Rating: Summary: only having read one of atwood's books . . . Review: just finished a margaret atwood book--my first. i'm not overly impressed: she takes forever to make her point. and the writing on the way to it is not enlightening enough to justify the volume of it. she carries the reader in three directions at once in the case of _alias grace_, and i think it's a deliberate part of the style, as the heroine is three-persons-in-one (along the lines of the madonna/whore position of women, in men's minds). the question of how a woman is to overcome that quandary is not resolved. i think that atwood's reputation of misogyny is not accurate--but her flat tone while conveying women's lack of agency and self-determination is not inspiring. her work is not hopeful, then. she also shames the reader with his or her pruriency--promising a story about a murderess involved in an extramarital sexual scandal, but scolding those characters within the novel who indulge their prurient and voyeuristic tendencies therein. nobody comes out well, and all manner of human failings are to blame: lonely wives, doting mothers of adult sons, priests, lawyers, men who dishonor willing women, young girls who seek men's attentions, and women who covet jewelry and clothing. (does anyone, then, come away from atwood's critical gaze unscathed?)i don't know if i'll give one of her other books a try or not. i think i should, in order to come to a more solid conclusion about her writing. the subject matter of _alias grace_ may have necessitated its bleakness--although, from what i have read about _the handmaiden's tale_, it may just be a general tendency on atwood's part.
Rating: Summary: Powerful and Beautiful Review: Working from a fascinating historical incident: the murder of an emigrant Scotsman in Victorian Canada, Margaret Atwood has crafted an enigmatic and enduring anti-heroine. I add my voice to a chorus of praise for Atwood's writing. Her prose is crystaline in its precision and clarity. A dark, almost macabre tale is illuminated with flashes of humour and striking symbolism. Grace, a serving girl imprisoned (rightly or wrongly?) for the murder, emerges as an elusive yet fully flesh-and-blood character. Grace narrates the story, at once bringing us into intimate contact with her thoughts and shrouding the mystery of her actions. This is a device used in books like 'Rebecca' and 'The Turn of the Screw'; but here it's fresh and riveting. Grace seems simultaneously bewildered by, and in control of, her reputation as a murderess. It's this allure which brings Dr Simon Jordon to her prison, seeking to understand her psychology. The charged interviews between the two are especially powerful. Just as her characters are strong, the writer creates a landscape in the mind which is fully alive and three-dimensional. If I've dwelt on the novel's literary aspects, don't be put off. I enjoyed this book tremendously, and recommend it whole-heartedly.
Rating: Summary: Predictable story line Review: This story of Victorian age women done wrong, although true, is much too often told. I won't reveal the twists and turns, but, at least in the book on tape version, there are few true surprises. That it is based on a true story makes it more interesting. But, reliance on dream symbolism and hypnosis are overwrought and overused techniques.
Rating: Summary: Good Story, but not Literature Review: Coming to this book as a reader of bestselling fiction, I would say that this book is a fantastic story, if a somewhat sluggish read. However, coming at this book from the perspective of a scholar of Literature I would give this book a lot less credit. All of the symbols are obvious and heavy handed (Not a fan of Toni Morrison either). The apple, the quilt, the food metaphors...all served up to the author piping hot and predigested. There is no underlying cry about either the Judicial system as Atwood sees it or feminism, the switches in Point of View only seem to up the sympathy one feels for Grace, as opposed to adding some meaning to a work already lacking it. In fact, this book seems to be a 500-page fictionalized biography of an historical character that simply is a sensationalistic read and a literary achievement by Atwood that says "Yes! I can create characters with Depth!". The fact of the matter is that James Joyce addresses these same "feminist" issues in 5 pages of Dubliners, and Norman Mailer addresses the "prison system" aspects of this novel in a far more compelling and interesting way in The Executioner's Song. Atwood tries to be ambiguous and at the same time available, which doesnt work, since she isnt Hawthorne. She tries to be both experimental and traditional, which also doesnt work because she is neither Toni Morrison nor Thomas Mann. And most of all, she mistakes emotions and sympathy for depth, a common mistake by contemporary authors, and one which TRULY deserves, even if Grace does not, immediate imprisonment.
Rating: Summary: Stick through the beginning Review: I consider Atwood's Handmaid's Tale to be a must-read, and have enjoyed everything else I've ever read from her. This novel is no exception - in fact I think it's the best thing she's written since Handmaid's Tale. Grace is a compelling protagonist, who fnds great insights as she puzzles through her confusing world. My only crtque is that the book gets off to a stutterng start, and you need to perservere as the multiple narrators are established. It is, however, very worth the perserverence.
Rating: Summary: Telling Social Commentary Review: This book is a fictionalized account of the true murders of Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper (and mistress) Nancy Montgomery in a rural suburb of Toronto during the 1840's. It tells the story of Grace Marks, a simple housekeeper who was convicted of the murders along with Kinnear's stableboy James McDermott. The novel can be read as a murder mystery, but it is more satisfying as social commentary, especially in its comments on inequities of class and gender. Atwood has really done her homework: her writing is rife with the details of day-to-day life at the time, as well as the period's conventional wisdom regarding such topics as mesmerism, psychology, and the treatment of prisoners and the mentally ill. Grace is a fascinating --- if somewhat unbelievable --- character, but perhaps the story's strongest character is Mary Whitney, a tough but clever girl with wisdom beyond her years. I enjoyed this book a lot; the only disappointment was its artificially happy ending.
Rating: Summary: Loved It Review: Having first read, and loved, "The Blind Assassin" I wanted to read something else and decided on this. A fictionalized retelling of Grace Marks, a Canadian woman who was convicted of murder at the age of sixteen, I liked this even more than "Assassin", and found it hard to put down. Told mostly from Grace's point of view she recounts her childhood and employment leading up to the brutal double murders that many people think she did not commit, but was merely an unwilling accomplice. But the other element to Atwood's narrative is the doctor that is examining her to acertain what really happened that night. His story is equally compelling as Grace's. A rich, captivating read.
Rating: Summary: Did Grace Tell the Truth? Review: I just finished reading Margaret Atwood's 1996 novel Alias Grace. The ending left me up in the air. Alias Grace is based on the true story of a 15 year old girl, Grace Marks, accused of a double murder in 19th century Canada. Atwood reveals to us a passage where Grace is put under hypnosis. This is a crucial part of the story, in my opinion, and not mentioned by any of the reviewers. Grace is hypnotized to discover the part of the crime she says she doesn't remember. As Grace speaks we discover that during the crime she was another person, perhaps her friend, Mary Whitney, who died a horrible death in the bed next to her. Is Grace possessed? Is she psychotic? The word "dedoublement" used in the book in French means one who has two personalities, one normal and the other pathological. Are we, therefore, to believe Grace because of her illness and find her innocent of the crime or is she pulling the wool over our eyes during the session because she knows the hypnotist quite well, unbeknown to those attending the session. Did the two of them plan the session together to convince the others? Grace admits later at the end of the book to lying. For you to decide. A very satisfying novel.
Rating: Summary: Very good Book Review: I truly enjoyed this book. As you get deeper into it, each character gets more depth with a surprising end. I recommend it!
Rating: Summary: Not Atwood's best Review: This is not Atwood's best book by a long stretch. 'The Handmaids Tale', 'the Robber Bride', and the especially exquisite 'The Blind Assassin' are much more enjoyable. This book is slow, and does not have the wonderful turns of phrase that her other books have. While she does a good job of leaving the reader guessing as to the guilt or innocence of Grace, the question, of course, cannot be answered (being a true story) and leaves you disappointed. The prelude to the crime (Grace's history) is the best part of the book.
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