Laura's Review - An Artist of the Floating World

It's 1948, and retired Japanese artist Masuji Ono is watching his country rebuild -- physically, emotionally, and politically -- after the damage wrought by the second World War. He lost loved ones and his home was damaged, as were some of his regular haunts. Now his life revolves around his two adult daughters Setsuko and Noriko, and his young grandson Ichiro. Setsuko and Ichiro live far away, but Noriko lives with her father. A marriage deal is in the works, but the sisters are nervous because a previous negotiation fell through. Ono is oblivious to the risk, and even more importantly fails to grasp that his own pre-war activities could be damaging Noriko's prospects.

Ono provides the narrative, and while there's plenty of dialogue, a great deal is inside his head. Details drip out like water from a leaky faucet. He goes off on tangents, and sometimes references important events or conversations, but doesn't fill in the details until later. He often ends a long story by saying it may not have happened exactly as he remembered it. Kazuo Ishiguro uses Noriko and Setsuko to fill in the blanks through conversations with their father. And his portrayal of the Japanese father-daughter relationship is brilliant. When Ono's daughters challenge him, they do so in a very indirect way. They make suggestions instead of overt requests, even when the matter is of the utmost importance. As Noriko's marriage negotiations begin, Setsuko is clearly worried about something from their past, and wants Ono to clear things up with certain associates:

"I wonder how Mr Kuroda is these days. I can remember how he used to come here, and you would talk together for hours in the reception room."

"I've no idea about Kuroda these days."

"Forgive me, but I wonder if it may not be wise if Father were to visit Mr Kuroda soon."

"Visit him?"

"Mr. Kuroda. And perhaps certain other such acquaintances from the past."

"I'm not sure I follow what you're saying, Setsuko."

"Forgive me, I simply meant to suggest that Father may wish to speak to certain acquaintances from his past. That is to say, before the Saitos' detective does. After all, we do not wish any unnecessary misunderstandings to arise."

"No, I suppose we don't," I said, returning to my paper.

I believe we did not discuss the matter further after that. Neither did Setsuko raise it again for the remainder of her stay last month. (p. 85)

As Ono reminisces on his pre-war artistic career the reader comes to understand his daughters' concerns. But Ono is more savvy and self-aware than he lets on, and takes a personal risk at what he judges to be a critical point in the marriage negotiations.

This is one of Ishiguro's early novels, and its style is much like The Remains of the Day, which is one of my all-time favorite books. An Artist of the Floating World is nearly as great, and highly recommended.



Cross-posted from my blog

Laura's Review - The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale is a chilling view of a repressive, controlling society -- the Republic of Gilead -- in which women are confined to specific roles, all designed to meet the needs of men. They lose personal freedom of both movement and speech, and fear for their lives. Women are grouped into castes and wear a common uniform. Marthas are responsible for cooking and housework. Wives represent the highest caste, married to high-ranking men called Commanders ("ordinary" women are known as Econowives). The Handmaids' primary purpose is reproduction. Handmaids are assigned to Commanders, and subjected to a monthly ritual in hopes they will conceive. Those who fail (and yes, it's always the Handmaid's fault) are moved to a new post, and exiled if they remain unable to bear children.

The story is set well into the future, but the characters still remember their lives "before." Offred is one of the Handmaids, separated from her husband and young daughter and assigned to a high-ranking Commander. She recounts her training period in the "Red Center," and the systematic way in which the women are forced to submit to governmental authority. She dutifully dons the required long red habit, and the white headgear that blocks most of her vision. Once in the Commander's house, Offred discovers evidence of the earlier Handmaid, including a mysterious foreign phrase carved in the floor. On her daily trips to the village shops, Offred makes tentative contact with other Handmaids. While they cannot converse openly, every opportunity to exchange a few whispered words helps them better understand the world around them. And yet one never knows who to trust. Men and women are routinely executed and left on display. Fear and betrayal run like electricity through the community.

I don't want to say much more about the plot; it won't do justice to the book because it really must be experienced. Margaret Atwood paints a bleak and disturbing picture, all the more so because of its resemblance to certain aspects of contemporary life. Atwood drops several hints about how the United States turned into Gilead, critiquing many aspects of late 20th-century society. Despite its extremes, it's not that difficult to imagine. Some aspects of Gilead exist in the world today: extreme repression and fear are not uncommon, and even the most "enlightened" societies subjugate certain elements. As Offred adjusted to her new life and struggled with loss, isolation, and confusion, I willed her to find a way out. I wanted the totalitarian regime to crumble. I wanted good to triumph over evil. But that's not the point of this novel, and Atwood won't let her readers off the hook so easily. This is the sort of book that strikes you between the eyes, leaving you with a lot to think about.




Cross-posted from my blog.

Trevor's Review of Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale

Amazing in its frightening and yet too plausible view of the future, this book is also a master lesson in narrative and metafiction.

First, the substance: Atwood's insight into so many facets of modern American life is so astounding, her genius cannot be questioned. She delves adroitly into feminism, theocracy, literary theory, world history, and so many other trends and philosophies they cannot all be listed. Yet Atwood never falters in her application. Each philosophy makes its way into the narrative with subtle accuracy. It's incredible. And it's scary.

Second, the style: I spent most of the book trying to figure out how the handmaid was telling her story, and to whom. And especially--why. Turns out I was wrong--I don't think I could have figured it out, honestly. But Atwood's narrative technique is perfect. By the end, one can question the accuracy of every single thing the narrator said, but the feeling is still there, real and unquestionable. This book is enjoyable as a simple read. But one can get so much out of studying it.
5 stars out of 5.

The Handmaid's Tale - 3M's Review

The Handmaid’s Tale
by Margaret Atwood

1986, 311 pages

Rating: 4.5

What a thought-provoking book!

Offred (Of Fred) is a woman who had her child and all her money taken away from her by the government. Her money was taken away just because she was female. Her daughter was taken away because her marriage was declared invalid. Why? Because it was the second marriage for her husband. The government has “religious” motivations for these acts. (Something I was a little uncomfortable with because I am a Christian, yet I realize there are always extremists. I took this as a cautionary tale.)

Spoiler alert! (Don’t read if you like to be in suspense during a book.)
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Things only get worse from there. She is forced to become a handmaid, or surrogate mother, for a man of high position in the government. However, the conception is to occur in the normal way–with the wife present! This was a little shocking to me! Somehow Atwood pulls this off without offending my prudish sensibilities. The life of Offred is certainly not enviable.

I found this book to be a jolt to my system. Atwood is a gifted writer, and I definitely plan on reading more of her works.

The Handmaid's Tale - Wendy's Review

It was after the catastrophe, when they shot the president and machine-gunned the Congress and the army declared a state of emergency. They blamed it on the Islamic fanatics, at the time. Keep calm, they said on television. Everything is under control. - From The Handmaid's Tale, page 174-

Margaret Atwood's futuristic novel - The Handmaid's Tale - is timeless and relevant. Set in the fictional Republic of Gilead and spanning the Eastern seaboard of the United States after the collapse of the American government, the novel is narrated by Offred...a young Handmaid whose sole purpose in life now is to be the vessel for producing a baby for the upper classes. Atwood creates a terrifying hierarchy with men being "on top" and women being relegated to a variety of freedom-less classes such as Wives (top ranked married women who are unable to conceive), Daughters (the adopted offspring of wives), Marthas (infertile, single, older women whose skills at domesticity keep them from being shipped off to the Colonies), Econowives (low-ranked married women who must "do it all"), Handmaids (fertile women whose sole function is to provide babies for the upper echelon), Aunts (the only women who have any autonomy and are used to train and monitor the Handmaids), and Jezebels (the prostitutes who are hidden away in hotels and used for men's pleasure). Atwood uses irony effectively with Biblical references and play on words to craft a compelling story.

The novel questions how much freedom we are willing to give up in the guise of safety. Viewed in respect to our current world and political environment of red alerts, government lies to enact war, terrorism, airline security, phone tapping and the whittling away of individual freedoms...The Handmaid's tale is a thought-provoking expose on what could happen when we willingly give up our freedoms to supposedly ensure our safety. Are we on a slippery slope? Atwood also questions our sources of information (ie: the news media).

The anchorman comes on now. His manner is kindly, fatherly; white hair and candid eyes, wise wrinkles around them, like everybody's ideal grandfather. What he's telling us, his level smile implies, is for our own good. Everything will be all right soon. I promise. There will be peace. you must trust. you must go to sleep, like good children. He tells us what we long to believe. He's very convincing. -From The Handmaid's Tale, page 83-

Atwood is a genius at creating character. Offred's voice is pitch perfect, taking the reader step by step through her horrible story. Even Serena Joy, the Commander Fred's wretched wife, elicits sympathy from the reader. Atwood's skill with language has never been more spot on then in this novel where she twists words and phrases, showing the reader that all is not as it seems.

But all of that was pertinent only in the night, and had nothing to do with the man you loved, at least in daylight. With that man you wanted it to work, to work out. Working out was also something you did to keep you body in shape, for the man. If you worked out enough, maybe the man would too. Maybe you would be able to work it out together, as if the two of you were a puzzle that could be solved; otherwise, one of you, most likely the man, would go wandering off on a trajectory of his own, taking his addictive body with him and leaving you with bad withdrawal, which you could counteract by exercise. If you didn't work it out, it was because one of you had the wrong attitude. Everything that went on in your life was thought to be due to some positive or negative power emanating from inside your head. -From The Handmaid's Tale, pages 226-227-

I was hooked by the story from page one and read it straight through in two days.

The Handmaid's Tale is on the ALA's list of 100 most banned books. It was short listed for the Booker Prize in 1986, won the Governor General's Award in Canada in 1985, and made the Orange Prize list of 50 Essential Reads. Brilliant, chilling, suspenseful, and masterly written - this novel is a modern classic.

Highly recommended; rated 5/5.

To read more about this novel, check out Wikipedia. Also here.