Alias Grace

Perhaps it's my interest in murderers (particularly serial murderers) from a criminological perspective that made me enjoy this novel as much as I did.

Based on a real person, Atwood took the constant double-standards in the presentation of Grace Marks and weaves a tale between the facts. Providing actual quotes from relevant media prior to each part of the book, she shows the ways in which Grace was frequently treated -- not smart enough to have done it, but so incredibly clever in how she pulled it off; a delicate young flower, but grisly and cold. Everyone saw something different, everyone had the same sets of double-standards for her.

I do wish, however, that there would've been more to Jeremiah. I enjoyed that character, even though she discussed how he was immoral in his own way despite being kind. Even though I loathe real-life pseudoscience and the cons who persist in pushing it, I enjoy the kind of tricksters and hucksters portrayed in novels because they are so precisely charming and stereotypical of the sort.

"Alias Grace" by Margaret Atwood is a seductive work written by one of the best contemporary authors. I first encountered Atwood through her novel "The Handmaid's Tale" and I loved its creativity, playfulness, and insightful examination of the complex position of women in society. You see these qualities in "Alias Grace," though in a very different genre: historical fiction. Both novels have much to say about our present moment and get to the heart of the idea of a women's voice (or perceived lack of voice).

The novel takes place in the 19th century and concerns Grace Marks, a woman convicted of murdering her employer and his housekeeper. Though based on a true story, this telling is speculative and based on Atwood's reading of the confessions, accounts, and evidence presented. Grace tells her story through conversations with a young psychologist looking for a case that will make his career. Yet the question that always lingers over the story is whether Grace is telling the truth and what she conceals. There are numerous moments when she tells the reader what she is thinking but does not tell the other characters. There are other times when she clearly is holding something back. We have the strange affect of someone speaking to us but not fully trusting all they say (which is a bit like the act of reading any historical document - you never are fully sure what is being left out accidentally or deliberately). All the while, as she speaks, she continues to sew, putting her story together piece-by-piece. The theme of quilts and patterns is throughout the novel and I think captures the idea of the reconstruction of memory and the way we create our identities. In spite of the other characters - the story is solidly Grace's.

Overall, the novel is an immensely entertaining and timely work. I found myself staying up late to read further along. I especially enjoyed it as a scholar of 19th century America and felt that Atwood captured the moods, tones, and attitudes of time period. I recommend the novel highly!