Alias Grace
I loved this book! Finally, a review of a book that I can say that about. Yay!
What I absolutely loved best about this book was the unusual narrative approach. Some sections are written from a third person limited point of view, some from first person. The changing perspectives deepen the sense of mystery as Atwood slowly reveals the circumstances surrounding the case of Grace Marks, while simultaneously developing a second plot concerning the young doctor attempting to get to the bottom of the murders she was convicted of. Though it lacks the intensity of a true murder-mystery, the writing and the ingenuity are riveting.
Maybe at this point I should back up a bit and explain the premise of the book. Atwood bases the story on trial and interview transcripts as well as newspaper and magazine articles surrounding the murder of two people in Canada in the 1840′s. The novel is set over a decade after the murder and trial, after Grace has spent nearly half her young life in prison, and part of it in an asylum. In an attempt to make a name for himself and perhaps help her petition for a pardon, Dr. Simon Jordan conducts a series of interviews with her, hoping to jog her memory of the murders, which she claims to have no recollection of. At the same time, his lack of initiative in his own personal life begins to draw him into a rather complicated and compromising position. The novel is ultimately a very interesting blend of fact, fiction, and speculation.
Now, obviously, as a story about a real life murder, there is plenty of pretty objectionable content. Some of the objectionable content is of a sexual nature, occasionally a bit on the explicit side. There is also a botched abortion and two very grisly murders. None of this, however, detracts from the powerfully told story of an accused murderess, neither does most of it, in my opinion, go beyond what is reasonable. (There are two particular scenes involving Dr. Jordan’s landlady that I felt were unnecessarily descriptive.)
Overall, this book was a very good read and kept me constantly engaged and interested. It completely reaffirms my high regard for Atwood’s skill as a writer and a storyteller.
July 17, 2007
Posted in: fiction, historical fiction, mystery
3 Responses
I didn’t know you were a fan of Atwood. I see her books everywhere, but I’ve never read one. Now that I’ve got a recommendation, I should grab one and start turning some pages. Would you say this is a good one to start with?
The only other one I’ve read is The Handmaid’s Tale, which I loved. The two books are very different, so I’m not sure which to recommend first. Handmaid is speculative fiction, set in a future where theocracy rules and a woman’s only value is in her ability to bear children.
Oh, and Handmaid has very strong sexual content, in many ways more graphic than Alias Grace, but then, it needs to be for the story.
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