I really hate reading anything longer than a few words in italics. It screws up the shapes of the words and makes it take twice as long to read. There have been a whole bunch of books that everyone tells me are great, that I just haven't read because they've got pages on end in italics, and I know I wouldn't be able to read it.

I think the fact that Owen's dialogue was all in ASSCAPS is a big part of what made me dislike A Prayer for Owen Meany.

That's the thing- until now she's been a perfectly enjoyable writer. I finished the book, and while its not my favorite, its decent. There was no need to resort to gimmicks. She showcased her astonishing font trick for a brief segment near the end, with each character getting a page, talking about how its raining (yeah, it wasn't great.) The font changes so quickly there it is IMPOSSIBLE not to notice. It's like the book is standing up on a chair, waving its arms at me, saying "Look! I'm clever!".

I think it adds a lot to the book, not least allowing her to shift from character/world to character/world mid-sentence, which gives a sense of the worlds interpenetrating and affecting each other while still being understandable.

Yep. When you're dealing with the fantastic, some separation is needed. And in those circs, I think it not only helps the story, but is necessary.

But totally with Micole, on the otherwise, not so much thing.

I finished Oryx and Crake last night, by Margaret Atwood. I found it a really interesting book. Anyone else read it? I generally like her novels (I think I've read 4 or 5). This one is much more like The Handmaid's Tale then The Blind Assassin or Alias Grace.

I listened to Oryx and Crake on books on tape and loved it. It reminded me of A Brave New World more than The Handmaid's Tale. Handmaid's Tale was distressing, in the same way A Thousand Acres was distressing. It left me feel wrung out and disturbed, and in the case of HT, really, really angry. O&C on the other hand, and BNW for that matter, just made me think and the stories were enjoyable to read. Does that make sense?

eta: I've been thinking of reading another of Atwood's books. What do you recommend? Something more like O&C and not like HT, please.

Oh, god. A Thousand Acres slayed me. It probably didn't help that I didn't know anything about it, and had only read (I think) Moo by the same author, so I was not prepared AT ALL.

My favourite Atwood is and probably always will be Cat's Eye. It's not one of her dystopian books, but it deals with children's cruelty to each other, so if that's a hotbutton issue for you you might not enjoy it. (Personally I think that's one of the reasons I love it so much - it's like picking at a scab, painful but irresistible.)

I've seen A Thousand Acres a few places used and meant to grab it but never did. Then one time I tivo'd the movie and forgot to watch it. I probably ought to just go ahead and read it, huh?

I haven't read Oryx and Crake yet, so cannot compare. I did quite like Alias Grace, especially when she has to talk to the investigator and he asks her what her typical day of work as a lower servant is like. She sits there thinking, get up at dawn, start fire, carry water, assemble breakfast, deliver breakfast, empty slops, gather laundry, get more wood, stoke the fire, boil the water, stir the laundry... hadn't this man ever noticed all the effort of keeping house going on all around him?

I remember liking Alias Grace, and Cats Eye, but I don't remember much about them. My comparison of Oryx and Crake to Handmaid's Tale was because of how dark they both are, and dystopian, though for different reasons. I've also read Surfacing, about 10 years ago, and didn't like it, but since I've liked all the other Atwood I've read, I've got it on my shelf to give it another chance. Maybe I was too young for it.