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kimswhims's review
4.0
An excellent biography of Margaret Atwood's life and work up to 1996 when she published her novel Alias Grace.
Some of Atwood's poetry is mentioned as is inspiration for The Edible Woman, Surfacing, Lady Oracle , The Robber Bride and Cats-Eye. The Handmaid's Tale is also discussed but not in great detail.
Her contribution to CanLit and Canada having a shape and culture of it's own resulted in her first work of non-fiction Survival. Survival became definitive in looking at CanLit.
Subsequent works such as The Blind Assassin and The MaddAddam Trilogy and The Testaments came after this biography was published.
Also, Atwood didn't authorise this biography only really contributing two passages from works she'd enjoyed which basically amounted to her indicating that we shouldn't make too crude an equation between a writer's life and his or her art. Imagination needs to be taken into account. (page 334).
Nevertheless, Atwood has lead an interesting and productive life. She's produced highly original works with a "buzzsaw wit".
Many of her works have included themes such as, false memory, duplicity and the Power relation of truth telling. She's looked at feminism and the natural world with an original eye.
A quote from this biography is very apt " For those drawn to Atwood's work and to her protagonists...there is a a simple unalterable fact - that one individual can never really know and understand another....but still we try."
So there are limits to this biography but it's an exceptional example of a good look at Atwood and her work.
Returning this one to ACT library. Probably not after a copy for my shelves but may refer to it again if no updated biography of Atwood is available. Look forward to seeing the writer in Canberra on 19th Feb 2020.
Some of Atwood's poetry is mentioned as is inspiration for The Edible Woman, Surfacing, Lady Oracle , The Robber Bride and Cats-Eye. The Handmaid's Tale is also discussed but not in great detail.
Her contribution to CanLit and Canada having a shape and culture of it's own resulted in her first work of non-fiction Survival. Survival became definitive in looking at CanLit.
Subsequent works such as The Blind Assassin and The MaddAddam Trilogy and The Testaments came after this biography was published.
Also, Atwood didn't authorise this biography only really contributing two passages from works she'd enjoyed which basically amounted to her indicating that we shouldn't make too crude an equation between a writer's life and his or her art. Imagination needs to be taken into account. (page 334).
Nevertheless, Atwood has lead an interesting and productive life. She's produced highly original works with a "buzzsaw wit".
Many of her works have included themes such as, false memory, duplicity and the Power relation of truth telling. She's looked at feminism and the natural world with an original eye.
A quote from this biography is very apt " For those drawn to Atwood's work and to her protagonists...there is a a simple unalterable fact - that one individual can never really know and understand another....but still we try."
So there are limits to this biography but it's an exceptional example of a good look at Atwood and her work.
Returning this one to ACT library. Probably not after a copy for my shelves but may refer to it again if no updated biography of Atwood is available. Look forward to seeing the writer in Canberra on 19th Feb 2020.
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