Comments on My Porch: Book Review: The Year of the Flood

Great review! May I respectfully disagree with yo...

2009-11-30T11:35:52.833-05:00

Great review! May I respectfully disagree with you on one point though? I do think this and O&C read better in the order published. I think I feel this way mainly because I think if a reader likes this and then goes back and reads O&C it perhaps won't have the same impact.

Ti: I think the gender discussion could be a whole...

2009-11-29T11:34:13.369-05:00

Ti: I think the gender discussion could be a whole book club debate. I would actually take a class on the gender roles in Atwood novels. I think there would be much to discuss.

Teresa: Thanks for the heads up. I have posted your review.

Diane: Thanks.

Lezlie: The future can see overwhelming can't it?

Simon: I guess you were serious when you said it was moving up your TBR. I posted a link to your review.

Jodie: I think that is certainly the case of The Handmaid's Tale where religious fundatmentalism was such a strong theme. But I somehow got the feeling with this one that the gender roles seemed less ideological and more status quo--but status quo from maybe a decade or two ago.

Rebecca: Time to pick it up and read it. You won't be disappointed.

Bookpusher: I wasn't depressed after I read The Handmaid's Tale because I think Atwood's ending kind of unncessarily makes light of the tale. In fact, I think Atwood's ending of Handmaid kind of cheapens the book a bit.

Books Sliced and Diced: Your review has been added to the post as well. Thanks for reminding me it was there.

Atwood is one of my favorites and I enjoyed readin...

2009-11-28T11:53:23.989-05:00

Atwood is one of my favorites and I enjoyed reading your review. Like many of the other commenters, I like that you pointed out the role of gender in the book. I think it makes some sense since most of the characters are involved in a religious community, where traditional gender roles are more prevalent. My review is here: http://booksslicedanddiced.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/the-year-of-the-flood/

Another book I must now read. Atwood's attitude o...

2009-11-28T01:58:37.483-05:00

Another book I must now read. Atwood's attitude on gender has always been interesting, I remember feeling quite depressed after reading The Handmaid's Tale, but that was quite a while ago.
Lovely review, I have really enjoyed reading through your blog.

Wonderful review! After reading this, I want to r...

2009-11-27T23:08:02.489-05:00

Wonderful review! After reading this, I want to read this book more than ever.

I think Atwood is one of these writers who subscri...

2009-11-26T08:21:18.733-05:00

I think Atwood is one of these writers who subscribes to the idea that as the world's situation worsens womens rights will tend to get chucked aside (see also The Carhullan Army by Sara Hall), an idea that I would guess comes from observing the slower emergence of womens rights in poor countries.

I'm so in love with the cover of this book and your review just makes me wnat to grab it right now.

This is going much, much higher up the TBR now. I ...

2009-11-26T04:00:11.912-05:00

This is going much, much higher up the TBR now. I have been meaning to read it since I got it months ago and havent. I have felt both daunted by it and like I should read O&C first. Now I know I shouldnt and I dont need to its just a matter of time. Great review Thomas.

You've written beautifully about this, Thomas! I,...

2009-11-25T08:41:35.285-05:00

You've written beautifully about this, Thomas! I, too, enjoyed it a lot. If only more people would see where our selfish greed is taking us . . .

Lezlie

Terrific review. I love when I read a winner.

2009-11-24T21:01:24.111-05:00

Terrific review. I love when I read a winner.

I read this a few months ago and enjoyed it, altho...

2009-11-24T20:14:04.494-05:00

I read this a few months ago and enjoyed it, although it's far from my favorite Atwood. I thought the dystopia itself wasn't all that original, but that could be because I read and watch a fair bit of sci-fi. You make an interesting point about gender roles, and I agree with you that, if anything, things seemed to have moved backwards in her future universe. And the way she weaves religious thought into the story is very clever. (My review is at http://shelflove.wordpress.com/2009/10/10/year-of-the-flood-review/)

Great review and the point you made on gender is a...

2009-11-24T19:43:04.627-05:00

Great review and the point you made on gender is an interesting one. I can't wait to read this.