Bodily Harm

Rating:
Summary: psychological self-analysis piece or action thriller? Both.
Review: 'Bodily Harm' is certainly not the best work by the sometimes brilliant Margaret Atwood. I'm not sure what possessed her to write about a young woman undergoing deep self-examination after having a mastectomy and, bizarrely, soon finds herself in some civil unrest in a banana republic. What saves this book from being totally silly are the characterizations and Atwood's stellar prose. However I have to admit the last twenty percent of 'Bodily Harm' where our central character is caught up in political unrest whilst on a holiday-from-hell is really a waste. Not terrible, just wholely implausible.

There probably isn't much value in describing the plot further. For those who loved Atwood's more female-centric novels (such as 'The Robber Bride') I recommend 'Bodily Harm'. But for those who have not experienced the wonder of Margaret Atwood I suggest reading 'The Blind Assassin'.


Bottom line: an uneven but overall decent read.

Rating:
Summary: A typical Attwood
Review: A good book. At times unendingly long and hoerndousely pretentiouse. The book backtracks into boring epesodes. It is still however a good read, though Attwood has surely turned out better books.

Rating:
Summary: A watery ending of an otherwise lush novel
Review: After getting over the typicly Canadian opening of Bodily Harm (it took four days to get past page 4), I breezed through the pages clinging on to what Attwood has always been great at, suspense. She makes one wonder what will happen next, what insight she will give into the characters and whether of not she will start writing like a normal author. Well...good. Her style is different but refreshingly enjoyable. Though she may not be descriptive about the externals of the plot, the reader knows where each character stands at each moment of the story. Dont let yourself get dicouraged if the plot seems to pass by slowly. It speeds up and brings you to new situations you would never have guessed. I would only encourage those of you who are looking for something different. While the ending may not bring you the answers you may have wanted, you will feel satisfied that you made it through the book knowing how Rennie made it in a Revolution. With the due exception of her constant description of female feelings and her compulsive use of the word mabey, after reading this (male or female), popular fiction seems so dry and empty. Three and a half stars. A definate read for anyone who likes a story that holds true to life but doesnt dive into the normal dark subject matter of todays literature

Rating:
Summary: This book is difficult to read.
Review: Alright, maybe you have to be extremely sophisticated to understand this book. Or maybe I just wasn't up to the task. I adore Atwood's work, largely speaking. I love the play on gender issues, the windows onto the character's personal worlds, the suspense and tension Atwood can introduce and tease into page-turners... But this book? Maybe it's because it spent so much time developing a "politics" sub-plot, or because it took place on an island that was difficult for me to render inside my head... but I just never understood what was going on. Never exactly understood, never could get "connected" enough with anything to care. That's so weird, since I get completely wrapped up in her other stories and novels, and I've read them all. I don't want to give this book a thumbs down, for fear that it's my own lack of skill *as a reader* that made the book so opaque and boring... but at least this review might give you some information pertaining to the apparent difference in this work from Atwood's others, you know?

Rating:
Summary: Rennie as the 'every woman'
Review: Although I have not read many Atwood novels, when I pick up one of her books I expect to be provoked intellectually and emotionally. Bodily Harm kept me reading well into the night, and I was amazed at Atwood's ability to write so evocatively. I noticed early on that while I did not like Rennie, the main character, I did empathize with her. Before breast cancer hits her, Rennie is the 'every woman' and not in a positive sense. Breast cancer and the ensuing chaos in her life leads her to question her purpose as a survivor. The theme of finding a purpose in the midst of tragedy is used often in popular fiction, and Atwood does a good job with it. The synopsis of this book sounds trite, but in actually, the book is very dense and stimulating. It is replete with symbolism and meaning, and I will be reading Bodily Harm again.

Rating:
Summary: Rennie as the 'every woman'
Review: Although I have not read many Atwood novels, when I pick up one of her books I expect to be provoked intellectually and emotionally. Bodily Harm kept me reading well into the night, and I was amazed at Atwood's ability to write so evocatively. I noticed early on that while I did not like Rennie, the main character, I did empathize with her. Before breast cancer hits her, Rennie is the 'every woman' and not in a positive sense. Breast cancer and the ensuing chaos in her life leads her to question her purpose as a survivor. The theme of finding a purpose in the midst of tragedy is used often in popular fiction, and Atwood does a good job with it. The synopsis of this book sounds trite, but in actually, the book is very dense and stimulating. It is replete with symbolism and meaning, and I will be reading Bodily Harm again.

Rating:
Summary: A Deep look into someone else's life
Review: At first I did not like this book and almost put it down after the first few chapters, too much jumping around from past to present. Then it started to entice me as it got more and more personal with the character. The character reveals her secrets and feelings and it almost leaves you feeling guilty of voyeurism. I at first thought the jumping around back and forth with background on the character to be confusing, then I started noticing that the past and the present action all tied in with relevance. This book is a hard read, but well worth it.

Rating:
Summary: Faint at heart; beware
Review: Atwood quite enjoys probing the intracasies of the female psyche. In this novel she truly captures the essence of a woman at her most vunerable. Atwood again holds to her favorite relationships between sex, politics and desperation. As the main character attempts to regain her footing in reality she slowly gets thrown into a deeper state of confusion from her new surroundings which she scarcely understands. Atwood is a intense writter who requires a mature audience, she doesn't waste a word and it is easy to get lost in her stories.

Rating:
Summary: Challenging the terrifying boundaries of irony
Review: Atwood's masterful use of language does not disappoint in this reminder of life's bigger problems. Rennie's trip to the luxurious Carribbean lands her in the middle of a neo-colonial revolution, and she is forced to re-evaluate her perspective on life as she becomes caught up in intrigues she cannot understand. An exploration of irony and its limits, and of a woman who finds the courage to confront her fears and discover herself, the novel pursues its readers, chasing us to the triumphantly ambiguous ending

Rating:
Summary: Incredible Journey through the nightmare of cancer
Review: From reading the other reviews, it doesn't seem that folks are seeing this for what it is: a metaphor for Cancer. Atwood creates a perfect world to represent the main character's trip to hell as her Cancer takes over. The symbolism is incredible and I found her willingness to end the book the way she did really quite brave. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a richly layered text.