Now I know I am not known for reading piles of recently published fiction, (despite 3 new books in a row) and neither am I known for reading much dystopian fiction – I have read it occasionally though. So it might at first glance appear that I am not the most reliable reviewer of a novel like The Heart Goes Last. However I do actually quite like dystopian fiction though I read very little of it – and I do appreciate great writing, and Margaret Atwood is generally regarded as a very great writer. I finished this book almost a week ago – and have only just sat down to write my review because I think I felt a bit uncomfortable about it.
Before I began reading The Heart Goes Last, I expected to absolutely love it – I thought it would be a fantastic novel, and so I dived in, only a couple of weeks after buying the book. I had naturally avoided reading any reviews before I got stuck in. As I read The Heart Goes Last – I found myself switching moods fairly often, sometimes I really liked what I was reading, I was fascinated by the premise and the Dystopian world that Atwood has created – which in the first third of the book felt pretty believable. Suddenly I would find myself irritated – parts of the story were just a bit nuts – I think I fell into that trap of thinking ‘Oh well it must be really good because Margaret Atwood wrote it.’ Having since had time to think about the book as a whole – I have decided it actually isn’t all that good really. Ultimately the book doesn’t really go anywhere – and now I have scanned few reviews on Goodreads – which seem very mixed – so I don’t think I am alone. I didn’t hate it, (goodreads 3 star rating) I really liked the first third and I couldn’t help but find it quite compelling – just ultimately unsatisfying.
“Oblivion is increasingly attractive to the young, and even to the middle-aged, since why retain your brain when no amount of thinking can even begin to solve the problem?”
Atwood’s world in this novel is at first a perfectly recognisable one, a world which following a social and economic crisis has become a very difficult place to live in for many people. Stan and Charmaine, a married couple in their thirties like many other people – have found themselves homeless, Stan is unemployed, and the couple are living in their car existing on the pittance that Charmaine brings back from the grotty bar where she has some work. Their position within the broken society that now exists is a precarious one, prey to the vicious gangs that roam the streets looking for victims. So when Charmaine sees an advertisement for the Positron Project in the town of Consilience it appears to be the answer to their prayers. The Positron Project promises safety, a beautiful comfortable home, jobs and a good life. In return for this suburban paradise all they will have to do is to swap their home for a prison cell every second month. One month they will live in the town, doing the jobs they are assigned, the next month their ‘alternatives’ will take their place in the house and do the jobs while Charmaine and Stan spend the time in Prison. Here they are also assigned jobs.
“The hedge doesn’t need trimming – it’s the first of January, it’s winter, despite the lack of snow – but he finds the activity calming for the same reasons nail biting is calming: it’s repetitive, it imitates meaningful activity, and it’s violent. The hedge trimmer emits a menacing whine, like a wasp’s nest. The sound gives him an illusion of power that dulls his sense of panic. Panic of a rat in a cage, with ample food and drink and even sex, though with no way out and the suspicion that it’s part of an experiment that is sure to be painful.”
Those in charge of the project claim their project will solve the housing and employment situation beautifully. Inside the town of Consilience living under the Positron Project, life is fairly perfect – or so it seems. Everyone is happy, they have beautiful comfortable homes, jobs to which they are perfectly suited, lovely food, bathrooms stocked with thick fluffy towels, and you turn on the radio and the cosy, dulcet tones of Doris Day come out. In prison, there are knitting circles and work that will benefit the whole of the town to get stuck into. The town has been based around a fifties ideal – which is very well done, and even helps to add to the chilling nature of the story – there is something comforting about the fifties we often think – but not here.
“The past is so much safer, because whatever’s in it has already happened. It can’t be changed; so, in a way, there’s nothing to dread.”
Of course there is the problem of the real criminals to be dealt with as the project gets underway – but of course someone has thought of that. It quickly becomes apparent that not everything in Positron is idyllic. After a little while, Stan and Charmaine each develop a passionate obsession about their ‘Alternative’ who occupies the house when they are in prison. It is this that leads to all sorts of trouble. It is forbidden to interact with their ‘Alternatives’ who in theory they should never meet anyway – the one day when it is possible being ‘switch over day.’ Sexual desire, guilt and misery in a plot that I have seen described as dark and wickedly funny. Well yes it is darkly comic in places, but possibly not wickedly funny, and there were moments that become just rather too bizarre. Living sex dolls, troops of created Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe ‘dolls’ on the loose in Las Vegas! It got a little too unbelievable really – and then didn’t really go anywhere – I suspect there will be a Positron book 2 – I’m not sure if I will bother though if there is. The one thing Atwood does do really well in The Heart Goes Last is to evoke the atmosphere of living within a deeply sinister environment.
I have only liked her 1979 book LIFE BEFORE MAN about a love triangle.
Well done reading all these modern novels.
I’ve liked quite a few of her books was underwhelmed by a couple too and haven’t read the recent sci-fi trilogy. This one was a bit of a let down. I picked up a Persephone afterwards to cleanse my reading palate.
Ooo interesting ! I think she is a little uneven as a writer and am prob the only person in the world who didn’t love a Handmaids Tale ….I thought it was ok but not stunning. I will read this but most prob when it’s out in paperback . It did get a lot of ‘hype ‘ which had kind of put me off it !
Now I did love The Handmaid s Tale though it is many years since I read it. I probably thought this would be similar.
I’m never sure about Margaret Attwoods novels. They are beautifully written and full of distinctive images and characters but I can never engage with her view of the world. Thanks for the review Ali. I don’t think this is one for me.
There is parts of this book that live up to its great promise. I don’t think it would be for you either 😊
I’m sorry this was disappointing for you. I loved Margaret Atwood’s books around the time of ‘The Robber Bride’ and ‘Alias Grace’ but her more recent books just haven’t worked for me, and, though I will always give her the benefit of the doubt, I don’t think this book will change that.
I really liked Alias Grace and The Robber Bride. I haven’t read the more recent sci-fi trilogy and was underwhelmed by The Peneopiad. I expected something more like The Handmaid’s Tale really.
Very honest review Ali, and I think Atwood *can* be uneven. I love what I love of hers – Alias Grace and The Blind Assassin in particular – but it’s perhaps unrealistic to expect every work to be brilliant! 🙂
Yes I think that’s very true.
This wasn’t my favourite Atwood book, either. I did like a lot of things about it, though, and I think I liked it better than you did. I had the impression that she was having some fun with this one. 🙂
Oh yes I think she probably was having some fun. There were things I really liked too but in the end those things that were probably supposed to be funny just got a little silly.
I had my first taste of her recently in her short story collection Stone Mattress. I could see the skill and admire the writing but I found her characters curiously unengaging. It all seemed more clever than human somehow. However I intend to try one of her earlier books at some point – probably Alias Grace. Sorry you didn’t enjoy this more, but as several people have said few authors maintain the highest standard in every book, I suppose.
We probably shouldn’t have such expectations of these writers should we? I had liked the sound of The Stone Matress stories, I may read them sometime.
I usually like Margaret Atwood novels and loved the “Mad Adam” trilogy. I also read a lot of SF and Fantasy, so I’ll let you know how I get on after I’ve read it.
I am sure there are lots of people who have enjoyed it more than I did.
Some of her books I thoroughly enjoyed (Handmaiden’s Tale, Alias Grace and Blind Assassin) but the more she got into dystopian worlds, my interest waned. I don’t like that kind of novel much. But hell this is Attwood so if anyone could make this work she could. So I got Oryx and Crake on that basis. And loathed it so much I couldn’t get beyond half way. Now I know that no matter how good the writer, my feet are always going to be firmly planted in the real world
I think that’s probably wise.
I’ve gotten so tired of dystopian fiction that I can’t even read it when a great writer writes it! Of course Atwood is not new to the genre, but I don’t want to read about Marilyn Monroe dolls, Elvis dolls, etc. It is good to keep with contemporary fiction, but it’s always hard to know what we’re getting!
Yes, the Elvis and Marilyn dolls were just stupid. 😀
I had similar feelings about Stone Mattress which is why I didn’t rush out to buy this collection. The stories were interesting and a bit weird, but ultimately just okay. Do you think you will ever read something like her Maddaddam trilogy?
No I don’t now, if I had liked The Heart Goes Last more than I did I might have braved it.
Ah, a good avoid as I’d thought this would be a bit like Handmaid’s Tale.
I really wish it had been more like that one.