April 2019: Margaret Atwood

Hello all, in April we'll be reading Margaret Atwood together.

For reference, the last time we read her works together was in 2013: http://www.librarything.com/topic/152340

Previously I've read Atwood's MaddAddam Triology (Oryx and Crake, The Year of the Flood, and MaddAddam), as well as her novels The Blind Assassin and The Handmaid's Tale. The latter is of course now an award-winning show and Atwood has promised us a sequel, news which I'm honestly unsure if I'm excited about or not.

In the past I've also read some of Atwood's children's books, including Princess Prunella and the Purple Peanut and Rude Ramsay and the Roaring Radishes. Unlike her adult works, I was not particularly thrilled with these titles.

And finally, in the last year or so I picked up the comics/prose collection titled The Secret Loves of Geek Girls, to which Atwood contributed a short comic.

At this point, I'm not sure what I'll read next month, but there are lot of good possibilities and it'll likely end up being what's available first at my library.

For what it's worth, Atwood has several titles on the list of 1001 Books to Read Before You Die:
Surfacing
The Handmaid’s Tale
Cat’s Eye
The Robber Bride
Alias Grace -- I think there is a show out now based on this one as well
The Blind Assassin

What about everyone else? What have you previously read by Atwood? What do you plan to read? Has anyone been watching the show based on The Handmaid's Tale? Anything else interesting to add (articles, discussion questions, etc. etc.)?

>2 sweetiegherkin: I've read all the books listed on 1001 list, plus Bodily Harm, The Penelopiad, several short story collections, and the nonfiction Payback.

My favorite is The Robber Bride, which I read 25 years ago. I am hoping to read Lady Oracle, Life Before Man or Hag-Seed.

I read my first Atwood last year, The Handmaid's Tale, and was swept away by it. The way she created a Salem witch trials environment in present day and flipping the concept of orientalism and westernism was fantastic. I have yet to watch the series on Hulu as I told myself I need to catch up on the current series I'm watching but I have every intention of watching it.

And I look forward to reading the sequel as well.

However, I read Alias Grace in February and although the writing was beautiful, I didn't get into the story much. I just couldn't understand as to why Atwood had been so taken by this story even though I know it discusses "the female affliction" and whatnot. I am still interested in the Netflix mini series to see if they portray Grace as more of a villain or a victim.

For this group read I hope to read the first book in the Oryx and Crake series as I bought the box set in December along with Alias Grace above. As it is dystopian I feel it'll be an easier read as well.

I have read most of her books but since it's been a while, I decided to re-read them in order. I just finished Edible Woman and bought a copy of Surfacing.

>3 kac522: Robber Bride is also one of my favourites although I hated it at first. I am glad that I pressed on because it was fantastic.

I haven't watched the TV shows yet but I think there was a movie version of Handmaids Tale? It was done some time ago and I remember liking it.

Fun story... I used to work at a small bookstore at Toronto airport and one day, while I was busy with a customer at cash, I happened to look out the corner of my eye and there was Margaret Atwood standing in front of the A section checking out our selection of her books. Graham Gibson was right behind her so I got two for the price of one! Of all the celebrities travelling through the airport, she was definitely my favourite. She is coming to town this spring for a lecture so I had to buy tickets to go. Can't wait!

I also first read The Handmaid's Tale and was completely floored. It's a perfect novel.

I've read quite a bit of her other work. I remember liking the Oryx and Crake trilogy, when I read it a couple years ago, but I remember very little of the plot now. I liked her recent Hag-Seed and Penelopiad. I also liked Cat's Eye though it is strange and seems polarizing to reviewers.

>4 lilisin: I had a very similar reaction to Alias Grace! It should have been exactly my cup of tea but it definitively was not.

>5 Yells: Yes, I think there was a movie version of Handmaid's Tale a couple of decades ago. Seemed like it was universally panned as not particularly good. I recall watching a trailer and thinking that looked bad.

>7 sweetiegherkin: If it was panned then yup, I probably liked it. :)

It's officially April so time to start reading Atwood! I'm about to finish the book I'm currently reading and although I still don't know if I'll go into Atwood right away I do know that I'll be reading Oryx and Crake, the first book in the MaddAddam Trilogy, as those are the only books I have on hand by Atwood (and living in Japan it's either inconvenient or prohibitively expensive to go buy English-language books).

I'll be reading Cat's Eye this month. Just got it from the library and I plan to start it after the book I'm reading now.

Timely because I am halfway through Cat's Eye right now!

https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2019/apr/16/margaret-atwood-cats-eye...

I finished Cat's Eye last night. It's beautifully written but I found it hard to get through -- not that it's terribly long, really, but it's so heavily detailed that it's hard to pay attention to and determine which details are relevant and which are window-dressing (sometimes literally!). I think I prefer her sparer works, like Surfacing or even The Handmaid's Tale, where there are pieces unsaid.

What are others in the group reading this month?

I did a quick catalog search to see which other Atwoods I've read. Turns out, quite a few! It's kind of a grab bag, it appears. Here are some quick thoughts (no spoilers).

The Handmaid's Tale -- a true classic. loved it.

The Blind Assassin -- I read this soon after a reread of The Handmaid's Tale, and it paled in comparison

MaddAddam trilogy -- I read all three of these a couple years ago and really liked them. There's a lot going on in these, more than you see at first glance.

Alias Grace -- I wanted to love this but it just didn't grab me. I'm not sure I can articulate why. It is exactly something I love (how has history unfairly misjudged a woman?) but I found it almost boring.

The Penelopiad -- loved this one too! Very interesting and engaging for fans of Greek mythology

Surfacing -- engrossing look at mental illness and rural life, written in a truly stunning fashion. Really liked it.

The Heart Goes Last -- LT says that I read this in 2015 but I remembered literally nothing about it. Looking at a plot synopsis, I remember a little, but it obviously didn't make an impression on me.

Hag-Seed -- I actually got this from LT Early Reviewers! I thought this was interesting and definitely educated me since I've never read The Tempest. I liked it but it isn't my favorite of her work.

I was reading a lot this year but my reading mood changed suddenly in April to where I haven't started the Atwood yet and the book I am reading I've only had enough mental energy to read about 10 pages a day and as it is a 800 page book I'm definitely not headed anywhere fast. I'm dealing with a death in the family and initially I think I was reading a lot to escape the reality of my grief but now that I've gone through all the stages of grief a few times already, I've now entered a new stage of I don't know what this is. And since I leave for France on Tuesday for vacation to be with family and will have to confront the emotions again, I know I won't get to read the Atwood this month at all. So that's it for me for the group read unfortunately but I have every intention of coming back here whenever it is that I do read the book to post my thoughts here even if it ends up being a year later (which I hope it won't be).

>13 lilisin: I am so sorry to hear that. Grief is a strange thing sometimes; it can follow a set course or it can veer off into new directions. I hope you can find peace on your vacation and eventually, when you are ready, find solace in books again. Hugs!

>13 lilisin: I'm so sorry for your loss. Grief is a beast. Give yourself space to do whatever gives you comfort right now.

>13 lilisin:
Sending you thoughts of support and comfort. Grief is a process. Take the time that you need. We'll be here when you're ready.

Thank you everyone for the kind words. I think I'm going to enjoy not reading for a while and come back from France with a refreshed mind. And hopefully a yearning for Atwood! :)

>14 Yells: So sorry to hear about your loss. I also had a death in the family this spring and it takes a toll. Wishing you the best during a difficult time.

And don't worry about us, we'll be here still talking about books whenever you want to pop in for a chat. :)

I did get my hands on a copy of Alias Grace but that was as far as I got, despite my best intentions. Somehow there's always something else to do and to read. I'll get to it eventually....

>18 sweetiegherkin: I'm sorry for your loss as well. I hope you're doing okay.

(Psst, I think some of you linked your sympathies to the wrong post... just a gentle FYI)

>20 sparemethecensor: Thank you

>21 Yells: No worries

It's an older article now, but here's an interesting read about Margaret Atwood's take on how technology influences the writing process: https://www.fastcompany.com/3052642/margaret-atwood-on-how-tech-influences-creat...

The Handmaid’s Tale: The Graphic Novel – Renee Nault / Margaret Atwood
5*****

I’ve read and reviewed Atwood’s novel previously (See my review HERE), so I’ll confine this review to the adaptation.

Nault is a Canadian artist and illustrator and her interpretation of Atwood’s novel is marvelous.

Her imagery is even more vivid and memorable than some of the same scenes as described by Atwood. I’m thinking particularly of “the Ceremony” where the Commander tries to impregnate Offred each month, or the scenes of Offred walking past the wall where “traitors” are hung.

She uses just enough text to keep the story moving and to explain the images. Of course, I’d read the original (two or three times), but I don’t think I would have missed much had this been my only experience with Atwood’s story.

The final chapter, called “Historical Notes,” is perhaps too brief, but certainly conveys the relevant information, and is less likely to be skipped over than in Atwood’s original.

I do NOT recommend that readers skip the original work, but this would be a great introduction or supplement to the novel.