The introduction, discussion questions, author biography, and suggestions for further reading that follow are designed to enhance your reading group's discussion of Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin, winner of the Booker Prize and the International Association of Crime Writers Dashiell Hammett Award.

The Blind Assassin opens with these simple, resonant words: "Ten days after the war ended, my sister Laura drove a car off a bridge." They are spoken by Iris, whose terse account of her sister's death in 1945 is followed by an inquest report proclaiming the death accidental. But just as the reader expects to settle into Laura's story, Atwood introduces a novel-within-a-novel. Entitled The Blind Assassin, it is a science fiction story told by two unnamed lovers who meet in dingy backstreet rooms. When we return to Iris, it is through a 1947 newspaper article announcing the discovery of a sailboat carrying the dead body of her husband, a distinguished industrialist. Brilliantly weaving together such seemingly disparate elements, Atwood creates a world of astonishing vision and unforgettable impact.

The bridge／3

The Toronto Star,945／6

The BlindAssassin：Perennials for the Rock Garden／7

The hard-boiled egg／11

The Globe and Mail．，947／17

The park bench／19

The Toronto Star,1975／24

The carpets／25

The Globe andMail,1998／30

The fipstick heart／31

The Colonel Henry Parkman High School Home and School and

Alumnf Association Bulletin，1998／39

The presentation／43

The silver box／52

The Button Factory／60

Avilion／70

The trousseau／82

Thegramophone／93

Bread day / 103

Black ribbons／118

The soda／122

The care／129

The Port Ticonderoga Herald and Banner,1933／133

The chenille spread／135

TheMaif andEmpire,1934／140

The messenger／142

TheMaif andEmpire,1934／150

Horses ofthe night／152

Mayfair,1935／156

The bronze beli／158

The fur coat／165

The Weary Soldier／175

Miss Violence／185

Ovid's Metamorphoses／196

The buttonfactory picnic／206

Loafgivers／219

Hand—tinting／233

The cold cellar／246

The attic／260

TheImperiafRoom／271

The Arcadian Court／280

The tango／292

The houndstooth suit／303

Red brocade／308

The Toronto Stag 1935／3t4

Streetwalk／316

The ianitor／323

Maffair,1936／332

Alien on Ice／333

The steamer trunk／345

The Fire Pit／353

Postcards from Europe／365

The eggshell hat／378

Besotted／386

Sunnvside／395

Xanadu／404

Carnivore stories／417

Mayfair,1936／426

Peach Women of Aa'A／428

The Mail and Empire,1936／437

The Ton Hat Grill／439

The laundry／447

The ashtray／456

The man with his head onfire／466

The Water Nixie／473

The chestnut tree／484

Lizard Men ofXenor／489

Mayfair,1937／494

Letterfrom BellaVista／496

The tower／498

The GIobe andMail，1937／502

Union Station／503

The cubicle／509

The kitten／514

Beautifuf view／522

Brightly shone the moon／528

Betty's Luncheonette／537

The message／547

The G：lobe andMail．，938／555

Mayfiair,1939／557

The Be rage Room／559

Yellow curtains／566

The telegram／570

The destruction of Sakiel-Norn／572

Gloves／577

Homefires／582

Diana Sweets／588

Escarpment／598

Thegolden lock／607

Victory comes andgoes／612

The heap ofrubble／622

The Blind Assassin，Epilogue：The other hand／631

ThePort TiconderogaHerald andBanner,1999／633

The threshold／635