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Original poster

I have bought the new Margaret Atwood!

26 replies

K8Middleton · 21/08/2013 01:51

In hardback too (never buy hardbacks). I am very excited because it's the last in the trilogy and I rarely read anything these days. Oryx and Crake and The Year of The Flood are the preceding novels.

Anyone else reading Maddadam?

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LoremIpsum · 21/08/2013 01:56

Oh I'm dying to read it, but am agonising over whether to reread Oryx and Crake and Year of the Flood first and read straight through the trilogy, or read Maddadam, then read them all as a trilogy.

Also, not keen on reading hardbacks, always hurts my wrist (pathetic, I know) and I've come to prefer reading on reader rather than paper, but not sure if I can wait for stupid delayed ePub date or whether I should just suffer through the pain.

Original poster
K8Middleton · 21/08/2013 02:09

I read Oryx and Crake ten years ago Shock but The Year of The Flood only recently. I would read Maddadam first because it could be a standalone read and then go back and read the first two.

I'll have a read and see if I change my mind!

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RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 21/08/2013 19:33

I really disliked O&C but quite liked YotF. I won't buy it but I'll probably get it from the library at some point.

Original poster
K8Middleton · 21/08/2013 20:56

It's funny you say that. I didn't much like Oryx and Crake at the time either although it's grown on me since.

There is a brief recap of both books at the front of Maddadam Lorem.

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LoremIpsum · 21/08/2013 23:38

I've read them both, K8M, I just meant I'm tossing up whether to start from the beginning again and read the trilogy straight through or read Maddadam fresh, and then read through. Either way, I know I'm going to read the trilogy as a whole, but which route to take.

I found O&C hard going at first, though it grew on me, but was gripped by YotF and couldn't put it down, read through the afternoon and night and had an uneasy day the following day...

Original poster
K8Middleton · 22/08/2013 12:21

I understood what you meant. I just thought that might be useful to know :)

I am still thinking dive in and then go back at the moment. Not least because there are explanations in the book which might be annoying to read if you've recently read the preceding books. That may change as I read on and I can't remember who people are or when things happened. But at the moment I am impatient!

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LoremIpsum · 22/08/2013 15:17

I think you're right, I'll start with Maddam. Sorry for misunderstanding, I've been racing to meet a deadline all week and am very sleep deprived. God knows how many mistakes I'm going to find when I start checking copy tomorrow.

Original poster
K8Middleton · 22/08/2013 22:54

No offence was taken so no apology necessary. Hope the copy not too bad.

Off to bed with my book :)

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Colyngbourne · 23/08/2013 12:13

Like a lot of people here, I didn't enjoy O&C so much when I first read it, but became engrossed in TYotF, and can't wait for Maccadam. I think a re-read of the first two would be profitable.

Waspie · 24/08/2013 14:12

I'm interested to read MaddAddam (in paperback) because in the interview I read before YotF came out Margaret Atwood said that O&C and YotF were two sides of the same story but from gendered perspectives.

DP left my copy of O&C on a train many years ago so I'll have to borrow it from the library in order to re-read!

BlackAffronted · 25/08/2013 11:53

I liked Oryx & Crake but I am struggled with Year of the Flood :(

DoItTooJulia · 25/08/2013 11:57

I thought Oryx and Crake was ok. Then I reread it for The Year The Flood.

I loved the Year Of The Flood! But if I reread them all I will have read Oryx and Crake 3 times, which seems extreme for a book that I thought was ok!

Waiting for paperback here as I share books ith my DM and she can't manage a hardback to hold!

Original poster
K8Middleton · 25/08/2013 21:01

I've nearly finished it. Feels more YOTF than OAC. I now definitely think it was right to just get stuck in. All the explanations for the previous books littered through out the book would drive me mad if I'd just read them.

I think I will re-read the previous two once I've finished to see how they are knowing what I know now iyswim.

Luckily I have some large boobs to balance a hardback on Grin

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Original poster
K8Middleton · 26/08/2013 23:36

Finished it! Loved it and itching to re-read OAC next now I know what I know.

Dying to talk about it but don't know anybody who's read it :(

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DoItTooJulia · 27/08/2013 19:14

Oooh, so should I read OAC first?

DoItTooJulia · 27/08/2013 20:01

I mean, I have read it already (twice...see up thread!)

Original poster
K8Middleton · 28/08/2013 08:24

I wouldn't Julia. There's brief summaries of both books at the beginning of Maddadam and explanations throughout of things that happened in the previous two books. I think it would be irritating to have just read the previous books and have everything explained to you as if you were not familiar.

I'm going to go back and read the first two to see if what I learnt in the third changes my views of anything I read before. It's also been a really long time since I read OAC.

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HalfSpamHalfBrisket · 28/08/2013 08:33

Argh - I never buy hardback (I'm more a 3.75 paperback kind of gal) but am DYING to read this.

I've been reading Positron on my e-reader to get my Atwood fix...tell me to treat myself to Maddadam please!

Original poster
K8Middleton · 28/08/2013 15:34

I have never bought a new hardback before either. I am a huge Atwood fan though so I have splashed out because I keep all my Atwoods for forever and I am planning a paperback cull.

I bought mine from an independent bookseller for RRP but they're selling on Amazon spits for about £12. Do it!

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Fillybuster · 28/08/2013 15:39

Oooh....I really want to get it but then I'm stuck with a really heavy book I can't take on the tube....

Just finished re-visiting the Robber Bride last week.

I had planned to re-read the previous 2 but having seen the comments on this thread I can't decide now. Oh dear...I sense Amazon calling....Grin

AntoinetteCosway · 30/08/2013 23:31

I just read it in a day. God it was good!

Original poster
K8Middleton · 30/08/2013 23:33

Wasn't it!

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sooperdooper · 30/08/2013 23:38

Id pre ordered it on my kindle and forgotten! I'm reading something else first but looking forward to it

GeraldineAubergine · 30/08/2013 23:42

I cant believe what a departure her sci fi is from her earlier works. Reminiscent of ian banks in that respect. I loved oryx and crake but the handmaids tale will always be my favourite.

Original poster
K8Middleton · 30/08/2013 23:49

I think she is very of her time. Early stuff very influenced by first wave feminism and now she's very influenced by concerns about big pharma, big corps, dehumanising, lack of privacy and technology. Some very topical bits in this novel felt a bit shoe-horned in I thought but it's one of my few criticisms.

She's also got an arc of self reflection and introspection through to forecasting and analysing the external world. With the exception perhaps of the two slightly random historical novels that I didn't really think worked (too formulaic) even though they won loads of awards.

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