Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

 

Summary:

It's 1843, and Grace Marks has been convicted for her involvement in the vicious murders of her employer and his housekeeper and mistress. Some believe Grace is innocent; others think her evil or insane. Now serving a life sentence, Grace claims to have no memory of the murders.

An up-and-coming expert in the burgeoning field of mental illness is engaged by a group of reformers and spiritualists who seek a pardon for Grace. He listens to her story while bringing her closer and closer to the day she cannot remember. What will he find in attempting to unlock her memories?

My Review:

I've been wanting to watch Alias Grace on Netflix for a while now but I was determined to read the novel before I watched it. I wasn't sure what to expect since Atwood's novels have a wide range. While I've always enjoyed her novels, they aren't all my great loves. The Handmaid's Tale shook me when I read it (maybe in 2000?) and the Maddaddam trilogy is one of my favorite trilogies of all time, but I did not enjoy The Blind Assassin or The Robber Bride. Cat's Eye, The Penelopiad and Cat's Eye fell firmly in the middle. Alias Grace had great formatting and I'm glad I read it in physical form to experience the chapter openings with the quilt detailing. The story kept me guessing about what really happened and what Grace really knew. I can see how this work of historical fiction is a benchmark for how other writers create their novels, especially ones based on true crimes. 

I'm making my way through all of Margaret Atwood novels. Here are my current stats: 
The Handmaid's Tale ✅
Cat's Eye ✅
The Robber Bride ✅
Alias Grace  ✅
The Blind Assassin ✅
Oryx and Crake ✅
The Penelopiad ✅
The Year of the Flood ✅
MaddAddam ✅
The Testaments ✅
The Edible Woman
Surfacing
Lady Oracle
Life Before Man
Bodily Harm
The Heart Goes Last (currently listening)
Hag-Seed

How many Atwood novels have you read?