Alias Grace: A Novel

"Alias Grace" is Margaret Atwood's finest novel after "Cat's Eye." Stylistically, through its elegant parodies, it is a love letter to classic nineteenth-century fiction. If you enjoy Dickens, Scott, Thackeray, Melville, or Twain, for example, you'll love this novel. If you never heard of, much less read, any of those other authors, you may still love this novel. Yet philosophically, "Alias Grace" is thoroughly post-modern. Experience, Atwood tells us, is compartmentalized, like the mind, like quilts; truth is whatever enables us to live life.
Household servant Grace Marks was captured, tried, convicted, and jailed for her part in the 1843 murder, in what is now Ontario, of her master, bachelor Thomas Kinnear. Kinnear had been romantically involved with his housekeeper, also murdered. That much is fact, and the historical event, with its issues of class, gender, and frontier justice, has preoccupied Atwood for decades. She wrote a teleplay about it, which she now disavows, in the 1970s.
In this fictional treatment, Atwood posits a group of bourgeois reformers/mystics who seek Grace's release from prison, after many years, through the development of a more probing account of what actually happened on the day of the murders. They engage Dr. Simon Jordan, a Harvard-educated physician and early proponent of notions of the subconscious that Charcot and Freud would later develop. Obtaining her confidence, Jordan meets regularly with Grace, who chronologically tells her story. Ironically, as the tale progresses, Grace -- ostensibly the docile servant, the passive patient -- becomes increasingly percipient, controlling, and heroic, while Jordan -- ostensibly the pre-Freudian analyst -- becomes increasingly clueless, controlled by his subsconscious, and comic. At a key moment, a hypnotist (or perhaps a charlatan) intervenes, and the story takes a final, dramatic twist.
"Alias Grace" is satisfying on every level. Its plot development, poetic descriptions and dream sequences, literary references, historical and intellectual backdrop, and notions about what we know and what we live for are all very, very good.

Alias Grace, by Margaret Atwood, is an enigmatic, complex character-driven tale that synthesizes obsession, empathy, symbolism and repressed sexuality. The silent narrative of self and not-self screams to the reader as Grace creates her reality and claims a history that is not her own. Grace applies the abstract, crystalline logic of lunacy to distance herself from attack. Through her eyes we see that victims deserve their fate and are responsible for their suffering. It is just desserts. She toys with her accusers, amused when Simon flounders, thrashing like a fish…stranded on the mysterious shores of dreams. Simon is mesmerized. Grace is forbidden fruit, taunting him that she knows his fantasies. Restraint whispers “it cannot be” as Simon joins Grace in a dance he thinks is familiar, and one he believes he can lead. As Simon’s life parallels Grace’s the reader wonders what is true as he plays sham to her charlatan.

This book was hard to put down. Like reading someone else's diary, it gave new observations and provided more questions than answers. An interesting study of women's lives and treatment during the Victorian era; is Grace the Virgin or the whore? A murderess or a victim? Definitely leaves you thinking.

Atwood here is at her best. This is the tale tale of the supposed murderess Grace, a servant in 19th century Canada who was accused of taking part in the murder of her master and his housekeeper. While throughout the book Grace professes her innocence, you will spend almost all of your reading wondering if her claims are true, or if you, the reader, are just the next in a long line of people Grace has fooled. Rather than being an annoyance, this is one of the most enjoyable features of the whole experience.
This story is based on fact, and Atwood has done an admirable job of bringing together what is known and material that is her own invention. Much of this book reminds me of A S Byatt's 'Possession', especially in the use of poetry and other written sources to frame the story.
What is most enjoyable in this novel is Atwood's description of familiar things - she has an amazing ability to write about clothing and furniture. You get a feeling that this is a woman that has a love of inanimate objects, or attractive ones anyway! As with other Atwood works, there is a strong undercurrent of sex - not just the act itself, but how it effects our behaviour and our attitudes to others. There is a strong feeling that Grace is a seductress, conciously or not. I think that Atwood also makes some very astute judgements in regards to sex and socieites views of women in this book.
If you have enjoyed this book, i can almost guarantee that you will enjoy 'the Blind Assassin', also by Margaret Atwood.

Margaret Atwood is a superb author. I have read a number of her works; The Handmaid's Tale and all of the Oryx and Crake trilogy. This book however, an historical novel based on a real event is just a good as her "speculative" fiction. It is an extraordinary piece of work, and she captures the times with a sureness that really brings this period to life. I'd recommend it to anyone; but her manner of telling tales, usually from the inside out is not for the faint-hearted. Ambiguity and the lack of clarity into the "truth" of the events very nearly replicate the historical record. Fascinating book, well told, but don't expect easy answers.

Alias Grace was ok. Around the 75% point it got really slow for me and I almost stopped reading it. It is an interesting historical fiction showing what a immigrant child might have gone through on the way over and after arriving how she could support herself. It also showed how servants might have been treated especially girls and women. Because of that there are many parts not appropriate for those who are sensitive to reading about the injustices and how men treated and abused women.

"Alias Grace" is a stunning novel and a remarkable literary achievement by Margaret Atwood. It is the fictionalized account of Grace Marks, a woman who was tried and convicted for the murder of her employer and a fellow servant in Canada during the 1800's. Atwood depicts the life of Grace Marks poignantly. Grace is born into a very poor family and tragically loses her mother at a young age during a horrible sea voyage from Ireland to Canada. After reaching Canada, Grace is hired out as a domestic in various households. Eventually, she winds up working in the Kinnear household where the murders occur. A large and fascinating portion of the book is devoted to Grace's recollections as told to Simon Jordan, a medical doctor who specializes in diseases of the mind. "Alias Grace" is populated with a large cast of Dickensian characters who are vividly described. The book is filled with delicious sardonic humor. In addition, "Alias Grace" is a social commentary, since Atwood indicts the cruel treatment of the "lower classes" in the 1800's. The detailed descriptions of Grace's endless duties as a servant while the masters of the household live a life of indolence are particularly powerful. Atwood uses clever literary devices to add texture to the novel. She quotes songs and other true life accounts of Grace's "crime," and there is even a drawing of Grace and her "accomplice". Atwood shifts points of view, so that we get the story from different angles. Atwood's style of storytelling is so engrossing that I was completely drawn into this world. Don't miss this excellent novel!

Since taking up English Literature at college, I have become interested in actually reading books. Yeah, I know it sounds dumb - you got to read books if you take up the subject, but I never used to read at all, I was just good at the subject. I've since started to read books more and more, and my favourite has been Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale." I was enthralled with that novel and my exam took place on it in June - results mid-August. Around April I decided to buy another novel by Atwood, and I chose "Alias Grace." I had absolutely no idea what the novel was about, but I didn't care - I just wanted to read more of her work. I started reading the book in April and have only just finished it...

I must admit that the novel didn't really reel me in to begin with which is why it took me so long to read it, but after a while I really began to love the book! By the time I finished the book last week I didn't want it to end, and I straight away went out and bought another Atwood novel - "The Blind Assassin," which I am currently reading. After reading two Atwood novels so far to date, I can safely say she is a remarkable author and has a true talent for storytelling.

Alias Grace is a work of fiction, although it is based on reality. Its central figure, Grace Marks, was one of the most notorious Canadian women of the 1840's, having been convicted of murder at the age of 16.

Grace Marks allegedly murdered - along with a fellow-servant James McDermott - the man and woman she worked for: Mr. Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery. The headlines were sensational: The Kinnear-Montgomery murders took place on July 23rd 1843, and were extensively reported not only in Canadian newspapers but in those of the United States and Britain. Grace Marks was uncommonly pretty and also extremely young; Montgomery had previously given birth to an illegitimate child and was Thomas Kinnear's mistress; at her autopsy she was found to be pregnant. Grace and her fellow-servant James McDermott had run away to the United States together and were assumed by the press to be lovers. The combination of sex, violence and the deplorable insubordination of the lower classes was most attractive to the journalists of the day.

The trial was held in early November. Only the Kinnear murder was tried: since both of the accused were condemned to death, a trial for the Montgomery murder was considered unnecessary. McDermott was hanged in front of a huge crowd on November 21st: but opinion about Grace was divided from the start, and due to the efforts of her lawyer, her sentence was commuted to life, and she entered the Provincial Penitentiary in Kingston on November 19th, 1843.

And the rest is history, as they say: this is where the novel begins. The first 100 pages or so involve one of the novel's most memorable characters, Dr. Simon Jordan, and his attempts to decipher the mind of Grace Marks. His plans are to investigate her character and get her to open up to him and reveal the truth about the murders. Whether she did indeed commit the murders are still undecided and the true character of Grace Marks remained an enigma for years. After their introduction, Grace takes things all the way back to her childhood. In immense detail and shockingly stark precision, Atwood portrays a clear and sharp, gleaming image of Grace's personality and her life before she became an international sensation.

The language Atwood uses for her characters in this play is remarkable. Everything remains as views on society were seen at the time, portraying a stunning sense of authenticity - like a real documentation of the accounts. Views on sexuality, violence and the way women are supposed to behave in society are incredibly real:

"McDermott said much too close a friend, in his opinion: and I said what did he mean by that? And he said that Jeremiah had looked at me in a way he didn't like, and that no wife of his would be allowed to hobnob with any Jew peddlers, and gossip with them at the back door, and flirt in that way; and if she did, he would black her eyes, and knock her head about her shoulders for her."

Throughout the novel Atwood offers different perspectives from many different character, which can make it challenging to understand and keep up with, but ultimately finishing the novel is extremely rewarding. Atwood obviously sees Grace as innocent and not guilty of the crimes imposed upon her, but due to the enigma surrounding the real truth, we will never know - yet I would like to believe Atwood is correct.

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10

I'm not quite sure which novel I enjoyed the most out of Alias Grace and The Handmaid's Tale, but I'm definitely sure that I enjoyed reading them because Atwood tackles unique and enthralling stories. She isn't a 9-5 author and if you prefer this type, you probably will be disappointed with her works. However, if you'd like to lift off, I urge you to give her a go - you will surely not regret it.

Alias Grace is a haunting and memorable novel. It is definately among one of the best I have ever read, and would be called my favorite if naming only one book in the whole world as such a thing were possible. This book was suprisingly unlike the best-selling novels I've been reading recently, as it was not only written to sell but to convey a message, and it possesses an integrity which is lacking in many books full of popular prose written in order to make money. I could not agree more with the blurb by Washington Post Book World which appears on the front cover of the edition I read: "Alias Grace has all the pacing of a commercial novel and all the resonance of a classic." Not only is this book meritable for its captivating and original plot, but also, more importantly, for its literary quality. The author, Margaret Atwood, has written the entire book in language ture to the time it takes place, and her skill for consistantly choosing lyrical and thought-provoking words is astounding.
Alias Grace is the story of a real-life character, Grace Marks, who at age fifteen was sentenced to death for her part in the murder of her murder of the man she worked for and his mistress. Her sentence was then changed to life imprisonment after her skillful lawyer and many important citizens pleaded her case. However, many thought she should have hanged with her co-conspirator and that was as guilty as he was. Thus, Grace Marks was made a "celebrated murderess" and an infamous enigma of the nineteenth century, and her story has been brought to us with the grace-ful writing of Margaret Atwood. This novel was written so well that it had me literally laughing out loud one minute and then literally crying real tears the next.
As a side comment, this novel is also important in a feminist viewpoint. I hesitate to comment on this as it may turn male readers away, and that is not my intention on mentioning it at all, for although the main character is a very young female and most events are told from her point of view, the way in which it is written makes it a capativating read for any one, regardless of age or sex. However, the harsh treatment of and opinions about women during this period in history were brought up in a way which would evoke sympathy and anger from anyone. Wide-spread opinions about the nature and duty of women are infrequently but impressionately brought up: "That woman has nerves like flint. She'd have made a good lawyer, if a man.", "Men, by nature and the decree of Providence, have a certain latitude allowed them; but fidelity to the marriage vow is surely the chief requirement in a woman", and the daily live as well as special circumstances of Grace Mark's story allow the reader to feel the injustices women suffered back then without the hope of making things better.
If there is one book out of the many great ones I have read this year that I recommend the general web-surfer who has stumbled upon this book review to read, it is most emphatically this one. Grace's character and story will grab you and you will be wondering about her guilt and innocence just as much as her peers in the nineteenth century were.

This is among the very best pieces of fiction I have ever encountered.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this is Canadian Gothic, at its finest.

Of the Atwood canon, I have read Surfacing, Bodily Harm, The Handmaid's Tale, Cat's Eye, The Robber Bride, The Blind Assassin, and Oryx & Crake.

Alias Grace now displaces Cat's Eye, as my current favorite.

And there's so much more to read of her...... I am not done.

AG is the fictionalized story of the real-life Grace Marks, possible murderess, possible innocent. Each possibility is never rendered a final verdict, and this is part of the book's overall appeal (to me). In an online interview, the author stated:

It is not a murder mystery, it is a mystery about murder.... In a murder mystery you have to come up with the conclusion, or the readers will rise up against you. You can't just end it by saying, "Well, I don't know."

In other words, this novel, as the real story itself, does end with an "I don't know."

It is definitely a mystery about murder.

The truth about Grace's culpability has never, and will never, be known.

One thing that this novel shows is how incredibly difficult it is to reconstruct the past when using present-day testimony as the sole source for truth. Especially when that testimony has to be fit into an existing grid of presupposition, prejudice, and partiality, and can be slanted in favor of the person offering it. [In this case, Grace's future depends not only on how she conducts herself, but on how she is perceived by those on whom her freedom depends.]

In real-life, when she was released, Grace had to fill out a final questionnaire, in which she was asked, "What has been the general cause of your misfortunes and what has been the immediate cause of the crime for which you have been sent to the Penitentiary?"

She answered:

"Having been employed in the same house with a villain."

I close by saying that I choose to believe these words of hers. I believe that her crime was that she (it sounds so cliché) was in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

However, even in saying that, reading this book has made me aware that to do so, to make that decision regarding belief in someone, this is always a choice.

Not a verdict.

This book is not a mover and a shaker. It's a slow swell and a walk through what life looked like in the later half of the 19th century. It's also a murder mystery based on a true story which is an intriguing one.
I did not hurry myself with this book as I do with many books I read, anxious to find out what happens next. I lavishly read and soaked up the day to day descriptions set forth by Grace Marks as she tells the tale of her life to a doctor who is sympathetic to her cause. Her cause being locked up for 30 years for a murder that her role in is murky at best.
Margaret Atwood brings to life an interesting character from history who's life in service led to murder. It's the service and the girls' past that really interested me when reading, not so much the murder, but it's fairly juicy too. I enjoyed this book very much. If you like Jane Eyre types of books with a touch of daily life mixed with intrique, you should warm up some tea and plan to spend a few nights with Grace Marks in Alias Grace.

In Canada in the early 1800s, a young woman named Grace Marks is convicted and sentenced to life in prison for her presumed role in the murders of her employer, Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper (and mistress) Nancy Montgomery. This is a fact. Margaret Atwood has taken the life of this women and the facts surrounding the crime, her trial, and her imprisonment, and has woven a tale that is incredibly captivating. The book is rich with quotes from the time and supposed letters written by politicians, clergy and doctors, but the voice of the narrator, Grace herself is the most seductive and most powerful of the writing. The bulk of the book is written during Grace's life imprisonment and is spurred on by the sudden visits made to her by a Dr. Simon Jordan who is a young doctor studying mental illnesses. Grace claims to have no memory of the murders and once we are inside her head, and listening to her voice, we can understand why. The reader finds him/herself completely caught up in Grace's life and her misfortunes and rightly recognizes that so many complex issues feed into the perceptions by the public of this woman, and her perceptions of the "outside" world. This was an excellent read, a startling mystery, and a generally very satisfying tale written by an author whose prose is so far beyond what is generally offered up in mystery novels.

Through the central character Atwood has created a beautiful, compelling book. Grace is one of my favourite fictional characters (albeit loosely based on a real person). The author has taken a lot of licence with her heroine - her words are those of a better educated, more experienced woman than Grace could have been given her impoverished history - but the book is better for it. Grace is sly, witty (in a very dry way) and far too clever for the feeble Doctor Simon, her co-accused McDermott and the legions of do-gooders around her. Is she guilty? Does it matter? Sometimes it seems that Grace is looking back with a twentieth century perspective: "who knows where we will all be in a hundred years?" she asks. One suspects that she does know. The detailed re-creation of the smells and sights of 1850s Canada adds a lot to what is - with hindsight - rather a thin plot. Atwood gives us most of the plot early on and then (like her heroine) teases us into thinking we are going to get a lot more, that the holes will be filled in. One might say it has too much of the airport bookshop historical thriller - the inevitable brutal drunken father, backstreet abortions, roguish men, hysterical women, extreme poverty, etc - but the book offers a lot more than these standard ingredients.
It lacks the intensity and depth of character of Cat's Eye, but it is an exciting read and the pages turn very quickly as we wonder what will happen. Given the slightness of plot, this sense of excitement says a lot about Atwood's great skill as a storyteller.
Free the Richmonmg Hill One!

For my Advanced Contemporary Literature class we were asked to choose one novel to read for our last project. After a lot of searching and thinking, I came upon the book Alias Grace. The book caught my interest because it was based on an actual murder mystery in the mid 1800s.
Atwood manages to create a truly authentic victorian setting that envelops the reader. One feels as if they are witnessing everything first hand, rather than reading it out of the book.
The style of the writing contained in the book is very diverse. To break up the monotony of the dialogue, Atwood includes letters written by the various characters. Readers will also enjoy the poems and quotes that introduce each new section in the book. The issues brought up in Alias Grace are alcoholism, death, psychiatry and the role of women in our society.
I recommend this book to anyone wanting to read an exciting, suspense filled novel. Alias Grace even managed to hold the interest of one high school senior, who will graduate in less than two weeks. Alias Grace is a mysteriously clever written book, that leaves the reader in suspense up to the last page.

I have followed Margaret Atwood's career throughout the years, having gone to school with her sister Ruth. Ms Atwood was also an alumni of Leaside High School in Toronto -- but her early works left even a willing fan a little flat. In Alias Grace, however, Ms. Atwood has outdone herself.

Faithful in detail, rich in mid-19th century Toronto and environ history, Ms. Atwood has woven her tale so expertly, one forgets all but the story. Grace's understated narrative is so authentic to the ear that one is compelled to keep turning pages. The story itself, one of Canada's more oblique mysteries, is the stuff of which Victorian novels were made. Yet Thomas Kinnear and Nancy Montgomery did die -- and Grace Marks did serve close to 30 years in Kingston Penn for her involvment in their deaths -- rightly or wrongly.

The fiction, woven into the fact, is more than plausible -- and as one plunges into the morality and mentality of the mid-19th century, one follows the story without the prejudices of today.

Captivating and compelling -- this is a must read for every fan of mystery, romance or history.

I've read a ton of Margaret Atwood and love her books! I find it interesting how many genres she covers with her writing and how much quality work she produces.

The book is different than her other novels. It is a cross between fiction and non-fiction. It's more than the typical historical fiction novel where the author takes a factual skeleton and creates a novel. Atwood takes specific pieces of historical information (a poem, a snippet of a psychology textbook) from the time of the events to add reality to the novel. Rather than skeleton facts inside and fiction on the outside, Atwood creates a novel with a factual body but a fiction soul. You are constantly left wondering what is true and what is false. The central character, Grace Marks, is tried and convicted of murdering her master and his mistress. Literally, every page you turn you flip flop between thinking Grace is innocent, crazy or a sociopath. But you end up loving her no matter what you think the final verdict is.

Scroll up and read the first paragraph of the book, "Out of the gravel there are peonies growing..." From that first paragraph alone, one is left with an eerie, something-isn't-quite-right sensation that continues through the rest of the novel. And that first paragraph is a beautiful example of Atwood's mastery of drawing the reader in and making him/her part of the story. Awesome!

Another bonus is the tidbits of news articles, flyers and textbooks from the time Grade Marks lived printed in the text of the novel. It's a neat little addition and is another way that Atwood includes the reader in the story.

"Alias Grace" is probably the book that sat for the longest in my too read stack, ever since I read "The Handmaiden's tale" about four years before. I don't know why I took so long to get around to reading it, since when I did finally pick it up for good I raced through the novel as fast as I could.

This is the tale of the most notorious murderess of the 19th century-Grace Marks, who was convicted for the killing of her employer Thomas Kinnear and also thought to have killed his housekeeper and lover Nancy Montgomery (though the case was never tried) before running across the border from Canada with an accomplice and possible lover James McDermott, who was also a servant in the Kinnear household. McDermott was hanged for his part in the killings and Grace got life in prison but continued to be of interest to many in Canada who worked to secure a pardon on the grounds of insanity for years after her incarceration.

Our story begins when Grace has been 19 years in jail and is now 35 years old-but still just as beautiful as she was when she first stood trial. The group who is trying to get her a pardon-which includes many preachers, respectable men and women and the governess of the prison herself- have engaged a doctor of a new kind-one who studies minds to access her claim that she remembers nothing of the murders themselves. But since her capture Grace has told at lest three different versions of events of that fateful day and Dr. Simon Jordon is more than skeptical of her tale, though he desperately wants to believe the beautiful prisoner and use the results of his interviews to make a name for himself.

So what is Grace-villain or victim? As she tells her life story and they come closer and closer to the day she claims not to remember the young doctor becomes more and more unsure and his own life begins to take on the shadowy tone of a dream.

Told in first person by Grace, third by Dr. Jordon, sometimes in letters, occasionally in poem or newspaper clipping or a history of the time this is a novel where you are never sure what end is up. Grace appears to be truthful but her account is often so muddied and out of sort's stream-of-consciences that it's difficult to tell what is metaphor, what is truth and what she just isn't saying. Though various means are tried to unlock her memory-including suggestion by object and hypnosis you can never be sure if Grace is truthful or not-or if, like Dr. Jordon, you're over thinking the question to the point of insanity yourself.

This is a very, very engaging novel and impossible to put down. It's a mystery of the purest sort and one in which we will never know the truth because it is firmly locked in Grace's own head-and who is going to believe anything a convicted murderess says anyway?

Margaret Atwood is an amazing writer, spinning out fiction with facts that were supposed to be true at the time, along with poetry and quotes from various people on the nature of insanity that leaves you constantly guessing what way the novel is going. Even the title of the book is a mystery because the term alias means a fake name-and Grace is most surely Grace Marks' true name. So is someone pretending to be Grace? Is she someone else altogether-or just lying so much that she's become new? Or something else completely-something deep in her mind that no one yet understands?

There is no doubt that this novel is at once a work of contemporary fiction and a classic for the ages. I very much enjoyed reading it. If you're interested in domestic life of the 19th century, Canadian history or the history of the mental health world then this is a good book for you. Or if you just like a good read where you're constantly guessing and the author is always a step ahead.

Five stars.

Excuse me a moment. I may start fan-girling without notice. This post will be quote heavy. Also while I won’t be giving away details of the plot or the actual conclusion, I do talk a lot more about what happens in the book than I usually do in a review. Consider yourselves forewarned!

I have a deep and abiding love for books by Ms. Atwood. She is a vibrant voice for women, humanity and the human condition. I’m most familiar with her works of speculative fiction which are kinda, sorta dystopian but with much more reality mixed in than most are comfortable with. She has a way of driving down into the heart of an idea and cutting it open for all the world to see. What is being laid bare in Alias Grace? It is social commentary and murder mystery in one package. The book is a fictionalized version of the notorious Grace Marks, who was convicted in 1843 of the murder of Thomas Kinnear. Here’s the description from Goodreads:

The primary question is, did she do it? How involved was she? It is open to interpretation. I have to admit I was sure of one side the first time I read it, but now on a re-read I’m not so sure anymore. Grace tells her story and it is riveting, but she is most unreliable of narrators. Her story is heartbreaking and confusing. One thing that muddles it is her desire to please the people she is telling her story to. She repeatedly states that she is telling men what they want to hear.

She does this in order to manipulate them into helping her, yes, but also Grace knows that men already have a set idea in their minds about what women are. She has to ask herself, every time, does this man she meets, who holds such power over her daily life, see her as a strumpet or an angel? A victim or a perpetrator? Because they all come at her with their own preconceived ideas. Grace’s supposed partner in crime sees her and any other woman as a whore in the making. She must want him right? Of course she does! No does not mean no … ever. Maybe this is a little less so with Dr. Jordan. He does fall into the trap of seeing women as primarily things and not necessarily as people, but he seems to do that less with Grace as time goes on. He is forced, by listening to her story, to begin to see her as a human being and not just as a dress wearing automaton. As a medical student he was surprised to find that women, when cut open, were for the most part the same as men. Shocking I know! In describing a woman who works as a servant in the house he lives in he says, “He regards her with disgust; a woman so porcine, and, in this weather, so distinctly sweaty, should not be permitted out in public. She’s a libel on the entire sex.” A woman who does not fit into the accepted model of sweet angelic temperament and well turned out figure is not fit for public notice.

When Dr. Jordan talks about Grace he mentions that sometimes he is overwhelmed by an urge to slap her. Particularly when turns on him the “gaze of a wounded doe” or might cry, and he can’t abide by that. He is able to discern that what he really hates is that she enjoys talking with him and is grateful for the opportunity to tell her side of the story. “He’s coming to hate the gratitude of women. It is like being fawned on by rabbits, or like being covered with syrup; you can’t get it off. It slows you down, and puts you at a disadvantage.” That must be awful, it requires him to be responsible to her as a human being. Men in this book constantly objectify women. Quite literally. A grateful woman is not a human, she is a quivering rabbit. A strong woman is a pig. Neither of them are deserving of empathy.

The book also deals with the justice system, and mental health facilities of Canada in the mid-1800’s. The conditions were horrendous. Laughing and talking will get you 6 lashes with a cat-o’-nine-tails. Leaving work and going to the privy (toilet) when someone else is there will get you 36 hour sin a dark cell with bread and water rations. That’s just the start, and it’s the gods honest truth. The novel is, as usual for Ms. Atwood, so well researched. Every detail lends itself to a fully realized setting.

In the end, we are only left with more questions. We are left with Grace. Amazing Grace who may or may not have been named after the song. “I hope I was named after it. I would like to be found. I would like to see. Or to be seen. I wonder if in the eye of God, it amounts to the same thing. As it says in the Bible, ‘For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face’. If it is face to face, there must be two looking” For someone who just wants to be seen, we still have just a hazy outline of the most defining moment of her life. But at least we have that.

It’s been announced that this book is being made into a series for Netflix. I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am about this! In fact, that is what made me want to re-read the book again. I can’t recommend this book enough. Please make the time to read it, so you can really enjoy the show when it comes out.

Song for this book: Do What You Have To Do – Sarah McLachlan (another Canadian!)

Based on a true story, this compelling novel is set in Canada during the mid-1800s. Grace Marks, a poor immigrant girl from Ireland, after a very rough early life, begins working as a domestic at the Kinnear residence, not too far from Toronto. Kinnear and his mistress Nancy are found dead one day, and Grace and another employee, McDermott, are convicted of the crime.

McDermott is hanged, but Grace claims she can't remember anything about the crime; McDermott in his testimony had tried to show that Grace had much to do with the planning and carrying out of the murders. She is sentenced to life in prison. Her story is narrated to us through the interview with her by Dr. Simon Jordan, a somewhat disreputable character himself? In RASHOMON fashion we wonder who is telling the truth. Atwood does a fantastic job of keeping the mystery alive right to the end (even at that point the truth is unknown). A hard book to put down and we keep thinking about the story long after we're done reading it.

If it doesn't fit you must acquit. We all remember Johnny Cochran's incessant refrain. It was designed to build doubt. Build enough doubt, and a jury will likely return a verdict of Not Guilty. It worked for OJ. Why, not Grace Marks, if only ex post facto.

Grace Marks was just 16 years old in 1843 when she was convicted of murdering her employer and his mistress. Marks spent the next 30 years in an assortment of jails and asylums, where she was often exhibited as a star attraction. In Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood reconstructs Marks's story in fictional form freely introducing new characters designed to bolster the case for doubt.

Yes, Grace was involved in the murders but, then again, it sure looks like Grace suffers from multiple personality disorder (MPD). Yes, Grace took the clothes of the female victim. But, the victim, having died, surely didn't need them any longer. And, wasn't Grace always the practical one? And, yes, Grace, like OJ, did run away after the murders. But, how was she supposed to resist that big ape of an accomplice? And, didn't he have a gun? Yes, the diagnosis of MPD comes to us with an assist from Grace's charlatan imposter friend, Jerimiah, but wasn't he thoroughly surprised by Grace's channeling of their old friend Mary?

In the end, the story is all too ambiguous. And, that's precisely what makes it so brilliant.

What will she do next? Surely other fans of Margaret Atwood find her books as wonderful and unpredictable as I do. Reading Atwood has made me laugh so hard I cried (Lady Oracle, Life Before Man); made me angry (The Handmaid's Tale); made me reflective and pensive (Cat's Eye); and made me wonder out loud (Alias Grace). If they give out awards for versitility in writing, Atwood should win hands down.
To me, "Alias Grace" reads like one of the more recent histories of Simon Schma which covered high crimes and misdemeanors in the 19th century. What really did happen to Grace Marks? Atwood presents the facts, you be the judge. The evidence concerning Grace Marks is conflicted. Was she a notorious killer or innocent victim? If Atwood is trying to shape the conclusion in the reader's mind, she is certainly subtle. I got the audiobook for my aunt, and she's still ticked off because Atwood didn't really spell out the verdict in a simple yes or no.
This is a tale of intrigue, mystery, history, and the supernatural--or is it. Grace hears voices or does she? Do they come from the spirit world or Grace's imagination? Does Grace control her soul or is she possessed or mad? I found the book absolutely spellbinding.

I'm always eager to read anything by Margaret Atwood because of her sincere understanding of not only the female spirit but of the soul of humanity. In Alias Grace Atwood gives us the voice of Grace Marks as she moves through her Victorian life. Grace is convicted of participating in a news-making double murder. Atwood's story is based on an actual crime and she complements the tale with real - and sometimes raw - human emotions. A doctor searching for his own identity looks into Grace's psyche with experimental psychology for the mirror that will reflect his purpose. Grace herself remains ethereal and spirit-like throughout her narrative. Was she a murderer? Is her confusion and innocence a ruse to disarm those around her? Because these questions aren't clearly answered the readers of Alias Grace are captivated by every word, every incident, every symbol. You'll want to start reading this book again after you've finished the last page.

You really have to give credit to the author for this book. The Canadian society of the nineteenth century is portrayed with detail, thanks to the research carried out by the talented Mrs. Atwood. This clever writer uses many techniques which contribute to the originality and the uniqueness of this novel, like shifting the point of view from Grace to Dr. Jordan, or allowing us to read the letters exchanged by the various characters of the book, which I really enjoyed. I also liked the idea of including the transcripts from Grace's confession and other accounts, which neatly frame the story into the real events.
Why not five stars, then? I am not sure, but I think that the murder story did not really grip me that much, and Grace was a slightly annoying character. I was much more interested in Dr. Jordan, his findings, doubts and fantasies.
Overall, a great book, wonderfully written and highly recommendable.

Alias Grace is stunningly well written; perhaps one of Margaret Atwood's finest works. A beautiful gem, this book is a deeply compelling and disturbing mystery that is, as many real life mysteries are, not entirely answerable. Atwood skillfully explores a historical crime; intricate details evidence her extensive research into the time period, and will be appreciated by many readers. I was stunned by Atwood's phenomenal and quite specific ability to so eloquently express and illuminate the complexities of a young woman's (possibly...) dissociative memory and psyche; this is, for me, her most impressive feat in writing Alias Grace. Atwood has provided the compelling perspectives of other characters--each one sees Grace a little differently. The questions raised by each perspective are full of promise. This book was a mystery that I read with such intensity--and I didn't want it to end! A luscious blend of Margaret Atwood's poetic style and psychological suspense. Alias Grace merits the highest praise.

This book is a fictionalized account of the true murders of Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper (and mistress) Nancy Montgomery in a rural suburb of Toronto during the 1840's. It tells the story of Grace Marks, a simple housekeeper who was convicted of the murders along with Kinnear's stableboy James McDermott.
The novel can be read as a murder mystery, but it is more satisfying as social commentary, especially in its comments on inequities of class and gender. Atwood has really done her homework: her writing is rife with the details of day-to-day life at the time, as well as the period's conventional wisdom regarding such topics as mesmerism, psychology, and the treatment of prisoners and the mentally ill. Grace is a fascinating --- if somewhat unbelievable --- character, but perhaps the story's strongest character is Mary Whitney, a tough but clever girl with wisdom beyond her years. I enjoyed this book a lot; the only disappointment was its artificially happy ending.

It's the middle of the 19th century in post-rebellion Upper Canada, and Grace, the heroine of the story, gets implicated in the murder of a landowner and his mistress. Grace is a hard character to know; is she a simpleton or cunning? Is she hiding a huge secret or is she resigned to being wrongfully convicted? There are other interesting characters, especially the doctor who interviews Grace at length, while at the same time confronting his own demons. There is so much bleakness shown in the small towns in Upper Canada in this time, the struggles of the poor, especially the fate of Grace's friend who becomes pregnant. That bleakness is to be expected from an Atwood novel of course.
Overall, it was a slowly paced novel which suffered in comparison to Atwood's The Blind Assassin in my opinion. Still, it is a worthwhile read and well written.

Although I've been a fan of Margaret Atwood's for many years (as any good Canadian woman should be!), I usually enjoyed her actual writing--her poetic turn of a phrase, her quirky descriptions--more than the plots of her novels. Alias Grace shows her as a masterful storyteller. The first time I read it I could hardly put it down, so anxious was I to learn the ultimate fate of Grace Marks, but forced myself to read it more slowly to savour living in the Victorian times Atwood re-created in palpable detail. As soon as I finished, all I wanted to do was go back to the beginning and start over. For a month I resisted, and then re-read it slowly, studying her art of writing. A couple of years later now, I have re-read it for a third time, and am still in awe of the multiple layers of this story, the painstaking research into the life of Grace Marks, the simple language used by the uneducated Grace that yet reveals her very clever mind, the delightful overlay of quilting patterns, the details of domestic work in Victorian Canada, the emergent state of psychiatry, and the skillful unfolding of an unpredictable plot. The variety of forms of writing is also intriguing, the monologues of Grace and the correspondence between Dr. Jordan and his friends and family. Alias Grace is a true masterpiece, the most brilliant Canadian novel ever, I would say.

Based on a true story

There is no denying that Atwood is an awesomely good writer. This was a pleasure to read. She establishes strong, believable characters in clearly described settings. I loved the sense of place and time (Toronto area in the 1860's and before in flashbacks). This was a who-done-it with an upstairs-downstairs feel.

The period drama / historical novel was good reading but I felt it was a little long-winded with the narrative getting lost in the slow pace. I wasn't at all fussed about the "twist" ~ felt it was a little lame and still left that red-herring taste in your mouth (was she possessed? split personality? play acting?).

I absolutely love Margaret Atwood and all of her novels. Alias Grace does not disappoint. It's use of the relationship between Grace and Dr. Jordan as a way to unfold the story is an engaging way to tell the story. I found myself reading the book very quickly over the course of just a few days. Definitely recommend!

The fact that this worked at all is a testament to Atwood's skill at writing just about anything. What we have here is basically a historical novel, focusing around the figure of Grace Marks, who was really involved in a murder over a century ago. However, it was never exactly determined what her involvement was and this the question that the author plays with, by way of introducing Dr Simon Jordan, a psychologist who wants to unlock Grace's memory (she claims to not remember anything of the murders) and see once and for all what went down. To do this, Jordan has Grace essentially tell him her life story (fortunately she's only in her early twenties) and this gives Ms Atwood a chance to depict life in Canada before the American Civil War and women's place in that life, as well as show more examples of how men control women and the other way around. Which is typical of Atwood's work, she likes to play with those themes and as long as she keeps finding new things to say about it, I don't see any reason why she shouldn't keep on doing what she's doing. Still, the male/female stuff takes a backseat (at least for me) to the central plot, the question of whether Grace Marks did it or not. This is the thing that Dr Jordan is attempting to figure out, at the behest of a group of people convinced of her innocence and wanting proof. The story is told in the first person, by Grace herself, leading us to wonder if just because she's telling us herself, does it mean she's really telling the truth. Pretty much everything she says is contradicted by someone else but the problem is that the people who are contradicting her aren't too trustworthy themselves or have their own motivations, so while we know what happened (two people were killed) we have no idea how they got to that point, with one of the two people involved professing amnesia and the other person blaming her. And as the book goes on, we start to wonder if Grace really isn't a clever liar and just playing a game with everyone to get out of prison. The best part (in my opinion) is that Atwood chillingly and ultimately leaves the question unanswered, leaving the reader to put their own interpretation on what they've been told, a good amount of which may not even be true (if you want to know, I think she did it, but maybe I just don't trust people). Her prose, as usual, is absolutely flawless and there are a number of gems that I wanted to cut out (well, figuratively speaking) and keep around to reread, I especially liked Grace's short monologue about church trying to keep God in a cage, there are moments like that sprinkled all throughout the novel and even when nothing seems to be happening, her sentences pull the reader along and force you to keep reading. I was expecting a merely average read and this turned out to be far better than I expected, the fact that it's based on real events mean nothing to do me since it's Canadian history and I'm only a provincial American but at the same time, it makes for fascinating reading. I'm almost tempted to track down the actual historical account the book quotes from at the beginning of each section and read that. It's hard enough to write history, to make you interested in it is something else entirely.

"Alias Grace" is, without a doubt, Maragret Atwood's masterpiece. Although set in the early to mid-19th century, Alias Grace contains themes that are the mainstay of modern literature, ncluding dysfunctional families, poverty, lust, greed, the supernatural, and murder.
The novel is set in what is now Canada in the early 1800s. In the first couple of chapters we are introduced to Grace Marks, a former servant imprisoned for the double murder of her employer and his mistress, which occurred when she was only sixteen. Although more than a decade has passed since Grace was convicted of the crime, she remains the object of much speculation - is she guilty? Innocent? Insane? An American psychiatrist named Dr. Jordan arrives to interview Grace, and slowly she begins to reveal her past to him. The novel delves back into time as Grace vividly describes her childhood in Ireland, working as a servant in Canada, and finally, the double murder of Thomas Kinnear and Nancy Montgomery. Meanwhile, the psychiatrist is becoming infatuated with the mysterious Grace Marks.
One aspect of the novel that I particularly enjoyed was the accurate portrayal of 19th century life. Atwood perfectly captures the wholesome, old timey feel of antique furniture, bland food and housework, while maintaining a dark atmosphere that is essential to the story. It is also interesting to see life in 19th century Canada through the eyes of a working class Irish immigrant, namely, Grace Marks.
Don't expect a neat, gift-wrapped ending. Since "Alias Grace" is based on events which actually happened, Atwood tries not to stray far from the facts of the real-life crime. The crime was never really solved, so Atwood chose not to invent a decisive ending, and some readers may be disappointed. However, the conclusion is
not intended to be a dramatic finale, since the real pleasure is the character and plot development that occurs steadily throughout the book. The novel is heavy on symbolism, so I recommend that you take your time and pay attention to detail in order to truly enjoy this book. It is quite long, but I thoroughly enjoyed every page. I strongly recommend "Alias Grace."

The book on audio tape was giving to me as a birthday present. I was captivated from the beginning of the story and it kept my desire for more even after the story ended. It was beautifully written and wonderfully acted! If you enjoyed this book, you MUST listen to its audio tape!
Margaret Atwood's story telling skill has hit an all-time high. I highly recommend this book!
The story of Grace gave me a glimpse of life in the 1800s from a poor girl's point of view. The descriptions are so well done that I can place myself it the place and almost smell the scent being described.
I was a bit disappointed at the end, perhaps it was because I wanted it to go on, perhaps I was disappointed at how it ended; I haven't quite decided since I just finished it last night.
This story has changed my diary writing style (:

I rated this Margaret Atwood's book with 5 stars because even the parts that disappoint are still so brilliantly written that they are a joy to read. I had a problem with what I must believe to be the author's own dilemma on how to relate to what was a true event, based on an actual person when the "truth" of the matter is unknown until this day. Ms. Atwood presents several possibilities as to why her protagonist acts out of character and is apparently involved in the murder of two people, either directly or by default, none of which I found very satisfactory. I think that this was due to the sympathetic if somewhat contrary and enigmatic personality that she clothed Grace in throughout. On reflection, I suppose she had little alternative if she was going to write a readable story.
This is my second Margaret Atwood novel and like the first, The Blind Assassin, I find that her writing enchants and captivates one so completely that at the time the reader has no awareness of the enormous talent and technique involved in the seduction.

Chosen as book of the month for Book club. My big mistake was to get home late from our meeting, get into bed and open this book!!!! Three days later (who knows who fed the children and drove them to school) I emerged from the book. Margret Atwood has captured the time and social structure of the period. Imagery was called to the fore with her descriptions of seaboard life, life in service and especially the quilts used as metaphors. Grace was surely the sanest character in the book, doctors, charlatens, women with drug habits, lawyers with overinflated ego's, the irony of the priviliged classes judging of sanity. However the ending to the book was slightly disappointing, I really did not need to know what happened after she left the confines of prison, Grace was free and perhaps that was all the reader needed to know.

'Alias Grace' has long been recommended to me but I only just read it because the story, a piece of historical fiction of a 1840s Canadian murderess, didn't sound particularly appealing. Well my only regret is not having read the book sooner.
The story itself, on face value, is rather ordinary. Teenage girl and apparent boyfriend both kill their employers. However the girl ('Grace') is enigmatic and, as such, her actual guilt is brought into question. All this is explained very early in the novel. But then Atwood does a wonderful job of going into the mind and soul of our poor Grace; we are intrigued, disgusted, and feel compassion for this strange creature. The author then deftly reveals, in minute stages, what the real Grace is all about. The results are unexpected.
Oh, and Ms Atwood is a brilliant writer. Her prose is superb, to the point where you wonder if she can write a bad sentence.
Bottom line: among Atwood's best. A must read.

"Head of a Girl in a Green Dress," which is the cover painting, drew me to the book. I'd read "Lady Oracle" years ago and was anxious to reacquaint myself with Margaret Atwood's work. Published 11 years ago, this story of Grace Marks draws you into the year 1851 and the story of poverty, alcoholism and abuse that is Marks' childhood. The tale engaged me as Grace crosses the ocean to Canada, loses her mother, leaves her family and begins her career as a servant. When whisked into the recounting of Grace's short time in the Kinnear household, the story takes legs as page after page we think we might hear her account of the murders and see her real attitude. Dr. Jordan becomes an interesting character, particularly as we see him as a romantic figure. [SPOILER ALERT] The subplot of his affair with his landlady turns the tale tawdry. Double standards between male and female behavior, rich and poor pass with moral ambiguity in Atwood's discourse. Atwood was able to hold me in the novel with glimpses of 19th century prisons, a sense of difference between Canadian and American values and great characters that seemed most human. The hypnotism scene was fascinating, but it was hard to know what to make of the events. Likewise, Dr. Jordan fades without sufficient resolution as to his life after Grace. I enjoyed the book, but there didn't seem to be a great climax. The final working out of Grace's story in the United States was touching. Again, we are left hanging as to whether Grace has a baby or a tumor. At the end of the novel, I wondered what was the point. The questions at the beginning of the story remained at the end, despite a considerable amount of verbiage and information. Grace's first person relating of her story was effective. This is worth the time investment to read, but is not a novel I will reread. However, I still like the cover. Enjoy!

I don't remember the last time I was so captivated by a book. I read this in 4 days. Definitely a page turner. I loved historical aspect and learning about life during this time. Many words I looked up on the spot, as they are terms or things we no longer use. Loved this book.

'Alias Grace' has long been recommended to me but I only just read it because the story, a piece of historical fiction of a 1840s Canadian murderess, didn't sound particularly appealing. Well my only regret is not having read the book sooner.
The story itself, on face value, is rather ordinary. Teenage girl and apparent boyfriend both kill their employers. However the girl ('Grace') is enigmatic and, as such, her actual guilt is brought into question. All this is explained very early in the novel. But then Atwood does a wonderful job of going into the mind and soul of our poor Grace; we are intrigued, disgusted, and feel compassion for this strange creature. The author then deftly reveals, in minute stages, what the real Grace is all about. The results are unexpected.
Oh, and Ms Atwood is a brilliant writer. Her prose is superb, to the point where you wonder if she can write a bad sentence.
Bottom line: among Atwood's best. A must read.

"Head of a Girl in a Green Dress," which is the cover painting, drew me to the book. I'd read "Lady Oracle" years ago and was anxious to reacquaint myself with Margaret Atwood's work. Published 11 years ago, this story of Grace Marks draws you into the year 1851 and the story of poverty, alcoholism and abuse that is Marks' childhood. The tale engaged me as Grace crosses the ocean to Canada, loses her mother, leaves her family and begins her career as a servant. When whisked into the recounting of Grace's short time in the Kinnear household, the story takes legs as page after page we think we might hear her account of the murders and see her real attitude. Dr. Jordan becomes an interesting character, particularly as we see him as a romantic figure. [SPOILER ALERT] The subplot of his affair with his landlady turns the tale tawdry. Double standards between male and female behavior, rich and poor pass with moral ambiguity in Atwood's discourse. Atwood was able to hold me in the novel with glimpses of 19th century prisons, a sense of difference between Canadian and American values and great characters that seemed most human. The hypnotism scene was fascinating, but it was hard to know what to make of the events. Likewise, Dr. Jordan fades without sufficient resolution as to his life after Grace. I enjoyed the book, but there didn't seem to be a great climax. The final working out of Grace's story in the United States was touching. Again, we are left hanging as to whether Grace has a baby or a tumor. At the end of the novel, I wondered what was the point. The questions at the beginning of the story remained at the end, despite a considerable amount of verbiage and information. Grace's first person relating of her story was effective. This is worth the time investment to read, but is not a novel I will reread. However, I still like the cover. Enjoy!

I don't remember the last time I was so captivated by a book. I read this in 4 days. Definitely a page turner. I loved historical aspect and learning about life during this time. Many words I looked up on the spot, as they are terms or things we no longer use. Loved this book.

This book is absolutely wonderful, I couldn't put it down. The characters in this book are so rich I felt as if I were spying and that is a rarity these days. If you miss a good read, buy this book. So many of the popular authors of today write triteful, boring, predictable novels featuring the same boxed characters over and over. This book truly is what a good book should be: the story is engrossing, the character is so real you are instantly at her side with anticipation of the coming events, its stunning. I won't go into detail about the plot, you can read that in the description just like I did before purchasing it. I will end by saying it's more than the sum of its parts and you will want to keep it to read again.

This novel is based on a true story. In the mid-1800s, Grace Marks, a young Canadian housemaid, was tried and jailed for the murder of her employer and another co-worker. However, it was never clear whether Grace took part in the murders or not -- she claimed to have no memory of the incident, and the only other witness was the other murderer.
Atwood takes this story and adds her own touches. Atwood picks up the story many years later, as Grace is serving out her sentence. She adds a young psychiatrist who is attempting to break through Grace's amnesia. We see the world through Grace's eyes, as she interacts with this doctor and with the others in her life, as she remembers her life.
Atwood never answers the question of whether Grace was actually a murderer. Although some find this disappointing, I think it is a fitting conclusion to the story.

Atwood's prose flows beautifully when using Grace as the first person's voice but becomes distracted when narrating about Dr Simon Jordan. It would seem that Atwood felt more comfortable with the "real" character of Grace than her fictional pyschologist Simon Jordan. Atwood's use of Jordan to inform the reader of 1850's mental health is interesting but it would seem that Atwood became increasingly confused as to what to do with her Jordan character. The book at over 530 pages was too long and some judicious pruning of the events around her Jordan character would have made this a much better novel.

It mystifies me why everyone is so upset about the ending of the book. The central question of Grace's life is left deliberately open to the reader's own interpretation, and we are free to accept or reject Atwood's clever Sybil-like version of the events. So what if Atwood decided to add a somewhat facile happy ending? The book is still a most satisfying read. The set piece where Dr. Jerome Du Pont leads Grace and the onlookers in a seance-like session is perhaps the funniest thing Atwood has yet written. This may not be top drawer Atwood (it is less engrossing than Cat's Eye or The Robber Bride) but it is very good quality second drawer. The evocations of 19th century Kingston and Toronto are rich in detail and character

Margaret Atwood, a gifted writer, proves in this novel that she deserves all the accolades strewn at her feet. The heroine in this novel is depicted with such feeling, depth of character and insight that the reader feels that she is indeed an intimate acquaintance. This novel set in the nineteenth century depicts the morals of the Victoria age with such explicitly that one understands the character's motivations. The author adds flavoring to the characterization by the literary descriptions of the household and the different viewpoints of the classes. Thus, the reader is treated to a story told from several points of view and this makes the reading all the more compelling.

This book is a whodunnit with no answer at the end. It is a fictionalized account of an actual convicted (and later pardoned) murderess named Grace Marks. Grace was a 16-year old servant accused of killing her employer and his mistress in the mid-1880s.

Margaret Atwood has done an excellent job of researching the events surrounding the murder and the time period that she describes. She changes no facts, but as history was not as well documented in the 1800s, the facts are few. This is where Ms. Atwood takes the poetic license that makes this such a good book.

Highly recommended.

Alias Grace is a fictionalized view of the life of Grace Marks, a renowned Canadian murderess.She's a remarkably unsympathetic character. At no point in the story can the reader truly get a handle of who she really is.

I felt that Margaret Atwood could have taken a bit more liberty with Grace's guilt or innocence. In historical fiction accuracy matters, but when no facts point to the truth we rely on the author to fill in the blanks. The trouble with Alias Grace is that the reader never knows if Grace is really a murderer or a victim. Grace is an unreliable narrator, giving many different versions of the events throughout the book. She also admits that she lies to the doctor interviewing her while she relates past events. The ultimate resolution to the question is surprising, but the validity of this answer comes into question almost immediately and we never get a firm answer as to the truth. Did Grace help murder her employer and his mistress or was she really a victim lucky enough to survive? We're left to wonder and I found this rather unsatisfying.

The story is told through Grace's first person voice, Dr. Jordan in a third person view, and letters between various parties. There is a distinct variation between the book's present time and memories and documentation of past events. The book is well structured and easy to follow, despite the shifts in the time line.

Alias Grace is well written and at times intensely interesting, but more often hard to relate to or become invested in. It's a pretty slow read with some heavy material and wording. Those with avid interest in historical fiction involving murderers who don't need definitive answers will absolutely love this book, but it may be too open-ended for the average reader to bother getting into.

Working from a fascinating historical incident: the murder of an emigrant Scotsman in Victorian Canada, Margaret Atwood has crafted an enigmatic and enduring anti-heroine.
I add my voice to a chorus of praise for Atwood's writing. Her prose is crystaline in its precision and clarity. A dark, almost macabre tale is illuminated with flashes of humour and striking symbolism.
Grace, a serving girl imprisoned (rightly or wrongly?) for the murder, emerges as an elusive yet fully flesh-and-blood character. Grace narrates the story, at once bringing us into intimate contact with her thoughts and shrouding the mystery of her actions. This is a device used in books like 'Rebecca' and 'The Turn of the Screw'; but here it's fresh and riveting. Grace seems simultaneously bewildered by, and in control of, her reputation as a murderess. It's this allure which brings Dr Simon Jordon to her prison, seeking to understand her psychology. The charged interviews between the two are especially powerful.
Just as her characters are strong, the writer creates a landscape in the mind which is fully alive and three-dimensional.
If I've dwelt on the novel's literary aspects, don't be put off. I enjoyed this book tremendously, and recommend it whole-heartedly.

Yes, the subject is dark: the murder of two people by (?) a teenage girl and handyman. If you liked that Japanese movie where the same story is told by different viewpoints, you'll love this. But you'll never lose track of whose 'voice' it is, or whose story it is - it's Grace's. And it's yours. You'll feel like you're right beside her as she sprinkles water on the handkerchiefs of the family's laundry to bleach them in the sun, delighting in the snap of the fresh linen on the line on a bright day, or as she struggles to remember what happened on the day of the murders. Incredibly rich writing that puts you in Grace's skin, and that of her temporary psychoanalyst. You'll find yourself rereading passages for the delight of the prose or to savor the weaving of the story. Heartbreaking but an ordinary story - after all, a casual murder for pitiful profit isn't new. Heartbreaking in its reality and the feeling of being carried on the tide of Ms. Atwood's words, knowing you're headed out to the cold, isolated heart of the Atlantic.

This is a relatively engaging fictionalization of real-life murderess Grace Marks's almost 30-year incarceration in Toronto in the mid-19th Century. I liked the way Atwood constantly shifted the novel's perpective from one character to another - even including a great deal of actual historical sources - since the issue of perspective is itself central to the novel (kind of à la "Rashomon"). The downside of this approach, though, is that we never really get to feel too much kinship with any one character - it sometimes all feels a little too clinical. The biggest disappointment for me, though, was the way Atwood so summarily and surprisingly dispatched one of the book's central characters at the end, after having spent so much time involving us in his particular point of view. Still, a very good read by a master novelist.

When i first started reading this novel, I felt disappointed; "this isn't Atwood" A year later i began again, and found it startling and brilliant! Initially, I thought Grace had a split personality, the coarsness of her second voice was lurid, then i met Mary and felt mistaken, and on to Dr Jordan and his analysis which was confounded by Dr Dupont (Jeremiah)and here we are back to Mary!So this work continued circular,in the manner of a bicycle wheel, each part constructed to bring the reader back to the central theme; Are there answers to eternal questions? You decide!

Margareth Atwood has written 1 book that I think of as a complete masterwork ('The handmaid's tale'), so I keep reading her other books in search of the same kind of experience, which is why I also bought 'Alias Grace'.
I'm afraid the book didn't really live up to my expectations though. The keen observations on human kind and the constant change in perspective (Simon Jordan - Grace Marks) kept me reading and made me rate the book 3 stars BUT the story in itself, however well thought of and well documented/researched just didn't do it for me. This could have been a compulsive read, a thriller that makes you curl up and read around the clock, but it was too much of a documentary for that. I guess Atwood wanted to keep this story as close to the truth as possible, which is of course admirable, but it slowed up the story and I just couldn't keep on reading it for more than 1 hour.

Atwood uses a unique blend of first and third person narration, poetry, and a number of letters to tell the story of Grace Marks. Marks was a young girl in the 19th century when her family immigrated to Canada from Ireland. Her mother died on the voyage. Upon trying to start a life in Canada, her alcoholic father forces Grace to earn money for the family. Grace begins a career of working for more wealthy families as a maid. She finds employment with Mr. Thomas Kinnear who also employs Nancy Montgomery and James McDermott. Grace soon learns that Nancy is more mistress than servant and James is an extremely disgruntled employee. Nancy and Mr. Kinnear are murdered. James is sentenced to be hung while Grace is given a life sentence. Grace claims to have no memory of the events surrounding the murders and has a number of supporters attempting to have Grace released. A doctor is asked to assess Grace's mental capacity and to give his professional opinion regarding her guilt, but as he brings her closer to that fateful day what we learn is more and more intriguing. Loosely based on a true story, Alias Grace is an enlightening account of an historical event both enigmatic and disturbing. Fans of Atwoods A Handmaid's Tale will find this to be a gentler yet very satisfying read.

Believe it or not...this was my first Atwood experience. I enjoyed the curious and mysterious nature of Grace, but got bored with her teasing. This constant play with no rewards was tiring and it was finally a relief to put Grace to rest. Atwood's style was most captivating and I will probably read something by her in the future. However, I will trust in the old stand-by of reading the first paragraph for interest sake and then moving on if I have to. Overall, if I was stranded on a desert isle I would probably choose to read this book rather than take another nap.

Alias Grace was in some ways reminiscent of another novel, Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue. Both are fictionalized versions of individuals from poor circumstances convicted of murdering their employers. The similarity ends there. While Donoghue's tome is entertaining, it does not possess the energy, masterful storytelling technique or intimate understanding of human behaviour of Margaret Atwoods novel, which fills your senses like a box of rich chocolates. Throughout the read you ask yourself, "Is Grace Marks ruthless maniac manipulating all who cross her path or a fragile reluctant victim?" Take this journey into Graces life and decide for yourself.

Alias Grace is an extremely well written, very entertaining tale of murder and deception. Although the story was hard to follow at times because of the changing time periods and narrators, the shifting only added to the wonderful sense of mystery and intrigue in this novel.
I couldn't put the book down, the suspense was wonderfully executed.
This book is not only entertaining and a source of unique Canadian history, but Atwood cleverly relates many themes of the period novel back to our modern society; reflecting on issues such as stereotypes and sex roles.

Margaret Atwood has left us with a great and grand gift in the form of "Alias Grace". Telling the story of Grace Marks, she spins the controversy every which way, in trying to discern her status as murderer or merely accomplice. We are drawn into Grace's world, gently, effecitvely, and honestly, as she spins us the tale of her life as complexly as the quilts she creates.
Atwood's writing style is crisp, clear, and creative, making for an diverse and interesting read. Her descriptions are amazing, and at times, you feel like you are reading poetry in prose. Her command of vocabulary, as well as comand of accurate historical facts, all lends itself to a well-told tale.
You cannot miss this read. Don't delay as I did!

I have to admit ALIAS GRACE didn't do it for me. It took a while to connect with the characters and the story itself progressed slowly which didn't help matters. Atwood is a beautiful writer so there is some gorgeous prose on display and the book is certainly not without it's merits. The problem is it's consistency. Grace Marks has ten stories, as do any of us, and one of the book's problems is it's determination to tell each one and that of the poor plumber who lives down the street besides. Atwood uses a variety of literary techniques to do this some with more success than others. The decision to write Grace's chapters in the first person takes getting used to and seemed rather affected for my taste. Atwood's writing stands on it's own and somehow this choice in particular feels like a gimmick. In addition she frequently "jumps" the narrative voice from one character to another giving the novel a disjointed feel and distancing the reader from the emotional life of the individual lives she is trying to recreate.
In the end, it's Margaret Atwood. I read it, I recommend it and found several passages particularly lovely and poignant. But, be prepared this is a difficult read for unexpected reasons and is definately not for the inexperienced Atwood reader. I would hate for anyone to miss out on her genius because they read this one first.

This is a book about a young woman accused of being a "murderess". She is imprisoned for nearly 20 years before being pardoned. Since this is based on a true story, the author carefully crafts the story in such a way as to not give a definitive answer on her true guilt or innocense. Although a great period piece for Canada in the 1800s, I didn't find myself turning the pages ravenously or wanting to return to the book at the end of the day. But it is well-written and I don't think that I will forget the life of Grace very soon. The author has a gift of pulling you into the time period.

Margaret Atwood does a superb job of captivating her audience with an incredible array of characters and a wonderfully written plot that is different than the rest of her books. Grace Marks comes alive, a young girl at the centre of tragedy and hardship.
It is clear that Atwood has spent a great deal of time researching the real story and using her wrtiting talents to finctionaize it in a believable way. I can picture Old Toronto and Kingston in her descriptions.
If you want to read an Atwood classic, read this if you don't read anything else. This is in my top ten list!

Margaret Atwood is my favorite author. But if you want to read her best work, read Life Before Man, not this unnecessairily dense and pointless tome. I have felt that ever since Atwood "sold out" to Hollywood for the HORRIBLE, SOULESS film of Handmaid's Tale, she has lost something significant as an artist and this book simply proves that. I was especially disappointed by the TEAM of people she had working for her on this book. Is that how ART is created these days? With corporate teamwork? I have been shocked at the great reviews for this book. As if people have been blinded by the sheer size of the book and Atwood's reputation. Don't buy into that. If you must read this book (and believe me, you won't miss anything by not) save your money and get it from the library. At least then if you can't bear to finish it, you can take it back!

No need to explain what this book is about. You have the synopsis above. This is one of the best books I have read recently. The intensity of the emotion is reminiscent of "The Alienist" and to some extent you are thrown into roughly that era. Put yourself into a time where the unconscious mind is poorly understood and feared. Add the details of a true story embellished to fit a fantasy, and you have a wonderful journey into a believable "what if?" situation. It is sad when the book is finished.

Beth

Rather than repeating all the very eloquent sentiments expressed in quite a few of the reviews for "Alias Grace", I'll just say, quite simply, this is a fantastic book. Working on several different levels, Atwood delivers a gripping story, interesting characters, and a relevant social commentary. At once humorous and heart-wrenching, I had a hard time putting it down.
Wether you're an Atwood fan, a fan of historical fiction, or you're just looking for a good book to read, this novel will deliver. Highly recommended!

Margaret Atwood's use of the quilt motif in Alias Grace serves not only a symbolic purpose, but also parallels lead character Grace Mark's revelation of her forgotten past and Atwood's structure of the novel.
In the beginning of the novel, the reader discovers that Grace has been convicted for involvement in the murders of her former employer, Thomas Kinnear, and his housekeeper and mistress, Nancy Montgomery. Now serving a life sentence, Grace claims to have no recollection of the murders. Some people believe her innocent, while some people believe her evil or insane. However, as an up and coming expert in the field of Psychology, Dr. Simon Jordan is determined to uncover the truth. Throughout her sessions, Grace discusses various quilt patterns which Atwood uses as symbols. One pattern in particular Grace claims to be her favorite, "The Tree of Paradise". This quilt pattern serves as the symbol of her dreams and goals, for as long as she is a prisoner, she must only sew what she is told. Her perception of the quilt changes throughout the novel, however. Toward the beginning, Grace desires "the vine border", symbolic of the vine which grew out of Thomas Kinnear's grave, whom she secretly loved. Yet, toward the end of the novel, Grace borders the Tree of Paradise with snakes appearing as vines which represent the serpent in the Garden of Eden, much like her love for Kinnear that inspired her participation in the murders. Furthermore, as Grace serves as a dramatic character throughout the novel, her perception of good and evil is changed. To illustrate this revelation, Grace makes only one tree in the pattern, as she has now come to believe that in the Garden of Eden there were never two different trees, but only one that contained both the "Fruit of Life" and the "Fruit of Good and Evil". Therefore, this quilt pattern inspired many of the symbols implemented by Atwood throughout the novel.
In addition, Atwood uses Grace's quilt-making to parallel her remembrance of the murders and her journey toward freedom. As Jordan's sessions with the convicted murderer uncover lost memories, Grace continues to sew a quilt. In the beginning of the novel, the quilt is unfinished and after it is completed, it is to be given to the Governor's daughter. In a happy turn of events, Grace is able to sew a quilt of her own at the end of the novel. Thus, as the plot unfolds, Grace receives not only revelation of her past, paralleled by the progress of the Governor's daughter's quilt, but freedom, paralleled by her ability to sew her own quilt.
Furthermore, the quilt motif is implemented by Atwood to parallel the structure of the novel. As Grace discovers the truth behind the past, she must piece the facts together, much like the design of a quilt, in order to make something of it all. Fittingly, the titles of the chapters of the novel are named after real quilt patterns such as "Jagged Edge", "Secret Drawer", and "Pandora's Box". Thus, not only does the name of a chapter adequately describe its content, it also contributes to the quilt motif on a deeper level. These uses of the quilt motif allow both the structure of the plot and titles in the novel to parallel that of a quilt.
Just like a seamstress uses thread to create a beautiful, elaborate quilt, Atwood uses the quilt motif to symbolize the feelings of Grace and parallel her recollection in the structure of the story which comprises this beautiful, elaborate novel, Alias Grace.

I only picked this book up because I had to read it for my AP English class in 12th grade. But once I picked it up, I just couldn't put it down! I actually enjoyed writing a book report about it - there's so much to say about this book! I loved how Atwood didn't say if Grace was quilty or not...and I also liked how Atwood had Grace end up happily (although, always the pessimist). The reader comes to really care about Grace and I want to believe that Grace really isn't a murderer...but you never know...she could have just "forgotten" that part of the day. I loved this book, I had to pick it up a year later and read it again.

It is not simple or common for authors to successfully intertwine historical elements into a fictional piece of literature. The process requires intricate research, sorting and fitting of contradictory accounts, and a great imagination. In Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood recreates the tale of Grace Marks, a "celebrated murderess", from her incarceration to her liberation, by applying unique structure and vivid language. Grace Marks was a servant charged for murder of her boss Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery. The sequence of her life includes her experience of migrating to Canada, the brutal life of living with her father, and serving people for a living, eventually leading up to the murder, and then imprisonment. Her accomplice James McDermott, the stable hand, was hanged for the crime. Not only was she a woman, but also at the age of sixteen. People went to see her in jail as if she was and animal at the zoo and doctors studied her to find out hidden motives for the crime. In the novel, Atwood instantly establishes an interesting structure by opening with excerpts from actual people, which sets the mood of the book and predicts the existence of truth and innocence as major themes. She continues placing numerous authentic selections throughout the entire book before each section. For example, quotes from Emily Dickinson, accounts by Susanna Moodie, or even confessions of the real characters. The concrete information gives the story a chilling affect. On top of those, I especially liked how Atwood titled the sections by designs of quilts such as Snake Fence, Broken Dishes, or The Tree of Paradise. It resembles the importance of quilting in Grace's life as a reprieve from the pains in reality or as a pride in sewing and dressmaking skills. The story clearly parallels Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter in almost every aspect. Atwood also changes the points of view and time periods, which I found it very easy to follow. It switches from revealing Grace's own thoughts, to her opening up to Dr. Jordan (a doctor studying psychiatry through Grace), and then to a narrator describing situations and thoughts of the doctor. The story is mostly woven back and forth between the present then flashing back to reveal Grace's childhood and crime. In addition to that, the novel consists of chapters that tell the story line through poetry and chains of letters. Although the framework of Alias Grace is intriguing, I thrived on the intensity of the language Atwood demonstrated with a tone of mystery and passion. Grace is haunted by a spirit that is "... whispering things into [her] ear" (179). This consistency of spirits and lost souls adds thrill to reading. Although it has some graphic descriptions, they are through Grace's twisted mind and enhance the book. Furthermore, it is filled with juicy similes of apples that look like " big round drop of water, cool and red" (39) or of becoming "...as small as an ant..."(41). The similes give and excellent visual image to connect to Grace's emotion. She also makes clever remarks and comical observances to lighten up the mood, yet they are highly ironical and thought provoking. The motifs are a brilliant essence of redness and include a flowery environment, which show the passion and depth of the language. Overall Alias Grace is a constant unfolding mystery that kept me flipping pages. It's a chilling story consisting elements of passion, gloom, hope, and irony restored by Margaret Atwood that brings back to life the spirit of Grace Marks.

Margaret Atwood cleverly employs many subtle motifs to create sympathy for the alleged murderess Grace Marks in this riveting account of the murders. Grace's former employer Thomas Kinnear and his housewife and mistress Nancy Montgomery were found brutally murdered. Another former servant, James McDermott, was accused and tried for the murders along with Grace. While he received the death penalty and was hanged, Grace's sentence was commuted to life in prison due to her attorney's claims of insanity. Atwood uses many colorful language devices throughout this intriguing novel. I especially liked one of Atwood's main motifs, a quilt, which is seen not only in the actual plot, but also in the structure of the novel. Atwood shrewdly uses excerpts from various poems and journals at the beginning of each chapter to add to the historical effect. Each chapter is also titled with the name of a different quilt pattern which is mentioned in the chapter; for example, some were titled "Jagged Edge", "Rocky Road", "Broken Dishes", and "Snake Fence". Grace, who is very skilled at sewing, takes up quilting to pass the time in jail. All her reminisces to her psychiatrist, Dr. Simon Jordan, involve quilts and certain patterns that are also seen in the same chapter. For example, in the chapter called "Broken Dishes", Grace compares her memory to a broken plate: "...like a plate that's been broken. There are always some pieces that would seem to belong to another plate altogether; and then there are the empty spaces, where you cannot fit anything in" (103). As an aspiring psychologist, I loved these vivid comparisons and the trains of thought of a supposed killer. In the final chapter, Grace thinks about sewing together a quilt of her own, and she remarks, "And so we will all be together"(460). Thus Atwood's purpose of the quilt motif is revealed: all of the pieces from literature and flashbacks must be put together to complete the whole story. Atwood, noted for her recurring theme of duplicity, once again successfully incorporates the hypocrisy of society. She uses a muslin veil as a symbol of everyone's dual lives: Dr. Jordan, Mr. Kinnear, the wealthy ladies, and Grace herself all have hidden secrets that they never reveal to anyone, sometimes not even to the reader. Another fabulous technique that Atwood uses is the multiple and broken points of view. Using this technique, Atwood portrays the same events from different perspectives and discloses the whole truth to the reader. I also loved Atwood's use of stream of consciousness. By divulging many private thoughts of Grace, the reader begins to empathize and pity her. Therefore Atwood's main purpose is completed, and the reader is left to answer the impossible question: "...was Grace a female fiend and temptress, the instigator of the crime and the real murderer of Nancy Montgomery, or was she an unwilling victim, forced to keep silent by McDermott's threats and fear for her own life?" (462). Atwood has successfully produced another skillfully written novel that keeps the reader page turning and creates sympathy for Grace Marks.

Margaret Atwood flavors Alias Grace with biblical allusions to make Grace Marks seem that much more substantial as a human being. The first introduction to Dr. Simon Jordan has Ms. Atwood adding in the Book of Job. When the doctor purposefully mentions "what Satan says to God" in the Book of Job, Grace realizes that the doctor has come to test her, and Atwood's biblical reference compares Dr. Johnson's test of Grace to one administered by God. Dr. Johnson further continues his embodiment of God by bringing her an apple which Grace clearly sees as "the apple of the Tree of Knowledge" so now Ms. Atwood has sprinkled in aspects of God's ultimate test. These indirect comparisons of Grace to Job and Eve obviously gives the reader a slightly new outlook on her. Grace's dream also has a biblical theme in it with "the pale horse that will be sent at the Day of Reckoning" and "the angels whose white robes were washed in blood , as it says in the end of the Bible". With such a morbid and overpowering biblical image of the Day of Reckoning diced into Grace's dream, Ms. Atwood makes the reader taste that Grace Marks can hardly qualify as just a normal person and that levels of complexity surround her. In the closing, Atwood again brings up the Tree of Paradise and dashes it in with the quilt motif that runs throughout the book. The quilt motif simply stands for the patchwork way in which Grace remembers things, one square at a time. This ties up with the Tree of Paradise with Grace making a quilt and "the pattern of this quilt is called the Tree of Paradise", and it serves the purpose of making the quilt seem sacrilegious and so making Grace's memory seem holy as well. While the reader may first think of Grace Marks as simply some loon because of the fact that she gets put in an insane asylum, Ms. Atwood quickly begins to develop an identity that makes her more important as a character by adding in a touch of God.

Great period details of 1850's Toronto area.
Medical psychology in the making.
Arthur Schopenhauer's theory of drives that can't be controlled.
A true murder mystery.
Layers of meaning.
Layers of character.
Clever and powerful use of alternating views of the same events.
Many sections fly past.
Atwood is a very talented writer, whose prose matches the subject.
There are times when the book slows or the story line is lost in the 450 pages.
Much more depth, complexity and variety of content than might be expected from the reviews.

This fictionalized version of Grace Mark's life is truely captivating. As soon as I read the summary for it I knew I would love it. History and mysteries all in one, who could resist? Then you get towards the end and the true chill begins to pervade your bones- was it all planned with Jeremiah or was it truth? I still haven't made up my mind!

I consider Atwood's Handmaid's Tale to be a must-read, and have enjoyed everything else I've ever read from her. This novel is no exception - in fact I think it's the best thing she's written since Handmaid's Tale. Grace is a compelling protagonist, who fnds great insights as she puzzles through her confusing world. My only crtque is that the book gets off to a stutterng start, and you need to perservere as the multiple narrators are established. It is, however, very worth the perserverence.

I love the way Margaret Atwood tells a story. The main character, Grace Marks, is innocent, yet also full of depth and understanding. Atwood's writing style is exemplary; every sentence, every paragraph is beautifully written. I find myself reading certain chapters over and over again. A truly great read by a talented author. This book, along with Memoirs of a Geisha, are the best books I've read this year. I'm looking for suggestions about other books that read this well.

Who was Grace Marks? A murderess who could easily hide her violent personality, an unwilling victim, or a split personality? Nobody will ever know. A true story, a woman who lived in Canada in the 1840s. We meet her in the novel, mostly through the interviews she had, while in prison, with Dr. Simon Jordan a kind of psychiatrist of the times.
From what she said and from the way she presented herself and the facts of her life, she was either an angel or the most cunning of liars.
A horrible crime was committed in the households where Grace, a young girl of 15 or so, worked as a servant.
The master of the house Mr. Kinnear and his servant-lover Nancy were slaughtered in a most brutal way by a male servant James McDermott. Was Grace Marks his accomplice? this is the enigma which remains unsolved.
Beautiful style, Margaret Atwood confirms once again her ability to confound and enchant the reader with intriguing stories. She is, in my opinion, one of the best post-modern Canadian writers.

Reading "Alias Grace" was an incredible experience. While I was made aware of the premise by the person who recommended the book, I was anticipating the focus to be entirely on Grace. I was not prepared for the emotional spiraling of Dr. Jordan, and many times found that I had to stop reading after a few pages to fully process what was happening with and to him. One of the few contemporary novels to elicit from me such a reaction. A truly breathtaking gem.

I felt about "Alias Grace" the same way I did about probably half of Atwood's novels I've read so far - I just didn't fully get it.

Nobody conveys Life ain't easy for a woman message as well as Atwood. Past, present, future - the living is rough for women. It is particularly unpleasant for Grace Marks, a young servant girl in mid-19th century Canada, accused of murdering her employer and his housekeeper with the help of her co-worker and alleged paramour, and who is locked up first in an insane asylum and then prison. Atwood finds a way to explore plenty of issues from a feminist standpoint here - poverty, servitude, sexual repression, violence, insanity - and does is marvelously.

What didn't work for me was Grace's story itself. Evidently, this real-life criminal case got a lot of attention back in a day. Was Grace a cunning murderess? Or did her supposed lover force her to participate in this gruesome crime? Did she make up her convenient memory loss?

People speculated about this 150 years ago without coming to any definitive conclusion. Atwood doesn't give any answers in her fictionalized version either. After establishing Grace's character so well, the author failed in my eyes to come up with a convincing solution to the mystery, or a believable motivation for either scenario. If Grace was in fact the evil murderess, why did she desire to kill her master? And if her co-conspirator was in charge, what was his reason? I never understood this.

I appreciate ambiguity on fiction, but what is the point of reconstructing a crime, examining it if you do not give any opinion as to what actually took place? Frustrating.

just finished a margaret atwood book--my first. i'm not overly impressed: she takes forever to make her point. and the writing on the way to it is not enlightening enough to justify the volume of it. she carries the reader in three directions at once in the case of _alias grace_, and i think it's a deliberate part of the style, as the heroine is three-persons-in-one (along the lines of the madonna/whore position of women, in men's minds). the question of how a woman is to overcome that quandary is not resolved. i think that atwood's reputation of misogyny is not accurate--but her flat tone while conveying women's lack of agency and self-determination is not inspiring. her work is not hopeful, then. she also shames the reader with his or her pruriency--promising a story about a murderess involved in an extramarital sexual scandal, but scolding those characters within the novel who indulge their prurient and voyeuristic tendencies therein. nobody comes out well, and all manner of human failings are to blame: lonely wives, doting mothers of adult sons, priests, lawyers, men who dishonor willing women, young girls who seek men's attentions, and women who covet jewelry and clothing. (does anyone, then, come away from atwood's critical gaze unscathed?)
i don't know if i'll give one of her other books a try or not. i think i should, in order to come to a more solid conclusion about her writing. the subject matter of _alias grace_ may have necessitated its bleakness--although, from what i have read about _the handmaiden's tale_, it may just be a general tendency on atwood's part.

I have read Atwood before, but I had forgotten what an excellent writer she is. This book captures your attention from the start, and you just want to keep reading. The combination of fact and fiction makes the story even more interesting. All the characters come to life, especially Grace, and the sub-plot of the Doctor is wonderful as well. If you love Atwood, True Crime stories, or just want to read a good book for a change, this book is for you!

I had never read a novel by Margaret Atwood before I read Alias Grace. This book was extremely well written and interesting from start to finish. That is saying a lot as it is a long book. Her use of historical fact to frame the story in worked perfectly, and all her characters were complex and believable. She does a great job of subtly making social and gender commentary while telling an intriguing tale.

I think it should be manditory for every Canadian to read Margaret Atwood. At the risk of sounding cornball-ish, she really does make me proud to be a Canadian! Quite simply, she's a genius. I can only imagine how difficult it is to write historical fiction. She does so with such style and wit (Atwood's books are often hilarious)so much so that I got through the thick book much quicker than usual. If you have trouble getting through the first few chapters, don't give up. The story really gets interesting when Grace begins her sessions with Simon Jordan, and recounts what brought her from a poor background to being imprisoned for life. Atwood has outdone herself. This is her most wonderful work to date.

This novel is a unique story based upon its content and writing style. The story is about Grace Marks, based on a true story from the 1860's Canada. Grace has been convicted of two counts of murder for the past 15 years when a doctor arrives to analize her. This is one of the first novels to be told from Grace's point of view. For the majority of the book, the reader stays in Grace's thoughts and mind as she talks about herself. Although a little disturbing at times, this keeps the reader intrigued and guessing if she really did it. The second unique point is the writing style. Atwood takes the Victorian culture and quite literally embodies it in Grace. On the outside, Grace appears to be the ideal model of a true victorian lady. Yet, thanks to inner monologues, the reader gets to know a very different Grace. The reader has the chance to actually explore Grace as she sees herself. A key element in the novel is a quilt that Grace longs to have. This continues through Atwood's writing because of the many fragments she pieces together into a wonderfully told story. All in all, a book worth spending your time reading.

This is by far the best Atwood book I've ever read. I've also read her latest, THE BLIND ASSASSIN, and it's not as good.
She's wonderful at bulding up her characters slowly so that you can empathize with them. You can't know from this novel what her true intentions are, yet you can form a quick opinion quickly and change it just as fast.
I don't need to explain what this book is about, because you can just read it in the editorial review section.
This book will leave you sleepless ~

I was unfamiliar with Margaret Atwood's writing when I purchased this novel. Being interested in mysteries, historical novels and forensic science, it was a perfect read for me. I would highly recommend Alias Grace to anyone who is interested in the mind of the common person of the 19th century, the consequences of the hardships of being an immigrant, domestic servant, when being accused of a notorious crime in the late 1800's

Megan Grann
Mrs. Hamilton
English III-2
7 May 2001
Good and Evil in Alias Grace
In the novel Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood uses similes and stream of conscience to prove her purpose that with all good, there is evil. Atwood's style is very artistic and poetic at times. "And He her bloodied hands will wash, and she'll be white as snow"(15). Here, the colors red and white, representing blood and snow, have the connotation of being evil versus pure. Atwood also uses similes and color to show death and corruption. When Grace talks about the sunrise, it is not calm, peaceful and beautiful, "but it was instead only a soiled yellowish white, like a dead fish floating in the harbour"(238). Instead of being a symbol of tranquility, the sunrise becomes a symbol of death. Through Grace's stream of conscience, Atwood achieves the same purpose of good versus evil. As Graces is making a quilt for someone, she thinks to herself what her quilt would be like. "Here is a Wild Goose Chase border, but mine would be an intertwined border, one light colour, one dark..."(98). By saying these colors are intertwined, Grace is proving Atwood's point that with all good, there is inevitably going to be evil mixed with it. Again, towards the end of the book, Grace is actually making her quilt and uses stream of conscience, going into more detail about her quilt. "On my Tree of Paradise, I intend to put a border of snakes entwined...as without a snake or two, the main part of the story would be missing"(459). Grace acknowledges that without a little bit of evil, her life would not have been what it was. Atwood shows the reader that he cannot escape evil and it is just a factor of life. However, there is also good and each must be recognized and handled accordingly if one expects to lead a balanced life.

I just finished reading Margaret Atwood's 1996 novel Alias Grace. The ending left me up in the air. Alias Grace is based on the true story of a 15 year old girl, Grace Marks, accused of a double murder in 19th century Canada. Atwood reveals to us a passage where Grace is put under hypnosis. This is a crucial part of the story, in my opinion, and not mentioned by any of the reviewers. Grace is hypnotized to discover the part of the crime she says she doesn't remember. As Grace speaks we discover that during the crime she was another person, perhaps her friend, Mary Whitney, who died a horrible death in the bed next to her. Is Grace possessed? Is she psychotic? The word "dedoublement" used in the book in French means one who has two personalities, one normal and the other pathological. Are we, therefore, to believe Grace because of her illness and find her innocent of the crime or is she pulling the wool over our eyes during the session because she knows the hypnotist quite well, unbeknown to those attending the session. Did the two of them plan the session together to convince the others? Grace admits later at the end of the book to lying. For you to decide. A very satisfying novel.

If you're looking for a book to grab you from the first paragraph and take you on a fast and furious ride, this is NOT the novel for you. However, if you're looking for a long, slow, languorous well-told story to curl up with in front of the fire on a lazy Sunday or relax in the back yard hammock---buy this book! IMO, this is Atwood at her best. Her words and imagery are simply gorgeous.

I found myself unable to put this book down and
even risked carsickness as I read it on the
road while,luckily, my husband drove. Each
character was explored enough for us to care,
but I always maintained the sense that we
didn't have the full story...which the
characters themselves may not have known either!
Ms. Atwood is extremely talented.

The resolution of the story, however, felt quick
and neat...much out of the style of the rest
of the book. Why the sudden tidy resolution of
each thread when so much of the book
focused on the disorganized, random nature of
the truth, or even more to the point,
reality? I worry that Ms. Atwood feared that
her readers wouldn't 'get it' if she let the
ending progress as the rest of the novel
had. Too bad.

Still, a great novel overall and one that I will
recommend.

I read The Handmaid's Tale and hated it. I bought this book because the newspaper reviews were terrific. I struggled to get through it. The prose of course is excellent. Otherwise I would rate this book a 2. This was not a mystery. It was not a suspense thriller. I guess it is a non-fiction documentary disguised as a novel in order to attract a larger audience! For Victorian age descriptions and characters and plot , I prefer Anne Perry.

I expect my review is going to be one in the minority. This is the first book I've read by Margaret Atwood, and I'm afraid it just didn't rock my world. Atwood is obviously a capable writer and author. But what I most objected to with the book with its lack of imagination, its failure to seize an obviously tantalizing story and shake it up. First, we know the novel is based upon a real event. Second, the novel is a work of fiction, not a newspaper account. Taking these two factors into consideration, I would have much preferred to wander down the path of "Anything Can/Might/Probably Will Happen" as opposed to the story as presented. Oh the drama... oh the possibilities! Atwood could have taken this approach, but for reasons I don't understand stuck to a more journalistic style of story. The characters were way too two-dimensional and fell flat for me, and I saw this as a major failing. There were any number of places in the novel where the story could have been given a literary jolt, but Atwood didn't rise to the occasion. Because the story should have been a mystery within a mystery, it just didn't live up to my expectations.

I agree with all the wonderful reviews here, but I want to add that Atwood's minor characters were fabulous too. In particular, I loved the nasty and self-righteous Mrs. Jordan (particularly in her letters to the landlady), the spunky Mary Whitney, and flute-playing Jamie.
My only negative comments are the story's disappearance of one of it's major characters without a comment, and the preponderance of names that sounded alike.

I read the first paragraph of this book over and over. Once again, Atwood amazes me with the beauty of language. Truly a master of words, she has them at her command. And, as always, Atwood tells a story that I might otherwise have no interest in, yet somehow, she manages to bring me into another time and place. I was completely captivated from page one to the end!

The characters were so real that I felt like I knew them. Loved the writing, too. So many wonderful turns of phrase. I found the blackout/possession/trickery mystery at the end intriguing, though a little unsatisfying. This is a story that will stick with me for a long time.

Having read "The Handmaid's Tale", I was not prepared for the "readability" of "Alias Grace." Grace was a very sympathetic character, and the course of events seemed quite probable and even believable. Did she do it? The ending was somewhat of a disappointment, but overall I'd highly recommend the book.

Alias Grace is a beautiful story; its graceful prose wraps around the reader and pulls you in to a narrative that always hovers around the border of sanity and reality. The heroine, Grace Marks, is less her own character than a mirror that reflects the hidden thoughts and fantasies of those around her. Readers and characters alike can be judged by how they perceived her: cold-blooded murderess? vile seductress? innocent child? fresh, delicate young woman? The double role in both her gender and her class place Grace in a position vulnerable to the imaginations and judgements of the rest of her highly-stratified Victorian society. Atwood has created a book that exposes the hypocrisies and the archetypal fantasies of Grace's time and ours. A masterpiece.

Accused of being an accomplice to murder, Grace has been locked away in a crazy house for women. It's the mid 1800s and women aren't subject to the death sentence, only the living death of perpetual mistreatment in the asylum.

Skipping between Grace's past, the murky events surrounding the murder, and her present in which everyone is obsessed with Spiritualism, Alias Grace shows just how much crazier the world was when it was directed by spooky and morally pretentious feelings. Read the rest of this review at [...]

This is one of Atwood's finest works. The imagery is complex and the characters intense. One is truly kept in suspense as the tension builds to the amazing climax which one does not truly expect. Amazing! I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in reading Atwood's work. I was truly impressed.

I read this book while trapped by a rainstorm in our hotel room in Siena, Italy. At first, I read it because there was nothing else to do, but then I could not put it down. It is like driving by an auto wreck on the highway; voyeurism compels you to look, even as you are repulsed by the idea.

Fantastic recounting of the life and trial of Grace Marks. Loved all the quotes and poems from the newspapers of the time regarding Grace and her supposed lover, James McDermott. Margaret Atwood's use of language and imagery were brilliant and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Accused of being an accomplice to murder, Grace has been locked away in a crazy house for women. It's the mid 1800s and women aren't subject to the death sentence, only the living death of perpetual mistreatment in the asylum.

Skipping between Grace's past, the murky events surrounding the murder, and her present in which everyone is obsessed with Spiritualism, Alias Grace shows just how much crazier the world was when it was directed by spooky and morally pretentious feelings. Read the rest of this review at [...]

This is one of Atwood's finest works. The imagery is complex and the characters intense. One is truly kept in suspense as the tension builds to the amazing climax which one does not truly expect. Amazing! I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in reading Atwood's work. I was truly impressed.

I read this book while trapped by a rainstorm in our hotel room in Siena, Italy. At first, I read it because there was nothing else to do, but then I could not put it down. It is like driving by an auto wreck on the highway; voyeurism compels you to look, even as you are repulsed by the idea.

Fantastic recounting of the life and trial of Grace Marks. Loved all the quotes and poems from the newspapers of the time regarding Grace and her supposed lover, James McDermott. Margaret Atwood's use of language and imagery were brilliant and I can't wait to read more from this author.

As an avid reader of historically based fiction, and an advocate for victims of gender based violence, this book did a marvelous job of telling an interesting story, doing justice to the experience of violence, and enthralling the reader! I have recommended it to many!

...that's what you will see when inspecting my copy of Atwood's Alias Grace. (It was stop and go all the way through). Seeing that this book actually won some prizes, I was definitely expecting something more than a boring period-piece. Page after page is filled with smells, tastes, sounds, sensations, and contrived imaginings. Now while this sensory appeal worked with Atwood's "Cat's Eye" to great poetic effect due to the fact that these recollections were in a large part based on the author's personal experiences, in this book, it seems all too orchestrated in the hopes of constructing some sort of realism.
Another technique that hopes to achieve the same end is Atwood's preoccupation with propriety - sure, this is a Victorian Era tale, but at some point, enough is enough woman - stop dwelling. Atwood is so overly wrapped up in focusing on propriety, taboos, and social standards that it makes you want to sit her down and say, "Ok, we're not in the middle ages!" or "There's more to a story than who snubs who and why!" or "Stop being so prim!"
Atwood writes in the hopes of being subtly profound, but only succeeds in hemming and hawing her way through an endless and excitement-lacking series of events. She attempts subtlety through a tiring stream of run-on sentences that produce one comma after another, neverending, neverending, and oh yes, neverending. Extremely indirect writing.
Lastly, the lack of actual dialogue set in "quotations" is rather annoying as well. This is due to the fact that much of the story is being told in first person by a female character to a male doctor. Thus, the only way to tell when Grace's speech includes quotations from other parties is when Atwood capitalizes the first letter of the quote, like this: ...and Nancy told me, He doesn't like dirty shirts, and so I washed it. Just the fact that there aren't any visible quotation marks to break up her speech makes the reading even that much more tedious and indistinguishable.
How is it that everything Atwood has written after "The Edible Woman" pales in comparison? I don't know, but that book will forever be my favourite, and the gold standard against which I will judge all her other efforts. I just wish she didn't happen to slip into this sludgy style of writing that lacks her previous bite.
All in all, this book isn't bad - it'll just test your nerve and patience a little. You'll also be treated to a less-than-spectacular ending, as seems to be her usual style of conclusion these days. The one thing that I did miss was the implication of some greater meaning, some larger idea that would hold the story together, as I found there was in The Edible Woman, The Handmaid's Tale, and not so much in Cat's Eye.
If you like Atwood, this is one to consider, but definitely not one of my favourites.

I am new reader to M. Atwood. I must say that Alias Grace was a wonderfully thought provoking novel. I am compelled to further research the Grace Marks story after finishing this book. I am looking forward to reading other works by this author in the future.

Coming to this book as a reader of bestselling fiction, I would say that this book is a fantastic story, if a somewhat sluggish read. However, coming at this book from the perspective of a scholar of Literature I would give this book a lot less credit.
All of the symbols are obvious and heavy handed (Not a fan of Toni Morrison either). The apple, the quilt, the food metaphors...all served up to the author piping hot and predigested. There is no underlying cry about either the Judicial system as Atwood sees it or feminism, the switches in Point of View only seem to up the sympathy one feels for Grace, as opposed to adding some meaning to a work already lacking it.
In fact, this book seems to be a 500-page fictionalized biography of an historical character that simply is a sensationalistic read and a literary achievement by Atwood that says "Yes! I can create characters with Depth!".
The fact of the matter is that James Joyce addresses these same "feminist" issues in 5 pages of Dubliners, and Norman Mailer addresses the "prison system" aspects of this novel in a far more compelling and interesting way in The Executioner's Song. Atwood tries to be ambiguous and at the same time available, which doesnt work, since she isnt Hawthorne. She tries to be both experimental and traditional, which also doesnt work because she is neither Toni Morrison nor Thomas Mann. And most of all, she mistakes emotions and sympathy for depth, a common mistake by contemporary authors, and one which TRULY deserves, even if Grace does not, immediate imprisonment.

This book is different from other Atwood books I have read before. Based on a real double murder case from the mid-nineteenth century, Atwood fictionalizes a relationship between the woman incarcerated for the murders and a doctor who interviews her for his research. The narrative is told both in contemporary time (late 1800s) and flashback sequences. Touches on topics of Irish immigration to the Americas, injustices of social classes, and the fad of mesmerism and the practice of psychoanalysis. Overall, this book was not as strong as her other works.

This excellent novel explores the tensions between the sexes in the 1800s. Though no one who reads Atwood should be surprised by her orderly, logical, deeply considered characterization, Grace Marks is a new high in Atwood's repetoire. Atwood's word play also flits around the book, and riffs on certain terms reflect and reverberate with studied meaning. I won't spoil it any more for you. It's an excellent book.

If you like deep, creative, intelligent literature, try the following: Rabid: A Novel by T.K. Kenyon, Sex Wars: A Novel of Gilded Age New York by Marge Piercy, and Orlando (Penguin Modern Classics) by Virginia Woolf.

It's hard to actually find words to describe this wonderful, touching, human tale of Grace Marks. From the time she migrates from Ireland, to the very end of the book..no, I won't spoil it for you, she captivates the reader into her world.

Margaret Atwood is simply awesome! Pretty much anything by her is great, and this was superb. Other great Atwood reads: The Handmaid's Tale, or the more obscure Good Bones and Simple Murders. Both are excellent. Alias Grace is fabulous.

Alias Grace is a very serious but wonderfull book. Grace is as real as a character can get. Ms. Atwood has written many fine books but this one is the best so far. I haven't read all of them yet. Lady Oracle was given to me by a friend and since then I've read six more books by Margaret Atwood. Buy this book.

The most interesting facet of this novel is the lack of dialogue; all exchanges are presented in the indirect reported speech. Nineteenth century Canda is fairly depicted while Atwood reconstructs an account of Grace's life before and after the fact. There is a lot to be deciphered in Atwood's attempts to tell the story of a woman but it is not the details that matter but the heroine herself, her self-perception, abuse at the hands of the system and the type of discrimiation that existed in 19th century Canda and its relations with the US. The novel defies predictions and pulls the reader into a trance-like state not as he wonders about what is going to happen next but as he questions Grace's obstiancy, nivate and detachment as she struggles to understand. Grace's case defies the rationality of the age of enlightenment, the tenets of psychology and the norms of the society. A wonderful read from one of the most-renowned novelists in Canada

Using an unconventional and original style, Atwood takes us to the nineteenth century and introduces us to a misterious real-life character. In her novel, Atwood explores an interesting version of the then highly controversial Freudian psychoanalytic theory in a story contemporary to Freud's work, Marx and Engels' writings, Darwin's observations and the American Civil War. She shows the drastic bias of moral and ethical principles when applied to individuals of different social class and the power that social status has upon dictating judgements of human acts.

I am a college student, and I was brought to this book by my Poetry professor who raved about it. I was certainly not disappointed. This book was very interesting to read, and it kept me on my toes. I think one of the best things about it, is that no one really knows what happened. The senario really realled me in in the first place, but the text and dialouges that are both historically accurate and created using the available sources kept me coming back to reading the novel. I would reccommend this book to all.

The audio cassette of this book is worth a close listening. Elizabeth McGovern reads Grace's thoughts and words with a lilting, musical Irish accent, at once intriguing, beguiling. Grace is poor woman living in the mid 1800s who may or may not be a murderess. While incarcerated, she proves to be an interesting psychological study for a doctor investigating the mysteries of the brain. Atwood's stories always contain mysteries, of the mind, of the imagination, and of other dimensions. This one is no exception.

This is a book that I probably would not have picked up on my own; it was a selection from my book club. I was immediately [stunk] into the story--I could not put it down. The story of Grace Marks is so compelling, and Atwood is a master storyteller. This book has become not only my favorite of the books my book club has read, but one of my favorite books, period. Since then, I have read more of Atwood's work and enjoyed everything, but this is her best work that I have read.

When I first started reading this novel, I wasn't sure what to think. But I am glad I read through it. It's beautifully written, and very interesting. Especially when you know it's based on an actual murder case. Grace Marks was actually imprisoned and then pardoned. I love the way this book weaves a story around all that and makes it seem so believable.

The narration of this book overwhelmed the story for me. The pacing was poor - no pauses at the end if paragraphs.. And the mispronunciation of a lot of words was distracting.. Too bad, because the writing is good.. Oh well..

I was drawn into the book immediately, and loved it through and through. The prose is so elegant and the words so beautifully precise that you hardly notice you are reading - it is like being bodily transported into 19th century Canada. Highly recommended for its engaging prose, mesmerizing story line and characters you immediately come to care about.

I really thought I would enjoy this, I love atwood. But it just turned out to be a re-telling of this true story about fifteen times with nothing revealed at the end of it all. There is no signature feminist cry underlying the story. And the character of the psychologist helping Grace didn't go with the rest of the story at all. The worst thing was that Atwood didn't delve into Grace's character. All we knew about her was what everyone else did and a few banal inner thoughts she let us see. I was hoping she would at least speculate on what really happened. But I knew no more about the murder after reading than I did before.

I had never read a work of Atwood's before a friend gave me this book for Christmas. The time period it is set in is described so sumptuously, you can almost feel as if you are there. Grace is at the same time lovable and pathetic, yet bright, clever & mischevious. You cheer her on all the way! A great read!

This is a fine and detailed story, carefully drawn from historical records and detailed, beautifully invoked imaginings. I have read many reviews complaining about "the ending," to which I would say "that's the way life works ... there are no clean endings". In all, a thing of beauty.

Margaret Atwood is truely one of the most gifted writers of all time. This book is so incredibly wonderful - it's like word candy in your mouth. I would recommend this book to anyone, appropriate for all ages.

The opening chapters filled me with hope for the remainder of the novel. The language was lyrical and satisfying, with an intrguing story which, one hoped, would reach a decent climax and conclusion. However, as the narrative progressed, we're overwraught with unnecesary detail, page after page of unreal recollection and boring prose. The book segways into a disappointing monotony which leaves the reader cold, no longer interested as to the fate of the protagonist. What's more, I found the book frustrating to read because of Atwood's inability to portray male characters accurately. She seems to believe that every man walks around with highly debauched and fetishised views of women. The ending is disappointing, yet somehow satisfying. It takes a good deal of effort to drag yourslef through the closing chapters, but here, at least, the narrative has some direction. The book is very long, unnecessarily long.

A great read in a fascinating format. Even better that it is based upon the actual case of a woman detained in a Canadian mental institution in the 18th century. Pure heaven for the historical fiction lover.

it was a great novel, and i really liked the story telling and the use of the language. I liked all the romances, with grace and all the men that loved her./.
That''s why i gave it a 5 star rating.

I ordered this book for one of my english classes that requires me to read it. I saw that it was extremely cheap - only 3 dollars. It said it was in very good condition and it is a hard cover book but I wasn't sure if it really would be in that great of a condition. It was shipped to me fairly quickly and it is in great condition!!!! I am very pleased with my purchase!!!

I don't know what all these people are talking about--something is strange here. This is one of the most tedious, boring and mundane reads EVER. How anyone could think this book is "excellent" baffles the mind--the plot goes nowhere (slowly) which is a divine form of literary torture. Trust me, this book sucks!

You've read this book already. Trust me.

Alias Grace is too pretentious and long-winded, even for Atwood. I could see others enjoying this, but it's too tame and contemplative for me. There is no need to badger about her other wonderful stories, so I'll stop here.

Alias Grace was my first of several books by Margaret Atwood. It was a very disturbing novel about one of the most notorious women in mid-nineteenth century Canada. I love the way Atwood takes you into the minds of her characters so that you actually feel what they are thinking.

The novel is based on a historical incident involving the murder of Grace Marks' employer, the wealthy Thomas Kinnear and of Nancy Montgomery, his housekeeper and mistress. Grace was sixteen years old at the time, and the book begins with her serving a lifetime sentence in the Kingston Penitentiary for her involvement. Grace herself, having spent some time in the Lunatic Asylum in Toronto, claims to have no memory of the murders. Grace's fellow servant, James McDermott, has been hanged for them.

The young Dr. Simon Jordan is interested in building a mental clinic. He's hired by a group of Kingston "reformers" and Spiritualists seeking a pardon for Grace. He listens to her telling stories of her life.....her family's difficult passage from Ireland to Canada, then her time spent in service from the age of twelve. She looks forward each day to his visits and reminds one of Scheherazade. The tales are full of every remembered detail, yet she can't remember being involved in the murders. She seems to be trying to make it interesting for him and drawing it out as long as she possibly can so that he will keep coming.

This book is also about the intricate relationships between men and women and servants and masters, and what people say versus what they are really thinking. Atwood is a very interesting writer who uses a lot of metaphor and wit and builds her characters slowly and completely..

The book can be hard to follow and difficult to enjoy at first, but the character of Grace is so we'll developed it is hard to ignore her story. I give it a 4/5 because of the difficult beginning, but it is an overall enjoyable read.