The Blind Assassin

By: Margaret Atwood

Narrated by: Margot Dionne

Length: 18 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Margaret Atwood takes the art of storytelling to new heights in a dazzling new novel that unfolds layer by astonishing layer and concludes in a brilliant and wonderfully satisfying twist.

For the past twenty-five years, Margaret Atwood has written works of striking originality and imagination. In The Blind Assassin, she stretches the limits of her accomplishments as never before, creating a novel that is entertaining and profoundly serious.

The novel opens with these simple, resonant words: "Ten days after the war ended, my sister drove a car off the bridge." They are spoken by Iris, whose terse account of her sister Laura's death in 1945 is followed by an inquest report proclaiming the death accidental. But just as the listener expects to settle into Laura's story, Atwood introduces a novel-within-a- novel. Entitled The Blind Assassin, it is a science fiction story told by two unnamed lovers who meet in dingy backstreet rooms. When we return to Iris, it is through a 1947 newspaper article announcing the discovery of a sailboat carrying the dead body of her husband, a distinguished industrialist.

Told in a style that magnificently captures the colloquialisms and clichés of the 1930s and 1940s, The Blind Assassin is a richly layered and uniquely rewarding experience. The novel has many threads and a series of events that follow one another at a breathtaking pace. As everything comes together, listeners will discover that the story Atwood is telling is not only what it seems to be—but, in fact, much more.

The Blind Assassin proves once again that Atwood is one of the most talented, daring, and exciting writers of our time. Like The Handmaid's Tale, it is destined to become a classic.

©2000 by O.W. Toad, Ltd.

Critic reviews

Book Sense Book of the Year Award Finalist, Adult Fiction, 2001

"Dionne’s narration is hypnotic and moody, mapping out Atwood’s social and emotional geography, the many little hurts and betrayals, and the hopes. Listeners will find themselves piecing together the clues, guessing at truths, but the rewards are to be found in the layering of details and the skill of the storytelling." –AudioFile

“An example of a writer at the very peak of her performance.…As it delves into the kinds of relationships that can exist between men and women and the rich and poor, it becomes a compassionate and utterly honest book. It is profound and touching. It is to be treasured.”
–Edmonton Journal

“The Blind Assassin is the kind of story so full of intrigue and desperation that you take it to bed with you simply because you can’t bear to put it down.…It’s one thing to write an accomplished novel; it’s another entirely to spin a tale so brilliantly that the reader internalizes it.” –Harper’s Bazaar

“Margaret Atwood is one of the greatest writers alive.…A novel of luminous prose, scalpel-precise insights and fierce characters.…[The Blind Assassin] is so assured, so elegant and so incandescently intelligent, she casts her contemporaries in the shade.” –Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Wonderful book marred by poor editing

I really enjoyed this wonderful book; please don't let the heading disuade you from choosing it. The story is well constructed and the narration is a perfect match. However, I have deducted a point from the overall score due to poor editing. Margaret Atwood wrote a 15-chapter book, including a variety of titles and headings, all clearly mentioned by the narrator. Apparently someone decided these were unnecessary, as what we get is an audiobook broken up into 22 chapters, the beginning and ending of which come almost entirely at random points in the story. It is my hope that this will encourage someone at Audible to address the issue.

In defense of the reader.

I read a review before I purchased this book that was critical of the audible narration of this story. I, however, found it to capture the exact tone in which it it was written. I’m not sure if I would’ve fires the entire book on my own had it not been though the reader’s influence upon the characters that pushed the story forward. I cannot imagine that Margaret Atwood would have expected anything different.

Powerful, moving, extraordinary book!

Although the recording itself is problematic, the reader and the prose are world class. I loved this book. I will buy a written copy so I can relive moments of this incredible story.

Distracting background noise

Great story, writing and performance. Had to speed up recording and focus on the voices to mitigate the background noise which sounded like an old phonograph record.

The Best!

I downloaded this book after listening to Oryx and Crake and I have to admit that from the teaser, I too was expecting more of a Sci Fi story. However, what I ended up with was something much richer. To call the novel a romance would not give it its full character. More simply, the book is a fascinating tale of one woman's life spanning from WWI through modern times. As with Oryx and Crake, the characters have great depth and personality and the plot takes a perrilous and often unexpected course. Atwood's background as a poet also shines through in the rich language of the book. After listening to The Blind Assasin, I am planning to get my hands on every one of Margaret Atwood's books!

I'd give this book 6 stars if I could

This was my first Audible book and I highly recommend it. The story has everything; intrigue, romance, history, humor, and sadness. The plot twists and turns; I couldn't put it down. Margaret Atwood has outdone herself -- again!

There is something wrong with this recording. There is an odd hiss, other weird background noise.

The performance is lacking only because of the noise in the background. The reader does an admirable job.

Loved it just as much as I love all her books

Sad to have it end, it has been my companion for the last few weeks

Supurb in every Way!!

This book was STUNNING!! I loved the writing, the fascinating story line, the narration, and the beautiful ending!! I cannot fault this audible book in any way! Margaret Atwood, has a wonderful way of weaving thoughts, events - both historic and present day ones into a kaleidoscope of the human condition.I loved it utterly and cannot wait for her next one and hope that Margot Dionne teams up with it as well.

Captivating

It's is one of my favorite books, the story is captivating, and keeps you interested all the way through, you don't want to stop listening because something new is around the corner. It's a book you don't want to end even if you know the end is coming.