Title: MaddAddam
Genre: Novel – Speculative Fiction
Year: 2013
Pages: 350
Origin: read on the Kindle
Nod Rating: 3 nods out of 5
The novel is more closely linked to The Year of the Flood
than Oryx and Crake, but yet it resolves issues resulting from both books.
However, rather than follow the story of Jimmy/Snowman, it is closely linked to
characters created in The Year of the Flood. For fans of the initial novel –
like the Worm – this is an unwelcome development. Less enthusiastic and
well-rounded characters are charted, principally that of Toby and the
background of Zeb. However, once Atwood has finished tying up loose ends, the
second half of the novel picks up pace, before concluding in action packed
frenzy.
Of particular interest is Atwood’s narrative voices, as
experimented with in the previous novels. There is first person perspective, as
well as third-person narrative. Furthermore, the Crakers also develop their own
voice within the novel, particularly in Blackbeard’s narration of the climatic
shoot-out that displays Atwood’s imagination. This ties in with the trilogy’s conclusion,
with the Crakers finding their own, firm footing in the post-apocalyptic world.
From a story-line perspective the trilogy is unnecessary.
Oryx and Crake works suitably as a standalone novel, and remains the strongest
of the three novels; the questions that are posed at the end of the read may
have had greater effect if left alone. However, Atwood shows confidence in
returning to the world set up in Oryx and Crake, considerably expanding it in
the two subsequent books. The resulting characters are not as well defined, but
the land of the Crakers offers engaging subject material for any real fan of
speculative fiction to thoroughly enjoy.
As such, the Worm gives MaddAddam a healthy 3 nods.
Furthermore, the Worm provides The Year of the Flood an additional nod, now taking
into account the fact that it was a stepping-stone in Atwood’s grander plan of
the trilogy. Such an outlay of nods gives Margaret Atwood an overall total of
10 Worm nods, putting her into the Double-Digit Club. One for is for sure, it
will not the final limit, with the Worm planning to read more Atwood novels in
the not so distant future.
