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heartsneedle's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5
Torment, Identity, Gothic-Romance
“My life was a snarl, a rat’s nest of dangling threads and loose ends. I couldn’t possibly have a happy ending, but I wanted a neat one.”
Overall: Poses interesting novel-within-a-novel parallel between Joan and other versions of herself, yet suffered from unevenness and rote ended plots.
Pros:
-- Writing about other books
-- nostalgic, witty passages out of genre
Cons:
-- Progression was slow, complicated, and often bloated
-- unneeded flashbacks, repetitive attempts to bridge characterization
Torment, Identity, Gothic-Romance
“My life was a snarl, a rat’s nest of dangling threads and loose ends. I couldn’t possibly have a happy ending, but I wanted a neat one.”
Overall: Poses interesting novel-within-a-novel parallel between Joan and other versions of herself, yet suffered from unevenness and rote ended plots.
Pros:
-- Writing about other books
-- nostalgic, witty passages out of genre
Cons:
-- Progression was slow, complicated, and often bloated
-- unneeded flashbacks, repetitive attempts to bridge characterization
jenne512's review against another edition
3.0
It was a quicker read than I thought. I thought a lot of Joan's thoughts and fears were relatable and her flashbacks, especially later on in the book, kept me engaged. She's a pretty smart, although somewhat paranoid character, considering how she managed to escape many of her problems through believable yet intricate lies. I'm disappointed though in the ending of the book. I don't know what I expected but it felt it was going to be more shocking than what you get. Despite being entertained by her whirlwind of fame, her complex relationships, and her final escape, I found that Joan's character, mentally, doesn't really change too much. I feel the one lesson she should of learned - be truthful - is never fully accepted. For example, she escapes to Italy to try to live her 'real' life but finds herself at times wishing for her boring husband. Joan Foster is a complex figure who continually tries to hide her confusing persona from the world - which is sad. And because I saw that as really tragic, part of me wanted her to have a happier, more definite ending, like the ones she always gives her Costume Gothic characters. Someone like Joan who could barely combine their two lives/personalities together deserves some kind of single definition and peace.
chl03's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.0
oldenglishrose's review against another edition
5.0
If I were to say that this book was the humorous story of a girl who battles with her mother, her relationships and, most of all, her weight, you would probably dismiss it as fluffy chick lit, and that is certainly what it sounds like. However, nothing could be further from the truth; this book is a perfect example of how a novel can be so much more than its plot. Margaret Atwood incorporates all these aspects typical of chick lit in Lady Oracle and treats them in a way that is intelligent, engaging, and blackly comic.
The narrator is fantastically unreliable. She spends the book developing so many different fictions of her own life to tell to people in order to disguise the truth that is is difficult to keep track of what is real and what isn’t, and furthermore I could never quite work out if what Jean is relating now is just another fiction, performing herself for yet another audience. This novel reflects, distorts and echoes itself through layers upon layers of deception. However, the pleasure of reading comes not from trying to find out the truth and outwit the narrator, but from becoming lost in the lies and so being made to examine the fragmentary nature of character. Unlike a lot of books which have an idea though, Lady Oracle also has an engaging story with fascinating characters, and so I was able to enjoy the thoughts that the book inspired without having the feeling of being cheated that I get when I read a book that that seems to have been written purely to convey that idea without any thought for plot.
It sounds a bit pompous, not to mention odd for a book which involves faking one’s own death, but there is a peculiar universality to the narration which speaks to the reader. My situation is very different from Jean’s (my mother is lovely, thank you very much; I somehow managed to completely avoid being bullied throughout my childhood; I have never been, nor intend to be, the mistress of a Polish count; and my future husband is not a manic depressive political activist) yet I found myself identifying with a lot of the things she said. My copy of the book is filled with little pieces of paper marking memorable quotes that I particularly liked. These observations always have a wry, humorous tone to them which made the book a very good read.
The narrator is fantastically unreliable. She spends the book developing so many different fictions of her own life to tell to people in order to disguise the truth that is is difficult to keep track of what is real and what isn’t, and furthermore I could never quite work out if what Jean is relating now is just another fiction, performing herself for yet another audience. This novel reflects, distorts and echoes itself through layers upon layers of deception. However, the pleasure of reading comes not from trying to find out the truth and outwit the narrator, but from becoming lost in the lies and so being made to examine the fragmentary nature of character. Unlike a lot of books which have an idea though, Lady Oracle also has an engaging story with fascinating characters, and so I was able to enjoy the thoughts that the book inspired without having the feeling of being cheated that I get when I read a book that that seems to have been written purely to convey that idea without any thought for plot.
It sounds a bit pompous, not to mention odd for a book which involves faking one’s own death, but there is a peculiar universality to the narration which speaks to the reader. My situation is very different from Jean’s (my mother is lovely, thank you very much; I somehow managed to completely avoid being bullied throughout my childhood; I have never been, nor intend to be, the mistress of a Polish count; and my future husband is not a manic depressive political activist) yet I found myself identifying with a lot of the things she said. My copy of the book is filled with little pieces of paper marking memorable quotes that I particularly liked. These observations always have a wry, humorous tone to them which made the book a very good read.
tasharobinson's review against another edition
3.0
The strongest of the early Atwood books I've read so far, this book is beautifully written and full of fascinating stories and insight into the protagonist's psyche, it just doesn't hold together much as an individual story. It lurches around in the present-day segments but is much more leisurely in the past, so that the lead character's backstory seems more real than her present — especially since people in her past are so well-defined, while people in the present are vague blurs and fears. The whole thing sometime seems like a bunch of tangentially related, interesting short stories more than a description of one person's life. Very readable, very thoughtful, and recommended, but Atwood's done much stronger work.
meganstreb's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this book, although I found Joan difficult as a character. She does end up growing as a person, even if it's just to know herself better. I found it uncomfortable at times, but isn't that part of a challenging book?
karina_andrea's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
rosydaysjpg's review against another edition
slow-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? It's complicated
2.5
meghanson's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0