Saturday, September 18, 2010

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

My first Atwood. I was very excited to dive into this seeing as how her books have been on my list for ages.

Alias Grace is a fictionalized account of a true story. In 1843, Grace Marks, a Canadian housemaid, was convicted of murdering her employer and his mistress. She and her supposed accomplice, James McDermott were both found guilty and set to hang, but Grace's sentence was later reduced to being committed to an asylum. Grace then spent the next thirty years in a variety of asylums and prisons.

This book has Grace telling her story to a young Dr Simon Jordan. However, if you're looking to find out if she really was willingly involved with the murders, or if she was unwillingly involved in them, you won't find that information here.

Instead, Grace draws you into her world. With her words she memorizes you. You start to feel sympathy for her. When she gets to the murders, she gives vague recaps, such as events that may or may not have been dreams or real life. She never lets it known whether she's guilty or not.

After thirty years of incarceration, Grace was pardoned and moved to New York. What happened to her is unknown, but Atwood gives a nice 'what might have happened to her'. The truth of her guilt is still doubted to this day.

After finishing Alias Grace, I have become eager to delve into Atwood's other work.

And with this, I am finished with the Women Unbound Challenge.



3 comments:

Lisa said...

After falling in love with Atwood's writing as I've been reading "The Handmaid's Tale," I'm glad to know of another Atwood book that I should read.

Jenny said...

This sounds really interesting! I hadn't heard of this one. I started Handmaiden's Tale once but couldn't get into it b/c I was in the mood at the time. I think I need to pick up one of her books again!

Mindy said...

I adore Margaret Atwood... One of my favourite books is The Handmaid's Tale... I've been meaning to start reading Alias Grace and The Year of the Flood