A review by wyemu
Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood

4.0

It took me a while to get around to reading this one and I'm not sure why as it's as amazing as all of Atwood's other books that I've enjoyed immensely. Atwood is again providing thought provoking narrative with wit and scathing satire at society's need to control the individual. Joan Foster is a feminist writer who makes more money writing romance novels as Louisa Delacourt. Having faked her death to escape her boring marriage, and life, Joan is now staying in Italy and hoping no one there remembers her from when she holidayed there with her husband. This part of the narrative is interspersed with Joan's recollections of childhood, a not entirely happy one as a chubby child who battled with her mother over her weight. As in 'The Edible Woman' Atwood examines the role society plays in putting pressure on people to conform to certain stereotypes or body images. Joan's mother is the voice for society with her desire to have the perfect daughter, instead of the chubby girl who doesn't quite fit in that she is left with. Meanwhile, the romance novel that Joan is currently writing under her pseudonym also makes sporadic appearances, fulfilling all the cliches that you'd expect from that type of romance novel. Atwood is once again at her satirical best, so glads I finally got around to reading it and wish I had done so sooner.