So I read my next Margaret Atwood novel. (This one is the last one I'm reading for now!) I didn't think this was as difficult to understand as the others - but didn't have the "social critique" storyline that the others had. Or maybe it did...
Characters:
My favourite character was Charmaine. She seemed quite human at times - but there was a deliberate disconnection from the reader to her. There was always a strange foreboding about Charmaine before she joined the company - and it lingered really well when she finally ended up there with her husband, Stan.
Themes:
You don't expect it to be a dark comedy - but since Atwood's name is on it - it is. Dark Comedy (I know is a genre), but in this case we're seeing it as a theme. There was a underlying wit that Atwood is so good at. A sort of laughing without an explicit joke. It's strange, but it's there - and whichever book you read by Atwood - from A Handmaid's Tale to Oryx and Crake - you will find it.
Storyline:
The storyline of this book contains a business that lets in Charmaine to work there and her husband, Stan. I felt like there was a seriousness about the storyline that was deliberately spoken down by the language used and this seemingly shaped the novel as a dark comedic reading.
Verdict:
I give this book 8/9
2/3 for characters: I liked Charmaine - but sometimes it can be tricky as I felt the reader was deliberately disconnected from her.
100% for themes: Dark Comedy is a strong suit of Atwood's
100% for storyline: I really enjoyed the story idea. It was a crude mixture between language and concept.
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