On my shelf since:
1987? Which is probably wrong since I think the book was published later than that. Hang on I’ll check…. Close! It was published in 1989, so let’s say I’ve had it since the early 90s.
My copy’s origin story:
(Hardback 1989 1st Edition) Again not sure, but this seems like it could have been a reject from my former sister-in-law C who passed down quite a lot of this to me.
Why not until now:
Even though I’ve read several (okay, maybe just a few) other Atwood books, this one just did not seem that interesting to me. I am guilty of judging this book by its cover, and in this case, I was probably right.
Review:
Her first book after Handmaid’s Tale. I’ve read enough of her books that I was expecting a twist or a turn or something more dark or fantastical. The turn never came and so I found it a little disappointing. With this novel, however, she shouts volumes about the many twist and turns of experiencing life as a girl and a woman, so that’s something. When people talk about standing on the shoulders of giants, Margaret Atwood is one of those giants. (Finished Sept 4, 2025)
Payoff (a pages per stars metric):
446/3 =148.667 pages for every star. (I know this is my first review but that seems like a lot a pages to read for each star.)
Misc Ratings (Out of 5):
- Meeting expectations: 2
- Respect: 4
- Been done so much more since then, it’s hard to appreciate: 3
- Really knows how to tell a story: 5
Off The Shelf 
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