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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
Yep, another Margaret Atwood book that is essentially literary perfection. She is an absolute wordsmith, and I especially enjoyed seeing themes in this work from the '90s that are echoed later in her MaddAddam series. The four main characters in this book seem to embody characteristics tied to interrelated themes of food and consumption, spirituality, history of civilization, and destruction. I am just completely enamored by Atwood's entire oeuvre, and found this to be a compelling, fast-paced book about women who are strong and feminist in very different ways.
Interesting story overly padded out with excess heavy fluff, overly dramatic which made it hard going, and the characters probably would have been more likeable without all the excess. Probably could have done being 300 pages instead of over 500
4 and a half star, rounded to 5.
You don’t have to kill someone to destroy their lives. Psychopaths come in many different shapes and sizes, and Zenia is one of the creepiest one I have encountered in any book. Because she takes what made Tony, Roz and Charis good women and uses it against them.
I used to know someone very much like Zenia. For the few months she was around, she managed to make me lose sight of my values and goals, just like a little devil on my shoulder, whispering terrible things and nudging me just a little bit off course… I snapped out of it relatively fast, before any serious damage was done, but when I think back on those few months, I want to crawl under the carpet to hide. All she ever got her greedy hands on at the end was simply a few pieces of clothing, but she dealt a spectacular blow to my ability to trust, and severely damaged my faith in humanity. Just like Zenia, this girl liked to stand there and just fuck shit up. If she slept with a married man, she didn’t feel like she was the one doing anything wrong: if anyone was at fault here, it was that guy, who had been so easy to seduce and compromise. Know the type? I’m sure you’ve met someone like that too.
“The Robber Bride” is the story of three women: Tony, the quiet academic, Roz, the brassy business woman, and Charis, the quiet New Ager. They have very little in common, but have nevertheless bonded over the fact that one woman wormed her way into their lives and ruined them.
Atwood has a thing for women. I do not know what to call it exactly, but she peels the surface off women’s relationships with each other and shows it, warts and all, in the most brutally honest way I have ever seen on a page. Friendship between women, in my experience, is always a complex thing, often tinted with ambiguity. And while men can play a significant role in problematic and difficult situations we cope with, other women are not to be underestimated, even if they prefer to stay behind the curtain. Atwood knows this and writes it all fearlessly in a prose that is both acidic and sharp. Reading this book made me squirm in a way that reminded me of that weird taste on your tongue when you eat too many sour candies. And I really mean that in the best possible way.
The strength of the characterization in this novel is amazing. Through flashbacks, we get to know Tony, Roz and Charis. I didn’t like any of them, for a myriad reasons, but I loved their story anyway, their evolution and transformation. There is, of course, a generation gap issue to consider: they were born in the 1940’s, I was born in the 1980’s. So the way they see relationships between men and women, their incapacity to properly communicate with their partners and the way they suffer through things feels dated to me, but in a completely realistic way. Kind of like discussing dating with my aunt: both of us think the other one is from another planet.
The way Zenia haunts the trio is fascinating, because she knows exactly what will make those women tick, she appeals to what they feel to be their better qualities and uses it against them like a weapon. She turns their strength into a weakness. I’ll be honest, that is simply terrifying and sociopathic.
In short, the “Robber Bride” is a great character study, biting with realism and bittersweet affection between women. If you like Margaret Atwood’s work, do not miss this one.
You don’t have to kill someone to destroy their lives. Psychopaths come in many different shapes and sizes, and Zenia is one of the creepiest one I have encountered in any book. Because she takes what made Tony, Roz and Charis good women and uses it against them.
I used to know someone very much like Zenia. For the few months she was around, she managed to make me lose sight of my values and goals, just like a little devil on my shoulder, whispering terrible things and nudging me just a little bit off course… I snapped out of it relatively fast, before any serious damage was done, but when I think back on those few months, I want to crawl under the carpet to hide. All she ever got her greedy hands on at the end was simply a few pieces of clothing, but she dealt a spectacular blow to my ability to trust, and severely damaged my faith in humanity. Just like Zenia, this girl liked to stand there and just fuck shit up. If she slept with a married man, she didn’t feel like she was the one doing anything wrong: if anyone was at fault here, it was that guy, who had been so easy to seduce and compromise. Know the type? I’m sure you’ve met someone like that too.
“The Robber Bride” is the story of three women: Tony, the quiet academic, Roz, the brassy business woman, and Charis, the quiet New Ager. They have very little in common, but have nevertheless bonded over the fact that one woman wormed her way into their lives and ruined them.
Atwood has a thing for women. I do not know what to call it exactly, but she peels the surface off women’s relationships with each other and shows it, warts and all, in the most brutally honest way I have ever seen on a page. Friendship between women, in my experience, is always a complex thing, often tinted with ambiguity. And while men can play a significant role in problematic and difficult situations we cope with, other women are not to be underestimated, even if they prefer to stay behind the curtain. Atwood knows this and writes it all fearlessly in a prose that is both acidic and sharp. Reading this book made me squirm in a way that reminded me of that weird taste on your tongue when you eat too many sour candies. And I really mean that in the best possible way.
The strength of the characterization in this novel is amazing. Through flashbacks, we get to know Tony, Roz and Charis. I didn’t like any of them, for a myriad reasons, but I loved their story anyway, their evolution and transformation. There is, of course, a generation gap issue to consider: they were born in the 1940’s, I was born in the 1980’s. So the way they see relationships between men and women, their incapacity to properly communicate with their partners and the way they suffer through things feels dated to me, but in a completely realistic way. Kind of like discussing dating with my aunt: both of us think the other one is from another planet.
The way Zenia haunts the trio is fascinating, because she knows exactly what will make those women tick, she appeals to what they feel to be their better qualities and uses it against them like a weapon. She turns their strength into a weakness. I’ll be honest, that is simply terrifying and sociopathic.
In short, the “Robber Bride” is a great character study, biting with realism and bittersweet affection between women. If you like Margaret Atwood’s work, do not miss this one.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think Margaret Atwood is one of the best writers who can capture women so clearly that you can find something to relate to each one. Interesting read - and so vivid!!
Really, you can't go wrong with Margaret Atwood.
I hated this. Thanks for coming to my 3 word TED talk.
i am very mixed on this book. on one hand margaret atwood is just an incredible writer and if there is one thing she is going to do extremely well it is write about women. on the surface this felt like the perfect book for me, aka woman-on-woman crime and horrible evil terrible people >:) but i was SO BORED. the chronology of this book i think covers 1 week. on page 300 we are STILL at that first dinner at toxique. 70% of this book is dedicated to the upbringings of tony charis and roz and of course they were rich and complicated and wonderful characters but i was bored, i wanted the guts and gore i was promised. also zenia again should have been the perfect villain for me but she felt so motiveless. like for what reason did she want to rupture everyone's lives except for being the villain in a book??
this book was kind of like eating asparagus where you're like this is good for me but im also quite excited for it to be over
this book was kind of like eating asparagus where you're like this is good for me but im also quite excited for it to be over
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Atwood always messes with my head...and this book is so intense, especially when reading it to teach. I was lost in it for so. long. and I honestly could go back and spend even more time in it. Phew.