Scan barcode
A review by horourke
Bodily Harm by Margaret Atwood
challenging
dark
medium-paced
3.0
I am a big fan of Atwood’s work, but was disappointed by this novel. I didn’t know that this was one of her earlier works, but knowing that now, it makes sense. Rennie was a completely infuriating character - she was such a dumbass I thought she would get herself killed at multiple points throughout the book. She is very passive, allowing things to happen to her for her entire life. She has a bizarre relationship with men and with sex, allowing her misogynistic ex boyfriend to carry out his rape fantasies on her.
I did enjoy the premise of a naïve journalist going to write a fluffy travel piece only to get sucked into a violent political revolution, I just wish the main character was brighter and more interesting. Her complete self-absorption and naïvety was difficult to read. I wanted to shake her and tell her to stop being such an idiot at multiple points in the novel. Similar to the locals, I expected her to be smarter and infer more about the current situation she was in.
Glad I read it, not sure if I like it all that much. Also, the edition I have (1981 I believe) has so many typos it was distracting at times. Not sure how an editor didn’t catch these mistakes? I guess things were different in the 80s.
I did enjoy the premise of a naïve journalist going to write a fluffy travel piece only to get sucked into a violent political revolution, I just wish the main character was brighter and more interesting. Her complete self-absorption and naïvety was difficult to read. I wanted to shake her and tell her to stop being such an idiot at multiple points in the novel. Similar to the locals, I expected her to be smarter and infer more about the current situation she was in.
Glad I read it, not sure if I like it all that much. Also, the edition I have (1981 I believe) has so many typos it was distracting at times. Not sure how an editor didn’t catch these mistakes? I guess things were different in the 80s.