Reviews

Bodily Harm by Margaret Atwood

winniec's review against another edition

4.0

I picked this book up because Margaret Atwood is one of my favorite authors. I purchased it at a second hand book store.

This isn’t a very long book and the plot flew by making it feel even shorter. That isn’t a knock against it. While I appreciate a good book I can take my time with there is something to be said about losing a day because you can’t put a book down.

I was impressed with the descriptions of St. Antoine. I think it is one of the things Atwood does best in her writing so it is no surprise she brings St. Antoine to life in these pages. The characters, while I don’t like most of them, all felt like real people. Speaking of characters, I’m sorry to say but I found Rennie, the main character, very unlikable. Luckily, I don’t have to like a character to like reading about them.

adrianlarose's review against another edition

4.0

If you like ATWOOD (not just the whiz bang modernity of very recent Atwood), read it. Definitely a dark character study of a woman who feels shattered and unable to relate to those around her, or even feel human; not a happy or fun book in any way. Life is not always happy or fun. Many male readers might be reminded why many men don't like Atwood (though I suppose those are the type of men who never would have read her, anyway). It's interesting to see Atwood set something in the Caribbean, since I live in the part (or kind) of Canada where most of her other books are set. And it is a very easy and short read with very direct, clear language - nothing as convoluted as many of her (wonderful) stories.

izz_crshr's review against another edition

challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

mrears0_0's review against another edition

tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

there was a lot going on without much point to it 

isamulti's review against another edition

1.0

Abandon
C'est la première fois que je n'arrive pas à lire Atwood en entier. Je n'ai pas réussi à m'intéresser à l'histoire et à partir de la moitié environ j'ai sauté des pages pour voir si ça menait à quelque chose plus loin et finalement j'ai abandonné après 3/4 du livre.

shabab's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

nefreth's review against another edition

4.0

Rennie è una giornalista canadese di lifestyle reduce da una mastectomia per un cancro al seno che si ritrova in un'isoletta dei caraibi per scrivere un articolo per il giornale per cui lavora, ma si troverà coinvolta in un incubo più grande di lei.
La Atwood è maestra nel disegnare il disagio. Per le prima 300 pagine sentiamo quello della giornalista devastata dalla malattia al punto da sognare di venire divorata dai vermi dall'interno, che rifiuta il tocco del suo uomo e brama quello di un semisconosciuto, che si divide tra paranoie e affido. Sull'isola la giornalista inizia a legare con una serie di personaggi ambigui e pagina dopo pagina senti che starà per succedere qualcosa, che queste sue scelte la porteranno ad un punto di non ritorno. Pur non accadendo pressochè nulla a livello di trama senti questa tensione strisciante, aspetti che dietro l'angolo accada qualcosa.
E poi, d'improvviso, quando ormai speri che tutto andrà bene, che era solo un'impressione..
una rivolta e tutto cambia. E nella seconda parte del libro Margaret Atwood tira fuori il suo secondo pezzo forte: la capacità di descrivere come ci si senta schiacciati dall'impossibilità di essere padroni della propria vita, in balia di un autorità violenta e corrotta.
E poi il cerchio si chiude, si ritorna nei consueti panorami ma ben sapendo che quell'incubo rimarrà per sempre un grumo di angoscia che non si scioglierà mai.

eleana's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.25

  The first half of this book feels a bit lost, like not really sure what it's saying or why. The themes of disease and mortality come up a lot but without much meaningful exploration, always making the same point. The second half is almost a separate book. Heavy. I found myself frustrated with how self centred our protagonist is throughout. It's never empathy always shock. Margaret Atwoods prose is still great but not much else I can say I took away 

sewfarsewgood's review against another edition

mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book is a great escape, the characters a d the island are beautifully described. Nothing plot wise really happened and I was okay with that, okay to just mull over the characters but then everything happens in the last chapter and it's a bit of a rollercoaster.

kaileycool's review against another edition

4.0

An interesting exploration of the different efficacies of men and women and their connection to embodiment - "She wondered what it was like to throw yourself into another person, another body, a darkness like that. Women could not do it. Instead, they had darkness thrown into them."