Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I enjoyed this except for the songs. going back to read Oryx and Crake
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
An adventure! I think I liked this better than the first one. There was certainly more humor in these perspectives which is a bit of a relief when the dystopia is as dark as this one. Additionally, it is good to have a female perspective in a dystopia that is so hard on women. That said, this is so different from Handmaid’s Tale, one might think they had different authors. Worth reading for all its own quite separate reasons.
Dystopia is certainly more fun in a cult. There is a frightening power in Margaret Atwood’s imitation of Christian fundamentalism. The cult at the core of the Flood is very believable and its values are so delicately drawn that it’s easy to get caught up in the platitudes and music. What I appreciate is that she does not waster her time satirizing or mocking extreme beliefs but explores them deeply and with full permission. It’s not so much a warning or dismay, something that can be overdone in dystopia, but it is an exploration of hope, faith, and our culture’s driving forces.
Atwood has such a remarkable insight on people and culture, this book really reminded me why she’s revered. Even at the end of the world, she pushes at the edges of what it means to exist and seeks out why we should. In this series, I recognize that she is exercising a gleeful freedom from critical or social expectations. Perhaps it’s the liberating magic of birdwatching. A little coocoo, but profound.
Dystopia is certainly more fun in a cult. There is a frightening power in Margaret Atwood’s imitation of Christian fundamentalism. The cult at the core of the Flood is very believable and its values are so delicately drawn that it’s easy to get caught up in the platitudes and music. What I appreciate is that she does not waster her time satirizing or mocking extreme beliefs but explores them deeply and with full permission. It’s not so much a warning or dismay, something that can be overdone in dystopia, but it is an exploration of hope, faith, and our culture’s driving forces.
Atwood has such a remarkable insight on people and culture, this book really reminded me why she’s revered. Even at the end of the world, she pushes at the edges of what it means to exist and seeks out why we should. In this series, I recognize that she is exercising a gleeful freedom from critical or social expectations. Perhaps it’s the liberating magic of birdwatching. A little coocoo, but profound.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really got good after the first half. A bit too "small world" but good.
challenging
dark
funny
slow-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:
No
Not as good as first part of the trilogy (they practically coincide in time as the second book tells the story from the point of view of other people -there is also convergence in the last chapter). Although it is interesting, unfortunately it is quite blabbering, it loses the tight narrative structure of the first book as the narrative is "broken" into different POVs (which does not always serve the purpose well). Ah, and the hymns... they made me bore to death.
The characters, although in greater numbers, are not more multidimensional than the protagonist of the first part and look a bit papery.
Let's see, will the last part save the trilogy or doom it?
The characters, although in greater numbers, are not more multidimensional than the protagonist of the first part and look a bit papery.
Let's see, will the last part save the trilogy or doom it?
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced