Margaret Atwood

Dudess

I have read two of this Canadian author's books - The Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake. Both of them are scary glimpses into the future. The Handmaid's Tale was written in the 80s and is a vision of an America in the not-too-distant future, run by right-wing, Bible-bashing puritans (geez, wouldn't it be awful if that came true...?!!) The main character is a "handmaid", a "fallen" woman (she married a divorcee) who now has to provide surrogate children for the elites. It's very scary - particularly as it's only a few years since the ruling dictatorship seized power in a coup d'etat and all rights were taken from women. A superb book.
Oryx and Crake is set much further into the future. It depicts an America in which scientific advances have spun out of control, the world is destroyed by pollution, and multinationals and pharmaceutical companies effectively rule the United States. The focus is on two guys who are best friends. You just know, as you're reading it, that something awful is going to happen. I was blown away by The Handmaid's Tale but I think this is even better. It's stunning.
I've only just discovered Margaret Atwood but I'd highly recommend her.

Blush_01

I haven't read any of Atwood's fiction yet, but her critical stuff is usually fairly on the button.

If you like Canadian Fiction, try Margaret Laurence also.

dudara

I was never a fan of Atwood'd earlier feminist work, though "The Robber Bride" was quite good. However, with "The Handmaid's Tale", "Oryx and Crake" and "The Blind Assassin", she has written some work that I've really enjoyed. She is an exceptional writer.

I'm looking forward to reading "The Penelopaeid", has anyone here read it yet?

simu

dudara wrote:

I was never a fan of Atwood'd earlier feminist work, though "The Robber Bride" was quite good. However, with "The Handmaid's Tale", "Oryx and Crake" and "The Blind Assassin", she has written some work that I've really enjoyed. She is an exceptional writer.

Funny, I've read four of her books and they're the ones you've named there! They're all quite different but I enjoyed them all very much - they really absorb you! I found O&C especially intruiging - I loved the way she showed a gulf of understanding emerging between the survivor from our civilisation and the new humans.

I'll ceratinly be reading more of her work!

Pet

Has anyone read Cat's Eye? I had to read that for the LC, and though I hated it at first, it soon grew on me, and I now consider it to be a great book (although very moany and tough going).

sophiej

The Penelopiad is a great book, very easy and quick to read (for those on a schedule) and gets you think about the focus of traiditional books, the sex of the protagonists, the persepctives etc. It is an interesting way of looking at an old myth and of reminding us of those stories aswell.

Cat's Eye I found very good. We are sympathetic to the main character but in the end she is not really likable or rather during the course of the books events, she becomes so. I also liked how she fainted so that she wouldn't have to live through the reality - an interesting touch. The level of detail in this book is what made it so engaging to me. And it felt authentic. Teachers used to put me off books when they forced them down your throat rather than eliciting real opinion ond reaction.

Has anyone read any of her non fiction stuff? What did you think?

fasterkitten

I prefer her earlier stuff, especially The Robber Bride and Alias Grace. I thought Oryx and Crake was only OK and the Blind Assassin was just awful. When I read it, I was in an Atwood phase, had read everything else and was waiting for ages for the Blind Assassin, so maybe that was why I was disappointed.

simu

I found Cat's Eye disapponiting actually. It didn't really do much for me.

sudzs

Pet wrote:

Has anyone read Cat's Eye? I had to read that for the LC, and though I hated it at first, it soon grew on me, and I now consider it to be a great book (although very moany and tough going).

Yes! It was the first or hers I ever read and loved it!

Other favs are Oryx and Crake, The Handmaids Tale, The Robber Bride...

I wish she had been part of my Leaving Cert! Can't even remember what I had to read back in the dark ages of the 80's!! But I DO remember having to read Silas Marner at some stage!!! TORTURE! :mad: