Margaret Atwood
1988
Around 420 pages
I love Margaret Atwood, and we certainly earned this read after some of the clunkers on this List. Once again, Atwood astonishes me with her range and emotional intelligence.
Elaine Risley is a painter who goes back to her childhood town Toronto for a retrospective on her art. She had a somewhat unconventional childhood, as her father's entomology work kept them traveling a lot. At the age of eight, she becomes friends with Carol and Grace, although that friendship shifts after the addition of a new girl, Cordelia. Has there ever been a boring character named Cordelia?
I love it when characters reflect on their past, and Elaine is a very relatable protagonist. I'm sure all women have those memories of childhood bullying or weird social dynamics that still affect how you see things today. Atwood did a wonderful job capturing those adolescent insecurities that you carry into adulthood. Also, "the mean girls" in media tend to be very cartoonish, but Atwood created compelling characters in Carol, Grace, and Cordelia.
Not my favorite Atwood because she has so many masterpieces to choose from, but I would still consider this essential reading.
RATING: *****
Interesting Facts:
Interesting Facts:
Finalist for the 1988 Governor General's Award and for the 1989 Booker Prize.
UP NEXT: The Book of Evidence by John Banville
1 comment:
Atwood brought me back to my childhood and as I read this novel, I clearly remembered the feelings and interactions of young girls. It takes a talented writer to touch readers in such a way.
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