Reviews

Surfacing by Margaret Atwood

cjw06's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

bbomdi's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

lacyk_reads's review

3.0

This book starts out as a who-dunnit kind of mystery. Then it turns into a study of political thoughts, stream of consciousness making an occasional appearance. Finally, it devolves into frantic actions with mysterious motivations that don’t always make sense. I found it hard to follow some sections. And because our protagonist and narrator only uses pronouns to describe herself and her family - no names - it was a little hard to follow some sections. Is she talking about her father, her brother, her previous husband, her current boyfriend? That said, I don’t think those distinctions were always important.

I was hooked for the majority of this book. It lost me in the last third or so, unfortunately. I just didn’t feel like it was as strong in the end as it was in the beginning. The footing felt uneven. Even so, a good book, a quick read, it was worth the time.

chlosophis's review against another edition

2.0

This is the sort of book that grips you for 50 pages, and then bores you for 50 pages, but then grips you again and suddenly you’ve finished it.

It could just be my fickle moods.

Atwood once again uses the absurd to point out the absurdity of women and their positions in patriarchal societies. And by absurd, I mean ABSURD. Not to ruin the ending… but there IS a Smeagle-to-Gollum-like transformation in the main female character.

I am generally a Margaret Atwood fan - but this book was a little on the slow side.

beytwice's review

mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

livlight's review

3.0

This book was beautifully written with loads of sensory details and amazing descriptions of the lake, wildlife, and vegetation. However, the story sort of went way over my head. I was expecting this to be more of an exciting thriller, but it was mainly about the narrator unpacking unresolved problems of her past. I feel like this book would be a great reread for me later in life, as it deals with processing marriage, divorce, death, and pregnancy.

aljosa's review

2.0

I like Atwood and her writing of course, and this is the 8th book I've read, but this wasn't that interesting tbh. 2.4/5

reba_reads_books's review against another edition

1.0

Half way into the book I still had no idea what was going on.

donnaadouglas's review

1.0

It's not often that I am unable to finish a book, but in this instance I wasn't. I found the central character to be so droll and unappealing that I was unable to connect at all with her and, in turn, wa unable to connect with her story.

gertrude314's review

2.0

I'm abandoning this after getting half way through. It wasn't that bad, just not really going anywhere. I'm not really interested in the characters. At this point they are hanging out on a deserted island in Quebec. The narrator is trying to find her missing father along with her boyfriend and another couple. I peeked and read a summary and I'm good with not going any farther.