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Margaret Atwood

I have read The Edible Woman, which explores the female mind through a charachter called Marian. It's set in the 60s and Marian tries very hard to please her men, putting their needs before her own. Nothing happens really, there is very little plot, but it's an understanding on relationships in general, and the differences between men and women.

Alias Grace is fantastic, the best of Atwood's I've read. It's about a young girl (a housemaid) who is accused of murdering of her boss, and because of the media portrayal of it, she gets sentenced, even though there is very little evidence. The story is about a psychiatrist who tries to discover the truth about her. It covers her life in prison, and goes into great detail about what she is going through, etc. But even at the end, we don't find out whether she was innocent or guilty.

I didn't think much of Cat Eye.

In all of Atwood's novels there is a lot of dry humour, and saracasm/wit. Also, all of them have taken me at least a quarter of the book to get into, I'm not sure why, and even rereading, it takes me a few pages to get back into them.
 
In all of Atwood's novels there is a lot of dry humour, and saracasm/wit.
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Exactly, steffee. And it's hard for me to tell if this is what attracts me or what repels me! Her books are always a kind of a push/pull experience for me.
 
pontalba said:
For example Sue Grafton, or Kathy Reichs, but otoh, they are not really deep authors, just a smashing good story.

D
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Kathy Reichs is good? I've never tried one of her books. I read Grafton! :D
 
StillILearn said:
Kathy Reichs is good? I've never tried one of her books. I read Grafton! :D
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Yes, I've read all except the last one, and its on the shelf staring at me. :D
I like her characters interaction and shes not as gory as Patricia Cornwell. I liked Cornwell at first, but as time went on, she started grossing me out no end. Reichs is more science slanted, without the techno babble.
I highly recommend her books.
 
StillILearn said:
Exactly, steffee. And it's hard for me to tell if this is what attracts me or what repels me! Her books are always a kind of a push/pull experience for me.
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All qualties I enjoy in an author. But I just went over to Amazon and looked up synopsis and reviews on her, and I dunno..... I think my dislike for her books comes from finding her too pessimistic, and too............gray. Her take on the future is so unhappy. Maybe if I'd read her when I was young, I'd appreciate her more. 'Cause I look back on some to the stuff I read early on, and its dry, dry, dry. I wouldn't want to read it now, but am very glad i did then.

And something you said earlier SIL...that you didn't really like her characters. That may be part of it too. Now to be fair, I've only read the one, but from the previews I've read tonight, its pretty typical. Am I wrong? :confused:
 
pontalba said:
All qualties I enjoy in an author. But I just went over to Amazon and looked up synopsis and reviews on her, and I dunno..... I think my dislike for her books comes from finding her too pessimistic, and too............gray. Her take on the future is so unhappy. Maybe if I'd read her when I was young, I'd appreciate her more. 'Cause I look back on some to the stuff I read early on, and its dry, dry, dry. I wouldn't want to read it now, but am very glad i did then.

And something you said earlier SIL...that you didn't really like her characters. That may be part of it too. Now to be fair, I've only read the one, but from the previews I've read tonight, its pretty typical. Am I wrong? :confused:
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The writing style is very typical, but I found Grace in Alias Grace likeable, and even Marian in The Edible Woman, was likeable in a pathetic sort of way. Snowman (who's male, but anyway) is likeable in Oryx and Crake, too.
 
steffee said:
The writing style is very typical, but I found Grace in Alias Grace likeable, and even Marian in The Edible Woman, was likeable in a pathetic sort of way. Snowman (who's male, but anyway) is likeable in Oryx and Crake, too.
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You know, come to think of it, when I read the synopsis for Oryx and Crake I thought of Cloud Atlas another one in my TBR stack. The going back and forth bit, future civilization undone. Hmmm.
 
I really enjoy her writing style. Alias Grace was the first Atwood book I read, and I just loved the descriptions. I think she can just capture the feeling of the moment in a few sentences.

I like the way she fleshes out her characters. They are very multidimensional, and I think you get a good feel of what they are like. I love her wit too - some of her sentences I have to read several times, because I just find them so funny.
 
I was going to come into this thread and comment about why I can't figure out why I keep reading Atwood's books, but it looks like I may not be the only one.

Last month, I finished my second Atwood novel, The Handmaid's Tale. Last fall, I read Oryx and Crake.

I would classify both of the above books as good, but not great. Her stories just seem kind of wooden to me and I find myself figuring out what I want to read next before I'm even done with the book.

Having said that, I intend to keep reading her stuff and have added The Blind Assassin to my TBR list.
 
I've been wanting to read one of Atwood's novels for about a year or so now, I have no idea which one to go for though, any suggestions folks?
 
One could do much worse with a 700th post than recommending Oryx and Crake! I only managed to get through around thirty novels last year, although some were quite long, and Oryx and Crake was one of my favourites. Easily top five. Great concept with brilliant execution.
 
theoptimist said:
I've been wanting to read one of Atwood's novels for about a year or so now, I have no idea which one to go for though, any suggestions folks?
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I second Oryx and Crake. It's one of my favourite books :)
 
I finally got around to reading The Handmaid's Tale. I thought it was good.. but not great. I think from all the glowing recommendations I was expecting a little more.

And then I read Robber Bride. Not a book I'd recommend, I think.
 
I think I"m going to read Oryx and Crake next. I bought it this winter and just haven't gotten around to it. I'm gonna finish the Geographer's Library (okay start AND finish) and I'll put it next in the pile. I'll post my comments when I'm done.
 
I roam alot more on here than i post, but just wanted to say i read oryx and crake a few weeks ago, thanks to all the praise on here, and really enjoyed it so thanks. i wouldnt have even known who attwood was if not for this forum so now i have another author to read, so thanks agian everyone.
 
StillILearn said:
What is it about Margaret Atwood that makes women like us like her? She's hard as nails and sharp as a knife, and we should be avoiding her like the plague.

:D :D :D
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Oh, SIL, I'm so sorry to have missed your direct query to me. :eek:
I was only around sporadically at the time this discussion was going on and totally missed it. My bad.

I've mentioned this before in other threads, but I didn't like Atwood when I was younger. I found her too dark, too sarcastic, too gloomy. I couldn't relate to the characters. Not that I didn't appreciate the craft of her writing. I just didn't particularly enjoy reading it.

Somewhere along the line - not quite sure when - I started to "get" her sharp, sardonic wit. I went back and re-read The Robber Bride, The Edible Woman, Cat's Eye. I realized that she's not afraid to write about, what I call, the inner-bitch that lurks inside a lot of us. I found I could relate to the characters and, if I was honest, could see parts of myself in some of them.

It seems to me she writes two different types of books: speculative fiction (like Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake); and books that delve into female relationships and the female psyche. I've come to like both.

I'm looking forward to her latest, Moral Disorder.
 
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