by Nancy,
I have been very excited to read the last in our Margaret Atwood trilogy.
I have avoided the reviews so I didn't see any spoilers!
From what I've read so far there is much of Zeb's backstory filled in and what life is like after the waterless flood. I am hopeful this final story is as good as the last two.
Which one is our favourite?
Hi Nancy,
ReplyDeleteHope you are doing well. I love all the travel photos. They are beautiful! How are the kids? We are hanging in there with all this virtual learning and ever changing work policies. I fear a second wave of Covid will hit soon and cause similar chaos as a few months ago. Franklin has been stock piling some supplies in case everything gets bad again. Trying to hoard a little bit of non-perishables but hopefully I am wrong and we have an easy winter.
There maybe some spoilers here so hopefully you don’t read my post until you have finished. I felt that Zeb and Adam’s childhood was approximately where we are history wise. The destructive lust for fossil fuels, the increasing extinction of species is very much where our planet is now. Which makes the time of the waterless flood seem not too far away of now if such a thing were to happen. I find it pretty crazy that Ms. Atwood was able to create a novel so close to the current state of our world as early as 2003. It feels almost like she predicted a lot of what is currently going on. I am glad we got to read a little bit about life before the corps had such a tight grip over society. Also when we read Oryx and Crake I felt like I had no sense of where we were. Even in The Year of the Flood, I wasn’t entirely sure what continent we were on. MaddAddam finally gave me some solid orientation to where we were.
You asked which book was my favorite and I would have to say none. I enjoyed them all. I don’t think you could read just one and walk away. I feel that once we started the trilogy we had to complete it. Years ago we read My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante which is book one of quartet. After finishing it, none of us felt any desire to read any more of the series. I don’t think you could read just one book of the MaddAddam series. I very much enjoyed hearing about the two life styles between the corporations and the pleeblands that we learned from books 1 and 2. And then we got to learn the outcome in book 3. I really enjoyed this series as the complete work.
I was disappointed by the deaths of Jimmy and Adam during the battle, but more so disappointed by the loss of Zeb and Toby at the very end. Toby had such a hard life that it was an extra shame that Toby lost her final hard won happiness too. I know that their loss probably made for a more profound ending but it was still disappointing. I do wonder how the Crackers and the MaddAddamites will continue along. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Much love,
Katie
ReplyDeleteHi Katie,
Our state borders are open and we are seeing the kids next week!!!!!! Gracie has a few days leave so we will go to Brisbane see Sam and Michelle and bring her home with us. I’m so excited!! We’ve also had some really good rainfall so our tanks are full, such a different scenario than last year with the drought and horrific fire season we had.
I am so sorry the situation with Covid in your country is not improving. Europe seems to be in for another wave as well. Perhaps reading the MaddAddam trilogy at this time was a good thing, it certainly made it feel more real to me.
In the acknowledgements in the back of my book Ms Atwood states,” while MaddAddam is a work of fiction, it does not include any technologies or bio beings that do not already exist, are not under construction, or are not possible in theory.” Maybe this answers your question on how she was able to predict a world so close to our own. I have heard her speak about the Handmaid’s Tail and she also said nothing she wrote in their had not occurred at some time in history.
I have really loved this series and was very excited to read the final instalment.
The first novel was so imaginative and I was completely sucked in to all the creatures and plant species. The second was more real for me and I fell in love with Toby and her determination and strength. The third book basically explained everything and while I really enjoyed this I felt it wasn’t perhaps as exciting and fast paced as the other two. I felt the similarities about the forming of our civilisation and theirs were a bit too obvious at times. Of course it all fell apart for me when first Zeb then Toby died, like you I was just so disappointed. I think I would have felt more hope for the future of the Crakers and MaddAddamites if they had lived.
I feel it is a trilogy I will read again and find new things I have missed this time. Now I know the ending I’m sure I would absorb more of the story. I definitely wouldn’t have traded the suspense for that though.
I hope this finds you all OK and coping as best you can. I hope the election doesn’t add anymore fuel to the discontent that seems to be in the news daily.
Love to you and yours,
Nancy