Iris describes the 1945 death of her sister, who drives her car off a bridge, followed, two years later, by the death of her husband, in a story that features a novel-within-a-novel about two unnamed lovers who meet in a dark backstreet room From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Handmaid's TaleWINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZEIn The Blind Assassin, Margaret Atwood weaves together strands of gothic suspense, romance, and science fiction into one utterly spellbinding narrative. The novel begins with the mysterious death-a possible suicide-of a young woman named Laura Chase in 1945. Decades later, Laura's sister Iris recounts her memories of their childhood, and of the dramatic deaths that have punctuated their wealthy, eccentric family's history. Intertwined with Iris's account are chapters from the scandalous novel that made Laura famous, in which two illicit lovers amuse each other by spinning a tale of a blind killer on a distant planet. These richly layered stories-within-stories gradually illuminate the secrets that have long haunted the Chase family, coming together in a brilliant and astonishing final twist. I The bridge 1(2) The Toronto Star, 1945 3(1) The Blind Assassin: Perennials for the Rock Garden 4(5) II The hard-boiled egg 9(5) The Globe and Mail, 1947 14(1) The park bench 15(4) The Toronto Star, 1975 19(1) The carpets 20(4) The Globe and Mail, 1998 24(1) The lipstick heart 25(6) The Colonel Henry Parkman High School Home and School and Alumni Association Bulletin, 1998 31(4) III The presentation 35(7) The silver box 42(6) The Button Factory 48(8) Avilion 56(10) The trousseau 66(9) The gramophone 75(8) Bread day 83(12) Black ribbons 95(4) The soda 99(6) IV The cafe 105(3) The Port Ticonderoga Herald and Banner, 1933 108(1) The chenille spread 109(4) The Mail and Empire, 1934 113(2) The messenger 115(7) The Mail and Empire, 1934 122(1) Horses of the night 123(4) Mayfair, 1935 127(2) The bronze bell 129(6) V The fur coat 135(9) The Weary Solidier 144(8) Miss Violence 152(9) Ovid's Metamorphoses 161(8) The button factory picnic 169(11) Loaf givers 180(11) Hand-tinting 191(11) The cold cellar 202(11) The attic 213(9) The Imperial Room 222(7) The Arcadian Court 229(10) The tango 239(10) VI The houndstooth suit 249(4) Red brocade 253(5) The Toronto Star, 1935 258(1) Street walk 259(6) The janitor 265(8) Mayfair, 1936 273(1) Alien on Ice 274(9) VII The steamer trunk 283(6) The Fire Pit 289(10) Postcards from Europe 299(10) The eggshell hat 309(6) Besotted 315(7) Sunnyside 322(7) Xanadu 329(10) VIII Carnivore stories 339(8) Mayfair, 1936 347(2) Peach Women of Aa'A 349(8) The Mail and Empire, 1936 357(1) The Top Hat Grill 358(7) IX The laundry 365(7) The ashtray 372(8) The man with his head on fire 380(6) The Water Nixie 386(9) The chestnut tree 395(4) X Lizard Men of Xenor 399(4) Mayfair, 1937 403(2) Letter from BellaVista 405(2) The tower 407(3) The Globe and Mail, 1937 410(1) Union Station 411(6) XI The cubicle 417(4) The kitten 421(7) Beautiful view 428(5) Brightly shone the moon 433(7) Betty's Luncheonette 440(8) The message 448(7) XII The Globe and Mail, 1938 455(1) Mayfair, 1939 456(2) The Be rage Room 458(5) Yellow curtains 463(3) The telegram 466(2) The destruction of Sakiel-Norn 468(5) Gloves 473(4) Home fires 477(5) Diana Sweets 482(8) Escarpment 490(7) XIV The golden lock 497(4) Victory comes and goes 501(8) The heap of rubble 509(8) XV The Blind Assassin, Epilogue: The other hand 517(2) The Port Ticonderoga Herald and Banner, 1999 519(1) The threshold 520