fantasies, male fantasies, is everything run by male fantasies? Up on a pedestal or down on your knees, it's all a male fantasy: that you're strong enough to take what they dish out, or else too weak to do anything about it. Even pretending you aren't catering to male fantasies is a male fantasy: pretending you're unseen, pretending you have a life of your own, that you can wash your feet and comb your hair unconscious or the ever-present watcher peering through the keyhole, peering through the keyhole in your own head, if nowhere else. You are a woman with a man inside watching a woman. You are your own voyeur."
I adore Margaret Atwood. I raced through this (lengthy) novel faster than I raced across Europe on ICE Deutschebahn trains. Though I must remember that her novels will never have satisfying endings - to love Atwood, you have to be okay with mystery and intrigue, or you will simply combust with dissatisfaction.
raconteurs's review against another edition
2.0
Wow. Das war leider kein gutes Buch. Drei Frauen, alle drei völlig klischeehaft dargestellt, werden von einer femme fatale (die eigentlich auch alle Klischees bedient) über mehrere Dekaden ihres Lebens ausgenutzt und hintergangen. Bei allen dreien spielen ihre Lebenspartner eine entscheidene Rolle. Diese sind alle drei als absolute Verlierer dargestellt, die keine Chance haben dem bösen Vamp zu entkommen. Langweilig, ohne jeglichen Witz.
heidkath's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
0hannah0banana0's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I would give this a higher rating if i could. Normally my picks tend to be shorter but this was most definitely worth it. The writing really sucked you in
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Animal cruelty, and Sexual violence
emmacampbe11's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75