Alias Grace: A Novel
The bestselling author of The Handmaid's Tale and The Testaments reveals the life of one of the most notorious women of the nineteenth century in this "shadowy, fascinating novel" (Time). • A Netflix original miniseries.
It's 1843, and Grace Marks has been convicted for her involvement in the vicious murders of her employer and his housekeeper and mistress.
Some believe Grace is innocent; others think her evil or insane. Now serving a life sentence, Grace claims to have no memory of the murders. An up-and-coming expert in the burgeoning field of mental illness is engaged by a group of reformers and spiritualists who seek a pardon for Grace. He listens to her story while bringing her closer and closer to the day she cannot remember. What will he find in attempting to unlock her memories?
Captivating and disturbing, Alias Grace showcases bestselling, Booker Prize-winning author Margaret Atwood at the peak of her powers.
It's 1843, and Grace Marks has been convicted for her involvement in the vicious murders of her employer and his housekeeper and mistress.
Some believe Grace is innocent; others think her evil or insane. Now serving a life sentence, Grace claims to have no memory of the murders. An up-and-coming expert in the burgeoning field of mental illness is engaged by a group of reformers and spiritualists who seek a pardon for Grace. He listens to her story while bringing her closer and closer to the day she cannot remember. What will he find in attempting to unlock her memories?
Captivating and disturbing, Alias Grace showcases bestselling, Booker Prize-winning author Margaret Atwood at the peak of her powers.
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Community Reviews
Well written historical novel. Loved the added poetry and letters which really added to the story. Donât skip over the afterword- it adds a lot.
THIS BOOK!!
Where to even begin?! Sarah Gadon's reading? Margaret Atwood's writing?
I don't remember the last time I read a book and didn't get bored even once. I really don't. I was hooked from the start with this one. And now, in hindsight, I can see some parts could be described as wordy, or slow, or boring, but such was not the case for me.
Alias Grace is filled with themes like guilt vs. innocence, gender roles in the Victorian era, and a plethora of others that could be examined, dissected and pulled apart to no end. But you won't find it here. I don't even know where to start. I was entirely too entranced by Grace's story to even think about all of that.
Grace is a magnificent story teller, and often blurs the line between what really happened versus what she's saying just because she knows it's what Dr Jordan wants to hear. But that's neither here nor there. I'm not here to tell you about whether Grace is guilty or innocent. She tells a captivating story, and Sarah Gadon's voice added to the mix only makes things better.
I've now read Alias Grace and The Handmaid's Tale, and both times I was blown away by the way the books are written. Atwood is such a fantastic writer, she makes the words sing and dance, and they just flow from the page. I'm eager to dig into another of her books.
Where to even begin?! Sarah Gadon's reading? Margaret Atwood's writing?
I don't remember the last time I read a book and didn't get bored even once. I really don't. I was hooked from the start with this one. And now, in hindsight, I can see some parts could be described as wordy, or slow, or boring, but such was not the case for me.
Alias Grace is filled with themes like guilt vs. innocence, gender roles in the Victorian era, and a plethora of others that could be examined, dissected and pulled apart to no end. But you won't find it here. I don't even know where to start. I was entirely too entranced by Grace's story to even think about all of that.
Grace is a magnificent story teller, and often blurs the line between what really happened versus what she's saying just because she knows it's what Dr Jordan wants to hear. But that's neither here nor there. I'm not here to tell you about whether Grace is guilty or innocent. She tells a captivating story, and Sarah Gadon's voice added to the mix only makes things better.
I've now read Alias Grace and The Handmaid's Tale, and both times I was blown away by the way the books are written. Atwood is such a fantastic writer, she makes the words sing and dance, and they just flow from the page. I'm eager to dig into another of her books.
Well written novel of historic murder case of the 1840s in Canada, involving asylum and psycho therapist post come nvi tion. Eventual pardon given the woman, male was hanged
I was intrigued from the very beginning until the end, captivated with Atwood’s beautiful writing and the detailed description of the 19th century women’s condition and its many injustices. A surprising and unexpected ending.
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