The Blind Asassin, by Margeret Atwood

This book is two books really - the first is an old woman's recollections of her childhood, marriage and divorce, and the second is "The Blind Assassin", a love story between a 40s woman and a storyteller. But the synopsis could never do it justice really - it's a well-observed, witty, startling insight into the 20th century. It's not quite what you'd call a page-turner but stays with you for a long time.