Scan barcode
A review by crystalsparkles
Bodily Harm by Margaret Atwood
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I picked this old (dare I say “vintage”) book of Atwood’s for a reading challenge prompt. Constantly had to remind myself of when it was written & first published in 1981 - be warned there is a lot of blatant racism (among other terrible tropes written of as “jokes”) in the text.
I didn’t like this story. It definitely felt like it was two separate books, I could have enjoyed the story if Atwood had chosen to focus maybe on just the political aspect (along with the danger aspect). But it felt disjointed to me focusing so much on (protagonist) Rennie’s health issues, especially when they didn’t have much bearing on the latter parts of the book. I also found Rennie to be so annoying and cowardly. I’d say the last 20% of the book made it worth it to finish, but won’t be a recommendation from me.
I didn’t like this story. It definitely felt like it was two separate books, I could have enjoyed the story if Atwood had chosen to focus maybe on just the political aspect (along with the danger aspect). But it felt disjointed to me focusing so much on (protagonist) Rennie’s health issues, especially when they didn’t have much bearing on the latter parts of the book. I also found Rennie to be so annoying and cowardly. I’d say the last 20% of the book made it worth it to finish, but won’t be a recommendation from me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Violence, Cancer, Colonisation, Racism, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Sexism, Sexual violence, Excrement, Sexual assault, and Homophobia
Moderate: Abandonment, Medical trauma, Death, Confinement, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Grief, Infidelity, and Gore
Minor: Vomit, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, and Stalking