Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
I don't normally buy Margaret Atwood books without previewing them in library copy, but I found this at a bookstore downtown and figured I'd give it a shot. I found it hard to follow at first, but got drawn into Joan's story. The ending struck me as something more along the lines of what a short story writer does, but I suppose it was also in keeping with the writing that Joan did herself.
medium-paced
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is the only book by Atwood I've read to date. I suspect its not her best work, but it was still worth a read.
reflective
sad
Book Rating: 7/10:
Enjoyable read. This book had quite an interesting premise of a woman who fakes her death and moves to Italy. Where she recounts her life to the reader and why she chose to fake her own death. I was gripped throughout and I really liked Joan. Sam was good too. The rest varied in my like or dislike of them. Felt the story lost its way near the end though and felt a little unsatisfying. I think too much time was placed on the past and not enough on the present. Maybe that was intentional from Margaret Atwood’s POV as the character did love to dwell in the past and the book as a whole represented that. But I can't help but feel if we had more of Joan on the run it could have been more interesting alongside her story of why she chose to fake her death.
Enjoyable read. This book had quite an interesting premise of a woman who fakes her death and moves to Italy. Where she recounts her life to the reader and why she chose to fake her own death. I was gripped throughout and I really liked Joan. Sam was good too. The rest varied in my like or dislike of them. Felt the story lost its way near the end though and felt a little unsatisfying. I think too much time was placed on the past and not enough on the present. Maybe that was intentional from Margaret Atwood’s POV as the character did love to dwell in the past and the book as a whole represented that. But I can't help but feel if we had more of Joan on the run it could have been more interesting alongside her story of why she chose to fake her death.
funny
reflective
slow-paced
I did this for my Contemporary Women’s Writing module and I really liked it. Also I wrote an essay on it and wasn’t even sick of it after that so it’s got to be pretty good. I’ve read two other novels by Margaret Atwood – The Handmaid’s Tale and Alias Grace, and Lady Oracle is not at all like either of those. It’s really funny and sweet, it’s kind of a coming of age tale in a way, I really liked it. Also it’s quite interesting when you’re thinking about genre fiction and fiction aimed at women, which unless you’re doing a Contemporary Women’s Writing module, you probably aren’t. But oh well, you should still read it. It’s good.
I basically love everything Atwood writes. This one pales a bit compared to her other novels but I remember enjoying it. There are a few scenes that have stuck with me. One of them is the 'daffodil man' thing which I think happens in Cat's Eye too? This is one of her more chick-lit ish books. I wish I had a nicer edition like the one with the outfit on or the Virago one.