Rating: 
Summary: A Mesmerizing Novel
Review: It is not simple or common for authors to successfully intertwine historical elements into a fictional piece of literature. The process requires intricate research, sorting and fitting of contradictory accounts, and a great imagination. In Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood recreates the tale of Grace Marks, a "celebrated murderess", from her incarceration to her liberation, by applying unique structure and vivid language. Grace Marks was a servant charged for murder of her boss Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery. The sequence of her life includes her experience of migrating to Canada, the brutal life of living with her father, and serving people for a living, eventually leading up to the murder, and then imprisonment. Her accomplice James McDermott, the stable hand, was hanged for the crime. Not only was she a woman, but also at the age of sixteen. People went to see her in jail as if she was and animal at the zoo and doctors studied her to find out hidden motives for the crime. In the novel, Atwood instantly establishes an interesting structure by opening with excerpts from actual people, which sets the mood of the book and predicts the existence of truth and innocence as major themes. She continues placing numerous authentic selections throughout the entire book before each section. For example, quotes from Emily Dickinson, accounts by Susanna Moodie, or even confessions of the real characters. The concrete information gives the story a chilling affect. On top of those, I especially liked how Atwood titled the sections by designs of quilts such as Snake Fence, Broken Dishes, or The Tree of Paradise. It resembles the importance of quilting in Grace's life as a reprieve from the pains in reality or as a pride in sewing and dressmaking skills. The story clearly parallels Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter in almost every aspect. Atwood also changes the points of view and time periods, which I found it very easy to follow. It switches from revealing Grace's own thoughts, to her opening up to Dr. Jordan (a doctor studying psychiatry through Grace), and then to a narrator describing situations and thoughts of the doctor. The story is mostly woven back and forth between the present then flashing back to reveal Grace's childhood and crime. In addition to that, the novel consists of chapters that tell the story line through poetry and chains of letters. Although the framework of Alias Grace is intriguing, I thrived on the intensity of the language Atwood demonstrated with a tone of mystery and passion. Grace is haunted by a spirit that is "... whispering things into [her] ear" (179). This consistency of spirits and lost souls adds thrill to reading. Although it has some graphic descriptions, they are through Grace's twisted mind and enhance the book. Furthermore, it is filled with juicy similes of apples that look like " big round drop of water, cool and red" (39) or of becoming "...as small as an ant..."(41). The similes give and excellent visual image to connect to Grace's emotion. She also makes clever remarks and comical observances to lighten up the mood, yet they are highly ironical and thought provoking. The motifs are a brilliant essence of redness and include a flowery environment, which show the passion and depth of the language. Overall Alias Grace is a constant unfolding mystery that kept me flipping pages. It's a chilling story consisting elements of passion, gloom, hope, and irony restored by Margaret Atwood that brings back to life the spirit of Grace Marks.
Rating:
Summary: The minor characters were wonderful, too
Review: I agree with all the wonderful reviews here, but I want to add that Atwood's minor characters were fabulous too. In particular, I loved the nasty and self-righteous Mrs. Jordan (particularly in her letters to the landlady), the spunky Mary Whitney, and flute-playing Jamie.My only negative comments are the story's disappearance of one of it's major characters without a comment, and the preponderance of names that sounded alike.
Rating:
Summary: Full of Grace
Review: Margaret Atwood has left us with a great and grand gift in the form of "Alias Grace". Telling the story of Grace Marks, she spins the controversy every which way, in trying to discern her status as murderer or merely accomplice. We are drawn into Grace's world, gently, effecitvely, and honestly, as she spins us the tale of her life as complexly as the quilts she creates. Atwood's writing style is crisp, clear, and creative, making for an diverse and interesting read. Her descriptions are amazing, and at times, you feel like you are reading poetry in prose. Her command of vocabulary, as well as comand of accurate historical facts, all lends itself to a well-told tale. You cannot miss this read. Don't delay as I did!
Rating:
Summary: Nonfiction Fiction at its Finest
Review: Rather than repeating all the very eloquent sentiments expressed in quite a few of the reviews for "Alias Grace", I'll just say, quite simply, this is a fantastic book. Working on several different levels, Atwood delivers a gripping story, interesting characters, and a relevant social commentary. At once humorous and heart-wrenching, I had a hard time putting it down. Wether you're an Atwood fan, a fan of historical fiction, or you're just looking for a good book to read, this novel will deliver. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Her best novel
Review: Margaret Atwood does a superb job of captivating her audience with an incredible array of characters and a wonderfully written plot that is different than the rest of her books. Grace Marks comes alive, a young girl at the centre of tragedy and hardship. It is clear that Atwood has spent a great deal of time researching the real story and using her wrtiting talents to finctionaize it in a believable way. I can picture Old Toronto and Kingston in her descriptions. If you want to read an Atwood classic, read this if you don't read anything else. This is in my top ten list!
Rating:
Summary: A haunting and beautiful novel
Review: Alias Grace is a haunting and memorable novel. It is definately among one of the best I have ever read, and would be called my favorite if naming only one book in the whole world as such a thing were possible. This book was suprisingly unlike the best-selling novels I've been reading recently, as it was not only written to sell but to convey a message, and it possesses an integrity which is lacking in many books full of popular prose written in order to make money. I could not agree more with the blurb by Washington Post Book World which appears on the front cover of the edition I read: "Alias Grace has all the pacing of a commercial novel and all the resonance of a classic." Not only is this book meritable for its captivating and original plot, but also, more importantly, for its literary quality. The author, Margaret Atwood, has written the entire book in language ture to the time it takes place, and her skill for consistantly choosing lyrical and thought-provoking words is astounding. Alias Grace is the story of a real-life character, Grace Marks, who at age fifteen was sentenced to death for her part in the murder of her murder of the man she worked for and his mistress. Her sentence was then changed to life imprisonment after her skillful lawyer and many important citizens pleaded her case. However, many thought she should have hanged with her co-conspirator and that was as guilty as he was. Thus, Grace Marks was made a "celebrated murderess" and an infamous enigma of the nineteenth century, and her story has been brought to us with the grace-ful writing of Margaret Atwood. This novel was written so well that it had me literally laughing out loud one minute and then literally crying real tears the next. As a side comment, this novel is also important in a feminist viewpoint. I hesitate to comment on this as it may turn male readers away, and that is not my intention on mentioning it at all, for although the main character is a very young female and most events are told from her point of view, the way in which it is written makes it a capativating read for any one, regardless of age or sex. However, the harsh treatment of and opinions about women during this period in history were brought up in a way which would evoke sympathy and anger from anyone. Wide-spread opinions about the nature and duty of women are infrequently but impressionately brought up: "That woman has nerves like flint. She'd have made a good lawyer, if a man.", "Men, by nature and the decree of Providence, have a certain latitude allowed them; but fidelity to the marriage vow is surely the chief requirement in a woman", and the daily live as well as special circumstances of Grace Mark's story allow the reader to feel the injustices women suffered back then without the hope of making things better. If there is one book out of the many great ones I have read this year that I recommend the general web-surfer who has stumbled upon this book review to read, it is most emphatically this one. Grace's character and story will grab you and you will be wondering about her guilt and innocence just as much as her peers in the nineteenth century were.
Rating:
Summary: A IS FOR ATWOOD AND ALIAS GRACE
Review: It is Canada in 1843 - Queen Victoria reigns; her insurrection prone North American colonists are diverted and then transfixed by a shocking murder trial. Against this backdrop Margaret Atwood, who gave us The Robber Bride and The Handmaid's Tale, presents her ninth novel. Atwood's virtuosity is at its peak as she traces her feminist thesis in Alias Grace, which is based on the true story of a 16-year-old servant girl accused of double murder. With few facts known, the author has drawn a haunting portrait of what might have been, a profoundly mesmerizing combination of actuality and invention. Grace Marks and her fellow worker, James McDermott, were tried and convicted for the brutal killing of their employer Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper Nancy Montgomery. McDermott was hanged at the new gaol in Toronto, November 21, 1843. While Grace, due to her youth and "feminine weakness of mind," was sentenced to life in prison. She was also committed to a lunatic asylum following an emotional breakdown. Throughout both incarcerations Grace maintained that she had no memory of the murders or the victims. Referring to the scandalous trial in her afterword Atwood writes: "The details were sensational: Grace Marks was uncommonly pretty and also extremely young; Kinnear's housekeeper, Nancy 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." Grace's story is revealed through letters, verse, news accounts, but primarily through her voice and that of Dr. Simon Jordan. An ambitious young doctor with an interest in the field of repressed memory, Jordan is retained by those who believe Grace innocent to help her remember. As Grace's memory is prodded, she weaves her tale. Is Jordan trying to exploit her for professional gain. Or, is it possible that she is manipulating him? Was Grace a naive pawn or a venomous Circe who bewitched then goaded McDermott into committing this appalling crime? The climax is a stunner! In the adroit hands of Margaret Atwood, shades of guilt, innocence and complicity as well as the complexities of the human mind continue to fascinate. Alias Grace, a laudatory fictionalization of actual events, is a shivery Victorian tale of obsession and murder.
Rating: 
Summary: Did she do it?
Review: What will she do next? Surely other fans of Margaret Atwood find her books as wonderful and unpredictable as I do. Reading Atwood has made me laugh so hard I cried (Lady Oracle, Life Before Man); made me angry (The Handmaid's Tale); made me reflective and pensive (Cat's Eye); and made me wonder out loud (Alias Grace). If they give out awards for versitility in writing, Atwood should win hands down. To me, "Alias Grace" reads like one of the more recent histories of Simon Schma which covered high crimes and misdemeanors in the 19th century. What really did happen to Grace Marks? Atwood presents the facts, you be the judge. The evidence concerning Grace Marks is conflicted. Was she a notorious killer or innocent victim? If Atwood is trying to shape the conclusion in the reader's mind, she is certainly subtle. I got the audiobook for my aunt, and she's still ticked off because Atwood didn't really spell out the verdict in a simple yes or no. This is a tale of intrigue, mystery, history, and the supernatural--or is it. Grace hears voices or does she? Do they come from the spirit world or Grace's imagination? Does Grace control her soul or is she possessed or mad? I found the book absolutely spellbinding.
Rating:
Summary: Tremendously done, carefully and beautifully written
Review: In Canada in the early 1800s, a young woman named Grace Marks is convicted and sentenced to life in prison for her presumed role in the murders of her employer, Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper (and mistress) Nancy Montgomery. This is a fact. Margaret Atwood has taken the life of this women and the facts surrounding the crime, her trial, and her imprisonment, and has woven a tale that is incredibly captivating. The book is rich with quotes from the time and supposed letters written by politicians, clergy and doctors, but the voice of the narrator, Grace herself is the most seductive and most powerful of the writing. The bulk of the book is written during Grace's life imprisonment and is spurred on by the sudden visits made to her by a Dr. Simon Jordan who is a young doctor studying mental illnesses. Grace claims to have no memory of the murders and once we are inside her head, and listening to her voice, we can understand why. The reader finds him/herself completely caught up in Grace's life and her misfortunes and rightly recognizes that so many complex issues feed into the perceptions by the public of this woman, and her perceptions of the "outside" world. This was an excellent read, a startling mystery, and a generally very satisfying tale written by an author whose prose is so far beyond what is generally offered up in mystery novels.
Rating:
Summary: Atwood's best novel
Review: Although I love THE HANDMAID'S TALE and thought that Atwood spectacularly entered the dystopian genre, ALIAS GRACE is the better book if only because she sustained her brilliance over a narrative about twice as long. Atwood imagines a complete WORLD for Grace, a world we enter right into: Grace in prison, Grace on the voyage to Canada from Ireland, her life as a maid. The detail is spectacular, as is the writing. And the narrative is so propulsive that I literally could not put this book down. I read huge hunks of it -- 200 pages or more -- in one sitting, which is extremely rare for me. My only complaint is that the ending is a bit of a cop-out; the answer to the mystery of whether or not Grace killed her employer is handled too much like farce. Other than that, this book is a supreme achievement.
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