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francesmthompson's Reviews (976)
It was slightly strange to read a story that focused on a black rights extremist with a poor background from Boston, USA, as written by an upper class white woman from the Home Counties who was living and working as a literary editor in London at the time their paths crossed. (She was editing his book and they fall into a bizarre, stilted romantic affair.)
While Athill herself handled that disparity with great tenderness and tact, I still finished the book thinking that something was lacking. Namely, you still only got her side of the story and there were so many other sides to be read in order to have a full picture. But it would have been naive of me to think that I would have got this from this book knowing the outcome of the story.
After recently reading a surprisingly uplifting article by Athill about how silly it is to fear death made me look at some of her books because she is an exquisite, forthright writer and Make Believe continued to prove that she has an excellent turn of phrase and is very capable at analysing herself, events that happen to her and the people who surround her. I loved the honesty in this book.
There was also much to open my eyes - the "free love" nature of Hakim's relationships with women, and how they all seemed to stand back and wait doe-eyed as he slept with other women, often in neighbouring rooms, and how unapologetically selfish Hakim and Hale were as they leeched off one person to the next - and I will certainly look at Athill's other memoirs. My only wish was that I knew more from Hale's side of things as she seemed the most vulnerable, most deluded and ultimately the most tragic player in the whole story.
While Athill herself handled that disparity with great tenderness and tact, I still finished the book thinking that something was lacking. Namely, you still only got her side of the story and there were so many other sides to be read in order to have a full picture. But it would have been naive of me to think that I would have got this from this book knowing the outcome of the story.
After recently reading a surprisingly uplifting article by Athill about how silly it is to fear death made me look at some of her books because she is an exquisite, forthright writer and Make Believe continued to prove that she has an excellent turn of phrase and is very capable at analysing herself, events that happen to her and the people who surround her. I loved the honesty in this book.
There was also much to open my eyes - the "free love" nature of Hakim's relationships with women, and how they all seemed to stand back and wait doe-eyed as he slept with other women, often in neighbouring rooms, and how unapologetically selfish Hakim and Hale were as they leeched off one person to the next - and I will certainly look at Athill's other memoirs. My only wish was that I knew more from Hale's side of things as she seemed the most vulnerable, most deluded and ultimately the most tragic player in the whole story.
For 80% of this novel I was sure it was going to be a 5-star-er.
I thought about it when I was at work. I told my boyfriend about it when another horrifying part was revealed. I Googled it and found some recent articles written about the author about writing this book (and then stopped reading them halfway through to avoid spoilers). These are all signs that I'm in love with a book.
BUT I didn't like the beginning and I didn't like end. There was too much guesswork and I also found the timeline just a little too confusing (and I'm totally comfortable with guesswork and confusion at any stage in a book).
Other reviewers will explain better than me what The Handmaid's Tale is all about and you SHOULD read this, at least once in your lifetime. I'm so glad I read it and look forward to reading it again in the future, when hopefully it is still a frightening dystopian fantasy.
I thought about it when I was at work. I told my boyfriend about it when another horrifying part was revealed. I Googled it and found some recent articles written about the author about writing this book (and then stopped reading them halfway through to avoid spoilers). These are all signs that I'm in love with a book.
BUT I didn't like the beginning and I didn't like end. There was too much guesswork and I also found the timeline just a little too confusing (and I'm totally comfortable with guesswork and confusion at any stage in a book).
Other reviewers will explain better than me what The Handmaid's Tale is all about and you SHOULD read this, at least once in your lifetime. I'm so glad I read it and look forward to reading it again in the future, when hopefully it is still a frightening dystopian fantasy.
Despite being a huge fan of Aimee Bender's short story collecions, the reviews for this book almost put me off. Instead I finished this book feeling like I was a richer, that I'd gained a new friend and that, frankly, the other readers were missing the point.
There ARE answers in this book.
There ARE reasons given for the poignant moments.
And there IS still just enough mystery to keep you thinking on it all when the book is finished.
I won't say anything else other than the language here is amongst the best I've read in modern fiction of late. At some point when I was lost inside this story of an unassuming young girl who watches her family come unhinged in a silent sad way, that some authors inspire me to read, others inspired me to write. Aimee Bender makes me want to do both in a completely manic fashion.
There ARE answers in this book.
There ARE reasons given for the poignant moments.
And there IS still just enough mystery to keep you thinking on it all when the book is finished.
I won't say anything else other than the language here is amongst the best I've read in modern fiction of late. At some point when I was lost inside this story of an unassuming young girl who watches her family come unhinged in a silent sad way, that some authors inspire me to read, others inspired me to write. Aimee Bender makes me want to do both in a completely manic fashion.
