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Bodily Harm cover art

Bodily Harm

Written by: Margaret Atwood
Narrated by: Angela Nevard
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Publisher's Summary

From the author of the New York Times best-selling novels The Handmaid's Tale - now an Emmy Award-winning Hulu original series - and Alias Grace, now a Netflix original series.

A powerfully and brilliantly crafted novel, Bodily Harm is the story of Rennie Wilford, a young journalist whose life has begun to shatter around the edges. Rennie flies to the Caribbean to recuperate, and on the tiny island of St. Antoine she is confronted by a world where her rules for survival no longer apply.

By turns comic, satiric, relentless, and terrifying, Margaret Atwood's Bodily Harm is ultimately an exploration of the lust for power, both sexual and political, and the need for compassion that goes beyond what we ordinarily mean by love.

Cover photos copyright Robert Reader & Andrew Lever / Millennium Images, UK

©1981 O. W. Toad Ltd. (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

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What listeners say about Bodily Harm

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A brilliant narration of Atwood's dark novel

Atwood's "Bodily Harm" is a powerfully dark novel that depicts a society in which women are confronted with malignant forces beyond their control. Atwood's heroine Rennie, a Canadian travel writer, struggles against cancer, misogyny and violence at the hands of abusive men, as she becomes embroiled in political intrigue far from her home in Toronto. Atwood describes Rennie's ordeal with stark and often horrifying imagery, and Angela Nevard's lyrical and perceptive narration is a perfect counterpoint to the horror Atwood portrays in the novel. Ms. Nevard reads with empathy, intelligence and understanding that bring Rennie's story to life, while also conveying the nuances of Atwood's complex story and her sardonic humour. I very much look forward to more readings by Ms. Nevard!

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

Enthralling!

Great story ! the detail and insight is compelling. Atwood's ability to express the innermost thoughts of her characters is impeccable.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Narration incompatible with character

I was not convinced that the woman reading was at all like the character of Rennie.

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Boring

I found this book really difficult to finish
it was very boring. nothing actually happens until the very end

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    3 out of 5 stars

Not for me

I go through a lot of books and have significantly enjoyed other Margaret Atwood books, but this one wasn’t for me. It was a struggle to finish and took me weeks compared to a few days normally.

I am generally sci-fi, fantasy, dystopian future, adventure, etc. so this wasn’t my kinda book. I am sure many other people would very much enjoy it.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Unnerving cautionary tale

I kept getting annoyed by the choices of the lead character. She seems to have a great, deep and thoughtful perception of people yet is unable to see clear pitfalls. Her weakness is often attributed to her cancer and the scarring both emotional and physical. I felt she would have done better and made less desperate, misguided choices. Men generally come across as total malfunctioning testical sub species. Too bad their still needed was the general takeaway. A good read all the same.

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Compelling story-telling at its best

A dark story with a twist, and a great read, especially when Angela Nevard is the one doing the reading! Margaret Atwood is brilliant (I'm a big fan of hers). Ms. Nevard delivers this story brilliantly, with just the right amount of vocal expression; her intonations are in just the right places, and the writing kept me hooked. Some storytellers add too much accent or somehow just don't sound authentic, but Ms. Nevard is great. I'm very excited to have found this eBook, and hope that I can find more stories read by her.

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7 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Compelling

A dark but compelling story. Beautifully narrated by Angela Nevard.The voice pulled me into the narrative.

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4 people found this helpful