Scan barcode
savaging's review against another edition
4.0
I was reminded of something a medical student said to me about the interior of the human body, forty years ago: “It’s dark in there.”
Possibly, then, writing has to do with darkness, and a desire or perhaps a compulsion to enter it, and, with luck, to illuminate it, and to bring something back out to the light. This book is about that kind of darkness, and that kind of desire.
-Atwood
The writers I love are the ones who say writing is an act of sinking, emptiness, the shock of the void and the pleasure of the shock. Kafka, Cixous, Lispector, Duras. And Atwood sounds like them when she explains that the person whose name is on the book might be pleasant and mild, it's just that they have a double, a parasite in the brain -- she writes that the internal writer is something like a necrophiliac "tape-worm made of ink."
But Atwood isn't as far gone into the Dark Arts of Writing as the others -- after all she can keep her head above water enough to craft a functioning plot, while the other names mentioned are wide-eyed with the fishes. That makes this book somewhere between the fruitfully insane and the uninspiringly helpful (between Cixous' [b:Three Steps on the Ladder of Writing|153347|Three Steps on the Ladder of Writing|Hélène Cixous|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1172249906s/153347.jpg|148027] and Bradbury's [b:Zen in the Art of Writing|103761|Zen in the Art of Writing|Ray Bradbury|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1385688086s/103761.jpg|2183601]), and is probably The Answer for those who conclude that moderation is the key to most mysteries.
For instance, Atwood considers the reason for writing. Is it simply to write, Art-for-Art's Sake? If so, "won’t you end up making the equivalent of verbal doilies for the gilded armchairs in the Palace of Art?" But if instead you choose Social Relevance, "Will you end up on a panel discussion, and if so, is it the panel discussion in Hell?" Her books testify to the importance of never quite solving this question.
Read this, if you're a writer, especially if you love that dizzying inward movement of reading writers writing about writing for readers.
dorhastings's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
How this book ended up on my TBR: Funny story. So this Audible audiobook is one that I acquired during The Time of Spending All the Credits. I've read several of Atwood's books and, at this point at least, watched her Masterclass. The only Masterclass that I ever completed, start to finish, and wanted to watch again (in part, because she reminds me so much of my wonderful aunt, Betty). But as I was entering this book into GoodReads, I realized that I had actually read this book before. I have a paperback version of this book, Negotiating with the Dead, not knowing it was the same book.
I will include my earlier review below; it's from 2011. At the time I suspect I was expecting more of a "typical" memoir from Atwood. A silly expectation, now that I think more about the author. Now that I've listened to the book again, I can't really disagree with my earlier review, but I have some thoughts. First, this was not meant to be a "typical" memoir, as it originated as a series of lectures on writing. So the primary audience for this book is writers. Second, maybe it's the type of memoir that Atwood would want to write. Perhaps it is actually more personal than I originally thought. Just because she's not referring to herself all of the time does not mean that the book is not about her, her experiences, and her thoughts. Rather, she is trying to explore themes that plague many, if not most, writers. At some point, she talks about the writer as two entities: the writer, and the non-writer person. They impact each other, no doubt. It is this relationship that Atwood explores in this book.
As for the audiobook format, I could listen to Atwood read the dictionary. I love hearing her talk. The Audible version has an interview with Atwood, but there's nothing special to it. I hope there is a non-Audible version of this book.
--
Review from 2011
This book is a little more 3.5 stars, but such are the details. I happily give four stars to this book. I have only read a handful of Margaret Atwood's work (the Margaret Atwood of each book, that is). Each author is quite unique when writing about writing, and while I can't entirely identify with this book, I know that when Margaret Atwood was writing for the lecture series (and then, of course, for this book), that she felt these topics were relevant and necessary.
One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the first chapter, where Atwood gives the reader a glimpse into her childhood. I had no idea that she was a poet. I found myself somewhat unable to understand a chapter or two of the whole text, but that wasn't too much in the grand scheme of things. The last writing book I read invested a lot of attention in the writing aspect. This book seemed geared more toward the writer as a person as well as the audience.
I will definitely take this book to heart. "Advice for the innocent pilgrim, worthy enough, no doubt, but no doubt useless: dangers multiply by the hour, you never step into the same river twice, the vast empty spaces of the blank page appall, and everyone walks into the maze blindfolded" (p. xviii). Writers "steal the shiny bits, and build them into the structures of our own disorderly nests" (p. xix). I like the focus on context: how the past affects the writer, and how the present affects the reader. Very worth the read.
I will include my earlier review below; it's from 2011. At the time I suspect I was expecting more of a "typical" memoir from Atwood. A silly expectation, now that I think more about the author. Now that I've listened to the book again, I can't really disagree with my earlier review, but I have some thoughts. First, this was not meant to be a "typical" memoir, as it originated as a series of lectures on writing. So the primary audience for this book is writers. Second, maybe it's the type of memoir that Atwood would want to write. Perhaps it is actually more personal than I originally thought. Just because she's not referring to herself all of the time does not mean that the book is not about her, her experiences, and her thoughts. Rather, she is trying to explore themes that plague many, if not most, writers. At some point, she talks about the writer as two entities: the writer, and the non-writer person. They impact each other, no doubt. It is this relationship that Atwood explores in this book.
As for the audiobook format, I could listen to Atwood read the dictionary. I love hearing her talk. The Audible version has an interview with Atwood, but there's nothing special to it. I hope there is a non-Audible version of this book.
--
Review from 2011
This book is a little more 3.5 stars, but such are the details. I happily give four stars to this book. I have only read a handful of Margaret Atwood's work (the Margaret Atwood of each book, that is). Each author is quite unique when writing about writing, and while I can't entirely identify with this book, I know that when Margaret Atwood was writing for the lecture series (and then, of course, for this book), that she felt these topics were relevant and necessary.
One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the first chapter, where Atwood gives the reader a glimpse into her childhood. I had no idea that she was a poet. I found myself somewhat unable to understand a chapter or two of the whole text, but that wasn't too much in the grand scheme of things. The last writing book I read invested a lot of attention in the writing aspect. This book seemed geared more toward the writer as a person as well as the audience.
I will definitely take this book to heart. "Advice for the innocent pilgrim, worthy enough, no doubt, but no doubt useless: dangers multiply by the hour, you never step into the same river twice, the vast empty spaces of the blank page appall, and everyone walks into the maze blindfolded" (p. xviii). Writers "steal the shiny bits, and build them into the structures of our own disorderly nests" (p. xix). I like the focus on context: how the past affects the writer, and how the present affects the reader. Very worth the read.
laurasauras's review against another edition
5.0
What a wonderful book on writers writing about writing. I really enjoyed Margaret's voice.
book_concierge's review against another edition
2.0
2.5**
Alternate or Subtitle: A Writer on Writing
Atwood was asked to give the Empson lectures at Cambridge University in 2000. The series of six presentations were intended for scholars, students and the general public. This book is the result of that experience.
Somehow, I’ve found myself reading books about writing this past year. I read Ray Bradbury’s Zen in the Art of Writing last month and am just about to finish listening to Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. I cannot help but compare them, and I find this one better than Bradbury’s, but not so helpful (or entertaining) as King’s
Atwood clearly gave a lot of thought into the lecture series and she references many writers and books in a range of genres, though she does tend to rely most on classics / literary fiction and poetry. She does have some very interesting points to make, and questions to ask. For example, this excerpt:
In what ways, if any, does talent set you apart? Does it exempt you from the duties and responsibilities expected of others? Or does it load you up with even more duties and responsibilities, but of a different kind? Are you to be a detached observer…? Or ought you to be a dedicated spokesperson for the downtrodden of this earth…?
However, the style seemed stilted and detached. Dryly academic. I found myself anxious for her to get her point made and move on.
Alternate or Subtitle: A Writer on Writing
Atwood was asked to give the Empson lectures at Cambridge University in 2000. The series of six presentations were intended for scholars, students and the general public. This book is the result of that experience.
Somehow, I’ve found myself reading books about writing this past year. I read Ray Bradbury’s Zen in the Art of Writing last month and am just about to finish listening to Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. I cannot help but compare them, and I find this one better than Bradbury’s, but not so helpful (or entertaining) as King’s
Atwood clearly gave a lot of thought into the lecture series and she references many writers and books in a range of genres, though she does tend to rely most on classics / literary fiction and poetry. She does have some very interesting points to make, and questions to ask. For example, this excerpt:
In what ways, if any, does talent set you apart? Does it exempt you from the duties and responsibilities expected of others? Or does it load you up with even more duties and responsibilities, but of a different kind? Are you to be a detached observer…? Or ought you to be a dedicated spokesperson for the downtrodden of this earth…?
However, the style seemed stilted and detached. Dryly academic. I found myself anxious for her to get her point made and move on.
marianne4aura's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
3.5
gabrielle_erin's review
2.0
I love a non-fiction book as much as the next gal but I swear Margaret Atwood was on some other shit when writing this. Mama really said intertextuality, damn. Hard to keep up.
lelia_t's review against another edition
3.0
I came into this book with false expectations. I’d thought Atwood would speak more to the craft of writing and her own experiences, but this book is about the motivations of writers (Success? Money? Art?) , which part of the writer writes, who the writer writes for. A philosophical look at writing, in other words. Atwood is definitely well read and has done a lot of thinking on the topic, as you’d expect a writer of her stature to have done. But I found that with each chapter, she asks a question, explores about 25 responses from other writers and then comes to a simple conclusion that she could have arrived at in ⅛ of the word count. It’s like weaving a tangled web and then removing a single important fiber, so you wonder why we had to weave the tangle in the first place if only one fiber mattered?
I enjoyed her brief descriptions about her own experiences as a writer and I value some of her insights, especially in the final chapter, “Negotiating with the Dead,” but overall this seemed like a lot about a little.
I enjoyed her brief descriptions about her own experiences as a writer and I value some of her insights, especially in the final chapter, “Negotiating with the Dead,” but overall this seemed like a lot about a little.
authoraugust's review against another edition
5.0
Margaret Atwood has been on my to-read list for a very long time, but I hadn't heard about this book until I stumbled upon it in the writing section at the library. The title intrigued me enough to pick it up, and I'm incredibly glad I did. Memoirs of writing are usually fun, in their own way, and some (like Bird by Bird, for example, or On Writing) are fantastic. This, though, tackled all those topics which are closest to the fear in a writer's life - things like writing Art for Art's Sake vs. writing Art for the Betterment of Society (which should we do? and Atwood does not actually answer that for us, but addresses both sides very thoroughly). I felt like I was swimming through a thorough, engaging, but dense philosophy book instead of a writing memoir, and though it took me a while to make it to the end, it was definitely worth the read.