Winner of the Man Booker Prize By the author of The Handmaid's Tale and Alias Grace Laura Chase's older sister Iris, married at eighteen to a politically prominent industrialist but now poor and eighty-two, is living in Port Ticonderoga, a town dominated by their once-prosperous family before the First War. While coping with her unreliable body, Iris reflects on her far from exemplary life, in particular the events surrounding her sister's tragic death. Chief among these was the publication of The Blind Assassin, a novel which earned the dead Laura Chase not only notoriety but also a devoted cult following. Sexually explicit for its time, The Blind Assassin describes a risky affair in the turbulent thirties between a wealthy young woman and a man on the run. During their secret meetings in rented rooms, the lovers concoct a pulp fantasy set on Planet Zycron. As the invented story twists through love and sacrifice and betrayal, so does the real one; while events in both move closer to war and catastrophe. By turns lyrical, outrageous, formidable, compelling and funny, this is a novel filled with deep humour and dark drama.
Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood is a Canadian author known for her insightful and thought-provoking works of fiction, poetry, and essays. Her most notable works include "The Handmaid's Tale," a dystopian novel that has been adapted into a popular TV series, and "The Blind Assassin," which won the prestigious Booker Prize. Atwood is celebrated for her feminist themes, sharp wit, and inventive storytelling techniques. She has made significant contributions to literature by exploring complex issues such as gender, power, and environmentalism in her work. Atwood's impact on the literary genre of speculative fiction has been profound, as she has helped to redefine and expand the boundaries of what is possible in storytelling.
