Rating: 
Summary: mesmerizing
Review: The account of Grace Marks life is a story so rich in layers of reality and imagination that one can not stop until the last page to find out the complete meaning of her ordeal. Is Grace Marks an ordinary person of dim wit, a saint, or an evil creature?
Margaret Atwood writing is so beautiful and rich in associations. The beauty of nature breaths from the book and makes one feel as if present right there in the story.
Since it took me no time finishing the book as captivating as it was, I am already worried I will finish reading all of Margaret's Atwood books in too short a time, and then be pining for more!
Rating: 
Summary: Not The Blind Assassin.....
Review: I have to admit ALIAS GRACE didn't do it for me. It took a while to connect with the characters and the story itself progressed slowly which didn't help matters. Atwood is a beautiful writer so there is some gorgeous prose on display and the book is certainly not without it's merits. The problem is it's consistency. Grace Marks has ten stories, as do any of us, and one of the book's problems is it's determination to tell each one and that of the poor plumber who lives down the street besides. Atwood uses a variety of literary techniques to do this some with more success than others. The decision to write Grace's chapters in the first person takes getting used to and seemed rather affected for my taste. Atwood's writing stands on it's own and somehow this choice in particular feels like a gimmick. In addition she frequently "jumps" the narrative voice from one character to another giving the novel a disjointed feel and distancing the reader from the emotional life of the individual lives she is trying to recreate.
In the end, it's Margaret Atwood. I read it, I recommend it and found several passages particularly lovely and poignant. But, be prepared this is a difficult read for unexpected reasons and is definately not for the inexperienced Atwood reader. I would hate for anyone to miss out on her genius because they read this one first.
Rating:
Summary: Had to Read it Twice!
Review: I only picked this book up because I had to read it for my AP English class in 12th grade. But once I picked it up, I just couldn't put it down! I actually enjoyed writing a book report about it - there's so much to say about this book! I loved how Atwood didn't say if Grace was quilty or not...and I also liked how Atwood had Grace end up happily (although, always the pessimist). The reader comes to really care about Grace and I want to believe that Grace really isn't a murderer...but you never know...she could have just "forgotten" that part of the day. I loved this book, I had to pick it up a year later and read it again.
Rating:
Summary: So Intimate It Seems To Be Written On The Skin
Review: Since taking up English Literature at college, I have become interested in actually reading books. Yeah, I know it sounds dumb - you got to read books if you take up the subject, but I never used to read at all, I was just good at the subject. I've since started to read books more and more, and my favourite has been Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale." I was enthralled with that novel and my exam took place on it in June - results mid-August. Around April I decided to buy another novel by Atwood, and I chose "Alias Grace." I had absolutely no idea what the novel was about, but I didn't care - I just wanted to read more of her work. I started reading the book in April and have only just finished it...
I must admit that the novel didn't really reel me in to begin with which is why it took me so long to read it, but after a while I really began to love the book! By the time I finished the book last week I didn't want it to end, and I straight away went out and bought another Atwood novel - "The Blind Assassin," which I am currently reading. After reading two Atwood novels so far to date, I can safely say she is a remarkable author and has a true talent for storytelling.
Alias Grace is a work of fiction, although it is based on reality. Its central figure, Grace Marks, was one of the most notorious Canadian women of the 1840's, having been convicted of murder at the age of 16.
Grace Marks allegedly murdered - along with a fellow-servant James McDermott - the man and woman she worked for: Mr. Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery. The headlines were sensational: The Kinnear-Montgomery murders took place on July 23rd 1843, and were extensively reported not only in Canadian newspapers but in those of the United States and Britain. Grace Marks was uncommonly pretty and also extremely young; Montgomery had previously given birth to an illegitimate child and was Thomas Kinnear's mistress; at her autopsy she was found to be pregnant. Grace and her fellow-servant James McDermott had run away to the United States together and were assumed by the press to be lovers. The combination of sex, violence and the deplorable insubordination of the lower classes was most attractive to the journalists of the day.
The trial was held in early November. Only the Kinnear murder was tried: since both of the accused were condemned to death, a trial for the Montgomery murder was considered unnecessary. McDermott was hanged in front of a huge crowd on November 21st: but opinion about Grace was divided from the start, and due to the efforts of her lawyer, her sentence was commuted to life, and she entered the Provincial Penitentiary in Kingston on November 19th, 1843.
And the rest is history, as they say: this is where the novel begins. The first 100 pages or so involve one of the novel's most memorable characters, Dr. Simon Jordan, and his attempts to decipher the mind of Grace Marks. His plans are to investigate her character and get her to open up to him and reveal the truth about the murders. Whether she did indeed commit the murders are still undecided and the true character of Grace Marks remained an enigma for years. After their introduction, Grace takes things all the way back to her childhood. In immense detail and shockingly stark precision, Atwood portrays a clear and sharp, gleaming image of Grace's personality and her life before she became an international sensation.
The language Atwood uses for her characters in this play is remarkable. Everything remains as views on society were seen at the time, portraying a stunning sense of authenticity - like a real documentation of the accounts. Views on sexuality, violence and the way women are supposed to behave in society are incredibly real:
"McDermott said much too close a friend, in his opinion: and I said what did he mean by that? And he said that Jeremiah had looked at me in a way he didn't like, and that no wife of his would be allowed to hobnob with any Jew peddlers, and gossip with them at the back door, and flirt in that way; and if she did, he would black her eyes, and knock her head about her shoulders for her."
Throughout the novel Atwood offers different perspectives from many different character, which can make it challenging to understand and keep up with, but ultimately finishing the novel is extremely rewarding. Atwood obviously sees Grace as innocent and not guilty of the crimes imposed upon her, but due to the enigma surrounding the real truth, we will never know - yet I would like to believe Atwood is correct.
OVERALL GRADE: 10/10
I'm not quite sure which novel I enjoyed the most out of Alias Grace and The Handmaid's Tale, but I'm definitely sure that I enjoyed reading them because Atwood tackles unique and enthralling stories. She isn't a 9-5 author and if you prefer this type, you probably will be disappointed with her works. However, if you'd like to lift off, I urge you to give her a go - you will surely not regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Strange and Compelling
Review: I read this book while trapped by a rainstorm in our hotel room in Siena, Italy. At first, I read it because there was nothing else to do, but then I could not put it down. It is like driving by an auto wreck on the highway; voyeurism compels you to look, even as you are repulsed by the idea.
Rating:
Summary: Unique Perspective into a Killer's Mind
Review: This novel is a unique story based upon its content and writing style. The story is about Grace Marks, based on a true story from the 1860's Canada. Grace has been convicted of two counts of murder for the past 15 years when a doctor arrives to analize her. This is one of the first novels to be told from Grace's point of view. For the majority of the book, the reader stays in Grace's thoughts and mind as she talks about herself. Although a little disturbing at times, this keeps the reader intrigued and guessing if she really did it. The second unique point is the writing style. Atwood takes the Victorian culture and quite literally embodies it in Grace. On the outside, Grace appears to be the ideal model of a true victorian lady. Yet, thanks to inner monologues, the reader gets to know a very different Grace. The reader has the chance to actually explore Grace as she sees herself. A key element in the novel is a quilt that Grace longs to have. This continues through Atwood's writing because of the many fragments she pieces together into a wonderfully told story. All in all, a book worth spending your time reading.
Rating:
Summary: Slow going but rewarding at times
Review: It's the middle of the 19th century in post-rebellion Upper Canada, and Grace, the heroine of the story, gets implicated in the murder of a landowner and his mistress. Grace is a hard character to know; is she a simpleton or cunning? Is she hiding a huge secret or is she resigned to being wrongfully convicted? There are other interesting characters, especially the doctor who interviews Grace at length, while at the same time confronting his own demons. There is so much bleakness shown in the small towns in Upper Canada in this time, the struggles of the poor, especially the fate of Grace's friend who becomes pregnant. That bleakness is to be expected from an Atwood novel of course.Overall, it was a slowly paced novel which suffered in comparison to Atwood's The Blind Assassin in my opinion. Still, it is a worthwhile read and well written.
Rating: 
Summary: What is the definition of Guilt?
Review: You know from reading the back cover that the novel is about Grace Marks, a teenage servant girl accused and convicted of the murder of her employer and a fellow servant in Canada in the year 1843. James McDermott, her partner in crime was convicted and hanged. Grace can't remember what happened the day of the murders, so we are left to wonder for almost the entire book - did she do it, or does guilt rest entirely with James McDermott? When the story opens, Grace has already been in jail for about 10 years. There are many pages of setup containing straightforward storytelling interspersed with newspaper excerpts, poems, letters and testimony. We are introduced briefly to Grace's life in prison and become acquainted with her crime and her notoriety. It is common practice for prisoners to work as servants in the warden or prison Governor's home and part of Grace's daily routine is to do sewing and cleaning for his family. We also meet Dr. Jordon, a mental health expert attempting to break the lock on Grace's memory. After about 100 pages, Grace begins a linear narration of her life through sessions with Doctor Jordon. She tells about how she came to Canada with her large family on an ocean voyage from Ireland and continues with her employment as a servant. We hear a great deal about sweeping, scrubbing, sewing and laundry and it becomes clear that Grace takes pride in her work. These psychotherapy sessions alternate with the book's present (10 years after the murders) and we learn that a local Reverend and a group of Grace's supporters believe in her innocence and are fighting to have her freed. We also get bits about the Governor's wife and daughters, and the Doctor himself. The respectable women and the Doctor form a nice juxtaposition to Grace's story because they illustrate the expectations, restrictions and privileges of class and gender. This is not a murder mystery in the conventional sense. The reader may believe that Grace's innocence or guilt is the main point of the story as late in the book, we eagerly approach the hypnosis that occurs. Details about her participation in the murder are uncovered that are ambiguous, but also revealing. In the final chapters, time does move on and we learn about what happens to the Doctor, the Reverend, the Governor's daughter and of course, Grace, in a satisfying conclusion. Margaret Atwood's technique is remarkable. The story raises questions about the nature of guilt, innocence, forgiveness and how the actions of others and the prescriptions of society affect the range of choices available to a person. There are a few passages in the story that offer glimmers of Grace's psyche and there are several gems that make the story vibrate. This story is better enjoyed with discussion. Recommended.
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