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Lady Oracle
Joan Foster is the bored wife of a myopic ban-the-bomber. She takes off overnight as Canada's new superpoet, pens lurid gothics on the sly, attracts a blackmailing reporter, skids cheerfully in and out of menacing plots, hair-raising traps, and passionate trysts, and lands dead and well in Terremoto, Italy. In this remarkable, poetic, and magical novel, Margaret Atwood proves yet again why she is considered to be one of the most important and accomplished writers of our time.
346 pages, Paperback
First published September 27, 1976
About the author
Margaret Atwood
581 books84.1k followersMargaret Atwood was born in 1939 in Ottawa and grew up in northern Ontario, Quebec, and Toronto. She received her undergraduate degree from Victoria College at the University of Toronto and her master's degree from Radcliffe College.
Throughout her writing career, Margaret Atwood has received numerous awards and honourary degrees. She is the author of more than thirty-five volumes of poetry, children’s literature, fiction, and non-fiction and is perhaps best known for her novels, which include The Edible Woman (1970), The Handmaid's Tale (1983), The Robber Bride (1994), Alias Grace (1996), and The Blind Assassin, which won the prestigious Booker Prize in 2000. Atwood's dystopic novel, Oryx and Crake, was published in 2003. The Tent (mini-fictions) and Moral Disorder (short stories) both appeared in 2006. Her most recent volume of poetry, The Door, was published in 2007. Her non-fiction book, Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth in the Massey series, appeared in 2008, and her most recent novel, The Year of the Flood, in the autumn of 2009. Ms. Atwood's work has been published in more than forty languages, including Farsi, Japanese, Turkish, Finnish, Korean, Icelandic and Estonian. In 2004 she co-invented the Long Pen TM.
Margaret Atwood currently lives in Toronto with writer Graeme Gibson.
Associations: Margaret Atwood was President of the Writers' Union of Canada from May 1981 to May 1982, and was President of International P.E.N., Canadian Centre (English Speaking) from 1984-1986. She and Graeme Gibson are the Joint Honourary Presidents of the Rare Bird Society within BirdLife International. Ms. Atwood is also a current Vice-President of PEN International.
Throughout her writing career, Margaret Atwood has received numerous awards and honourary degrees. She is the author of more than thirty-five volumes of poetry, children’s literature, fiction, and non-fiction and is perhaps best known for her novels, which include The Edible Woman (1970), The Handmaid's Tale (1983), The Robber Bride (1994), Alias Grace (1996), and The Blind Assassin, which won the prestigious Booker Prize in 2000. Atwood's dystopic novel, Oryx and Crake, was published in 2003. The Tent (mini-fictions) and Moral Disorder (short stories) both appeared in 2006. Her most recent volume of poetry, The Door, was published in 2007. Her non-fiction book, Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth in the Massey series, appeared in 2008, and her most recent novel, The Year of the Flood, in the autumn of 2009. Ms. Atwood's work has been published in more than forty languages, including Farsi, Japanese, Turkish, Finnish, Korean, Icelandic and Estonian. In 2004 she co-invented the Long Pen TM.
Margaret Atwood currently lives in Toronto with writer Graeme Gibson.
Associations: Margaret Atwood was President of the Writers' Union of Canada from May 1981 to May 1982, and was President of International P.E.N., Canadian Centre (English Speaking) from 1984-1986. She and Graeme Gibson are the Joint Honourary Presidents of the Rare Bird Society within BirdLife International. Ms. Atwood is also a current Vice-President of PEN International.
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September 14, 2017
The secrets of self...
Margaret Atwood has wowed me again, with this quirky 1976 delight. It's surprisingly playful and humorous (for Atwood), but also brings with it her trademark not-messing-around intelligence when it comes to womanhood, self, body and love.
Joan is our protagonist, our red-headed Botticellian heroine, who begins the book with this tantalising line:
I planned my death carefully; unlike my life, which meandered along from one thing to another, despite my feeble attempts to control it.
Have you ever wanted to start fresh - shed your life like a snake worming out of an old skin, and leave it behind? Joan has done it - faked her death and re-emerged in a small Italian village. She is, at heart, an escape artist. She writes gothic romances, she lives under two identities, and the person she presents on the outside is only one reflection of the whole. Her interior world is secretive, hidden, claustrophobic. Soon, the secrets start to collide, in a most inconvenient fashion.
Atwood writes so well about the cruelties of childhood, and about the opposing natures of freedom and love. I couldn't help but be pulled along in the story, which was at times relatable (the complexities of the mother/daughter relationship), heartwarming (the character of Aunt Lou was my favourite by far), a bit ridiculous (the Royal Porcupine - need I say more?), and frightening (a former-lover-turned-stalker who becomes more than a little menacing).
She also plays with the literary world and its conventions. When Joan unexpectedly becomes a published literary poet, she is attacked by a male interviewer who tries to skewer her and force her into the "Women's Lib" mold, something she wiggles out of, just like MA would (and still does).
And it forces the question: what is the truth, when so many forms of truth exist in one person? Many of the characters in this novel are two sides of the same coin. It is impossible to be exactly as one presents, or present exactly as one is.
I enjoyed this ride from beginning to end. I enjoyed being privy to Joan's messy life, because all lives are messy. While this book is not as chocked full of literary protein as other books by this author, it reminds me why she continues to knock her readers' socks off, even 41 years after this was published.
Margaret Atwood has wowed me again, with this quirky 1976 delight. It's surprisingly playful and humorous (for Atwood), but also brings with it her trademark not-messing-around intelligence when it comes to womanhood, self, body and love.
Joan is our protagonist, our red-headed Botticellian heroine, who begins the book with this tantalising line:
I planned my death carefully; unlike my life, which meandered along from one thing to another, despite my feeble attempts to control it.
Have you ever wanted to start fresh - shed your life like a snake worming out of an old skin, and leave it behind? Joan has done it - faked her death and re-emerged in a small Italian village. She is, at heart, an escape artist. She writes gothic romances, she lives under two identities, and the person she presents on the outside is only one reflection of the whole. Her interior world is secretive, hidden, claustrophobic. Soon, the secrets start to collide, in a most inconvenient fashion.
Atwood writes so well about the cruelties of childhood, and about the opposing natures of freedom and love. I couldn't help but be pulled along in the story, which was at times relatable (the complexities of the mother/daughter relationship), heartwarming (the character of Aunt Lou was my favourite by far), a bit ridiculous (the Royal Porcupine - need I say more?), and frightening (a former-lover-turned-stalker who becomes more than a little menacing).
She also plays with the literary world and its conventions. When Joan unexpectedly becomes a published literary poet, she is attacked by a male interviewer who tries to skewer her and force her into the "Women's Lib" mold, something she wiggles out of, just like MA would (and still does).
And it forces the question: what is the truth, when so many forms of truth exist in one person? Many of the characters in this novel are two sides of the same coin. It is impossible to be exactly as one presents, or present exactly as one is.
I enjoyed this ride from beginning to end. I enjoyed being privy to Joan's messy life, because all lives are messy. While this book is not as chocked full of literary protein as other books by this author, it reminds me why she continues to knock her readers' socks off, even 41 years after this was published.
December 3, 2018
I’ve read quite a lot of Margaret Atwood and very much enjoy her writing, both style and issues she raises. I like her in psychological scene and don’t shy away from her dystopian face either. Lady Oracle is her earlier work and truly didn’t know what to expect there. I also have a problem to what genre the novel in fact belongs. She seems to feel comfortable in gothic romance, black comedy and quasi-noir novel though it's the psychological portrait and depth I'm looking for in her novels.
It starts in Italy when Joan Foster after simulating own death decides to wait all upheaval out and catch her breath. Joan, a seemingly unremarkable, somewhat skittish and gauche girl that even her husband, by the way a wicked loser himself, looks down on is not entirely a person everyone thinks she is. And she is a recognized author of highly acclaimed even if questionable debut novel Lady Oracle. But it’s only half of it. For as it shows Joan as Luisa Delcourt is a woman with vivid imagination and quite successful writer of historical romances. Though to tell the truth we are not sure if she is not someone else yet.
Quite sizeable part of the novel concerns Joan’s miserable childhood, inability to be accepted by peer group, rebellious, contrary even nature and her troubled relations with her overbearing and demanding, highly disappointing in the end, mother. And I think it’s a very good part but Atwood after a while waves this thread aside and changes the tone. She will return to it some years later, develops and deepens it, creating brilliant and incomparable Cat’s eye. But now our unfortunate though sympathetic heroine drifts uncertainly between her various incarnations, lying and prevaricating, taking pot luck and believing that she will finally become a real self. Her life dilemmas and torments are intertwined with ludicrous adventures of fictional protagonists from her trashy romances and create, all in all, humorous and warm novel, apparently light but under the surface some deeper thoughts are hidden.
It's not the best work of Atwood for sure but it had its moments and left me rather satisfied. It was touching and amusing, I couldn't help but laugh reading some chapters, I enjoyed the language and her power of observation. Had I read it at the beginning of my acquaintanceship with Atwood's writing definitely would have been curious how she developed as a writer. Since I started my adventure with her works with her later and more mature novels I think it was very nice to see her younger self either.
3,5/5
January 11, 2018
The premise of this book intrigued me: a main character with several identities running from all of them by faking her own death - seems dramatic for an Atwood novel. Did it all get too complicated? Well... yes. Joan Foster is an escape artist, a medium (maybe), wife, lover, fat girl, communist but not really, and authors - two different kinds. In the opening of the book, she has escaped all of this. She's had enough. But it's not easy running from your other selves, and as she sits in her hideout, she thinks back on her life.
We start with her childhood, naturally. This takes up a rather lot of the book, which I liked, I always enjoy reading about childhoods. And this one centers around Joan's difficult relationship with her mother. But soon enough Joan grows up and meets a man, and then another and later on, another. All of them have a different view of who she is. Not because she lies to them - although she does - but mostly because of their own prejudices, their own world views, their backgrounds, their view on women. Sometimes this is annoying, because several of them treats her like a child, telling her how she should live her life (in their kitchen, mostly). And of course, if she protests, it's only because she doesn't know what's good for her and she'll change her mind later.
So the feminist aspect is there, as always, but it's not the crux of the story. Not all the men in the book are like this, and they are certainly very different from each other. The point is rather that everyone Joan at some time feels close to seems to pull their own view of her down over her head, and never sees the "real" Joan, if there even is such a thing.
Although Joan tries to shape some of her identities herself, she can't control or foresee the outcome. Mostly they are a mix of her own view of herself and how others see her. And THAT is the crux of the book. How are identities shaped? Sure, we have somewhat stable personality traits, but identities will always be created, shaped and re-shaped in the meeting point between ourselves and other people. The novel does a great job in exploring how this works, and how it often makes a mess. And although Joan is critical and analyses a lot of what happens to her quite thoroughly, she rarely voices her opinions clearly to the people around her, and even when she tries to take hold of things, she is often just pulled along with everything that happens. And that's real life, I suppose. We are not always in control. There is a bit of farce to this, but tragic farce. Relationships are though.
I liked that the last few chapters were a bit more action filled than usual for Atwood, and more immediate than just looking back on past events, which her main characters does a lot. And her prose is always good. All the characters are very well rounded - they all feel deep and like real individuals - one of the things I love about Atwood. Her characters feel real. And all their personal quirks comes together in the plot, everything plays a part in how it all turns out. A bit complicated, but well put together.
We start with her childhood, naturally. This takes up a rather lot of the book, which I liked, I always enjoy reading about childhoods. And this one centers around Joan's difficult relationship with her mother. But soon enough Joan grows up and meets a man, and then another and later on, another. All of them have a different view of who she is. Not because she lies to them - although she does - but mostly because of their own prejudices, their own world views, their backgrounds, their view on women. Sometimes this is annoying, because several of them treats her like a child, telling her how she should live her life (in their kitchen, mostly). And of course, if she protests, it's only because she doesn't know what's good for her and she'll change her mind later.
So the feminist aspect is there, as always, but it's not the crux of the story. Not all the men in the book are like this, and they are certainly very different from each other. The point is rather that everyone Joan at some time feels close to seems to pull their own view of her down over her head, and never sees the "real" Joan, if there even is such a thing.
Although Joan tries to shape some of her identities herself, she can't control or foresee the outcome. Mostly they are a mix of her own view of herself and how others see her. And THAT is the crux of the book. How are identities shaped? Sure, we have somewhat stable personality traits, but identities will always be created, shaped and re-shaped in the meeting point between ourselves and other people. The novel does a great job in exploring how this works, and how it often makes a mess. And although Joan is critical and analyses a lot of what happens to her quite thoroughly, she rarely voices her opinions clearly to the people around her, and even when she tries to take hold of things, she is often just pulled along with everything that happens. And that's real life, I suppose. We are not always in control. There is a bit of farce to this, but tragic farce. Relationships are though.
I liked that the last few chapters were a bit more action filled than usual for Atwood, and more immediate than just looking back on past events, which her main characters does a lot. And her prose is always good. All the characters are very well rounded - they all feel deep and like real individuals - one of the things I love about Atwood. Her characters feel real. And all their personal quirks comes together in the plot, everything plays a part in how it all turns out. A bit complicated, but well put together.
August 3, 2024
Все забравям, че огромни пропасти зеят не само между мен и следващите поколения, но и между тези преди мен.
Книги като "Ясновидката" ни позволяват да надникнем отблизо в един живот тотално различен от съвремието ни, почти е непонятно, как толкова бързо се менят нравите, поведението и бита човешки в последните няколко десетки години.
Атууд е много сладкодумна, героинята ѝ буди симпатия, но често тя е съчетана с объркване, съжаление или присмех. Приятно се изненадах от романа, признавам.
Останалите главни действащи лица се състезават за титлата най-противен образ през цялото време. Артър печели с убедителна преднина - не ми е ясно, как може да се обича подобен себичен тип, а леля ѝ Лу е единствения светъл лъч в измъченото ѝ съществуване. Добре е наредила Атууд и италианците, провинциалните им закостенелост и предрасъдъци са останали непроменени вероятно и до днес.
Овехтелият на моменти превод също си има своя чар, не дразни. Макар че, бодливото свинче няма как да е таралеж. :)
Цитат:
"Почти всеки би ви казал, че сте умни, ако признаете, че нямате талант."
Моята оценка - малко над 4*.
Махам петата звезда заради пространните откъси от "творчеството" на Джоун. Но пък в книгата добре е обяснена мотивацията и желанието на жените да поглъщат килограми от тези пошли розовини! :)
P.S. Корицата ми харесва, но не мога да си обясня, защо е руса героинята ни на нея?
Книги като "Ясновидката" ни позволяват да надникнем отблизо в един живот тотално различен от съвремието ни, почти е непонятно, как толкова бързо се менят нравите, поведението и бита човешки в последните няколко десетки години.
Атууд е много сладкодумна, героинята ѝ буди симпатия, но често тя е съчетана с объркване, съжаление или присмех. Приятно се изненадах от романа, признавам.
Останалите главни действащи лица се състезават за титлата най-противен образ през цялото време. Артър печели с убедителна преднина - не ми е ясно, как може да се обича подобен себичен тип, а леля ѝ Лу е единствения светъл лъч в измъченото ѝ съществуване. Добре е наредила Атууд и италианците, провинциалните им закостенелост и предрасъдъци са останали непроменени вероятно и до днес.
Овехтелият на моменти превод също си има своя чар, не дразни. Макар че, бодливото свинче няма как да е таралеж. :)
Цитат:
"Почти всеки би ви казал, че сте умни, ако признаете, че нямате талант."
Моята оценка - малко над 4*.
Махам петата звезда заради пространните откъси от "творчеството" на Джоун. Но пък в книгата добре е обяснена мотивацията и желанието на жените да поглъщат килограми от тези пошли розовини! :)
P.S. Корицата ми харесва, но не мога да си обясня, защо е руса героинята ни на нея?
June 9, 2020
This was my second read of Atwood's third novel, and, alas, I didn't find it as witty or as funny as I did the first time around.
It's about Joan Foster, a writer of Gothic romances, who has found her real life getting so out of control that she has had to fake her own death to start anew.
Joan's ability to keep secrets – and live in a fantasy world – comes naturally to her. She's used to living a double life. She grew up with a weight problem, and was bullied by everyone from her mother to her classmates and fellow Brownie members.
Atwood's description of Joan's childhood rings true – her torture will be familiar to anyone who's read the author's later, and more fully realized, novel Cat's Eye. She also understands how one's memory of being overweight can affect your entire self-image, even if you are no longer the same weight.
But the plot feels contrived and unconvincing, and the characters pretty thin. Atwood has some fun penning passages from a novel-within-a-novel that Joan is writing. (She captures the spirit of romances and parodies them at the same time.)
I remember thinking the main plot was a clever critique of romances, but now I'm not so sure. Or, if it is, it seems too obvious. And the ending feels really perfunctory.
But there's still plenty to enjoy in the book, including a couple of shots at Canadian literature, the modern art scene and the Kahlil Gibran/Rod McKuen fad of the late 1960s/early 70s.
Having read almost all of her novels, I'm beginning to think that Atwood's fiction can be divided into two categories: comic romps like this (and her recent novels The Heart Goes Last and Hag-Seed) and more serious works like The Handmaid's Tale, Alias Grace and Surfacing.
There's charm in the former, but I much prefer the latter.
It's about Joan Foster, a writer of Gothic romances, who has found her real life getting so out of control that she has had to fake her own death to start anew.
Joan's ability to keep secrets – and live in a fantasy world – comes naturally to her. She's used to living a double life. She grew up with a weight problem, and was bullied by everyone from her mother to her classmates and fellow Brownie members.
Atwood's description of Joan's childhood rings true – her torture will be familiar to anyone who's read the author's later, and more fully realized, novel Cat's Eye. She also understands how one's memory of being overweight can affect your entire self-image, even if you are no longer the same weight.
But the plot feels contrived and unconvincing, and the characters pretty thin. Atwood has some fun penning passages from a novel-within-a-novel that Joan is writing. (She captures the spirit of romances and parodies them at the same time.)
I remember thinking the main plot was a clever critique of romances, but now I'm not so sure. Or, if it is, it seems too obvious. And the ending feels really perfunctory.
But there's still plenty to enjoy in the book, including a couple of shots at Canadian literature, the modern art scene and the Kahlil Gibran/Rod McKuen fad of the late 1960s/early 70s.
Having read almost all of her novels, I'm beginning to think that Atwood's fiction can be divided into two categories: comic romps like this (and her recent novels The Heart Goes Last and Hag-Seed) and more serious works like The Handmaid's Tale, Alias Grace and Surfacing.
There's charm in the former, but I much prefer the latter.
December 8, 2017
At the beginning of Lady Oracle, Joan Foster is hold up in her Italian apartment after faking her death. Back in Canada, Foster was hailed as a literary sensation and a major author on the rise, so why did she choose to die at the height of her hype?
In many ways, Lady Oracle is the polar opposite of Atwood's previous novel Surfacing. Surfacing is a quiet, introverted, atmospheric novel that concerns only a handful of characters over a few days. Lady Oracle is a globe-trotting saga that follows our protagonist from early childhood up to the present day in a style that mirrors the Gothic romances that she secretly authors.
This novel is bloated but enjoyable. It is clear that Atwood had a lot of fun with this one. As it was written has a partial pastiche of Gothic romance novels, there are a lot of scenarios and characters that fall into the realm of the ridiculous. I mean, there is literally a Polish count in here and a dude called the Royal Porcupine. As the novel is told through flashbacks when the author is in self-exile in Italy, a lot of her memories read like heightened fantasies which leads you to question just how truthful she is being.
My favourite parts of the novel were the early chapters when Joan was recounting her early childhood. She was an obese child who found solace in the company of her Aunt Lou. These are the most touching and, shall I say 'rational', chapters before everything turns slightly bonkers.
Overall, I feel this novel needed a better editor. My edition almost hits the 400-page mark and that is so totally unnecessary for this novel. One could argue that Atwood was somewhat over-indulgent in her tale of Joan Foster and gets carried away in the minute details and events of her life which have no overall impact on the plot. It is as if post-Surfacing she decided to have the literary equivalent of a binge and pen a novel which is essentially all plot and nothing much else. But there are many fun aspects to Atwood's binge. I liked this one, but it is odd.
In many ways, Lady Oracle is the polar opposite of Atwood's previous novel Surfacing. Surfacing is a quiet, introverted, atmospheric novel that concerns only a handful of characters over a few days. Lady Oracle is a globe-trotting saga that follows our protagonist from early childhood up to the present day in a style that mirrors the Gothic romances that she secretly authors.
This novel is bloated but enjoyable. It is clear that Atwood had a lot of fun with this one. As it was written has a partial pastiche of Gothic romance novels, there are a lot of scenarios and characters that fall into the realm of the ridiculous. I mean, there is literally a Polish count in here and a dude called the Royal Porcupine. As the novel is told through flashbacks when the author is in self-exile in Italy, a lot of her memories read like heightened fantasies which leads you to question just how truthful she is being.
My favourite parts of the novel were the early chapters when Joan was recounting her early childhood. She was an obese child who found solace in the company of her Aunt Lou. These are the most touching and, shall I say 'rational', chapters before everything turns slightly bonkers.
Overall, I feel this novel needed a better editor. My edition almost hits the 400-page mark and that is so totally unnecessary for this novel. One could argue that Atwood was somewhat over-indulgent in her tale of Joan Foster and gets carried away in the minute details and events of her life which have no overall impact on the plot. It is as if post-Surfacing she decided to have the literary equivalent of a binge and pen a novel which is essentially all plot and nothing much else. But there are many fun aspects to Atwood's binge. I liked this one, but it is odd.
January 14, 2008
This book really pissed me off. I guess there's no real character arc. The main character starts out weak, unself-aware and just really messed up (for plenty of good reason, so I did sympathize with her) -- but nothing has really changed by the end of the book. She's still messed up and unself-aware. Ugh. The whole book made me feel really impatient and uncomfortable. I felt kind of sick and nervous the whole time I was reading it, as if doom was just around the corner. That probably says a lot for the power of Atwood's writing, I guess. And the book was good enough to read all the way to the end; Atwood is certainly a good writer. But I just didn't like anyone in the book, except Aunt Lou, who's a secondary character who doesn't get much page time in the story.
January 14, 2022
من کتاب رو دوست داشتم با اینکه ریتم کندی داشت و ممکنه برای بعضیا خسته کننده به نظر بیاد. داستان دختری است با یک مادر مریض از لحاظ روانی که بیشترین ضربههای روانی و روحی رو از همین مادر میخوره. کسیکه تلاش میکنه با روشهای نادرست اونو تربیت کنه و اعتماد به نفسش به شدت تخریب میکنه. از دوران کودکی شروع به روایت میکنه و تا زمانیکه به نویسندگی علاقه پیدا میکنه و ...
February 1, 2019
Със съжаление се налага да споделя, че тази книга на любимата ми Атууд не ми допадна особено. Горе-долу през цялото време ми беше все едно какво ще се случи, а героите ми бяха безразлични с изключение на леля Лу, която внасяше доза чаровен, ексцентричен колорит, но .
Третата звезда е за чудесния стил на Атууд, който си личи още в ранните ѝ творби като тази и за началото на книгата, което за мен е най-силната част от нея. Ако у вас се породи желание да ме питате какво е искал да каже авторът с това произведение, недейте. Нямам и най-малка идея.
Третата звезда е за чудесния стил на Атууд, който си личи още в ранните ѝ творби като тази и за началото на книгата, което за мен е най-силната част от нея. Ако у вас се породи желание да ме питате какво е искал да каже авторът с това произведение, недейте. Нямам и най-малка идея.
June 9, 2018
Just who is Joan Foster? Is she the emotional, over-eating teen? Is she the unknown creator of the commercial historical romances, that fill bookstore shelves with their covers of buxom, swooning damsels? Or is she the mysterious, red-headed and suave figure behind the renowned publication of Lady Oracle? Right now she is none of those people. Right now she is dead.
Much of this novel reminded me of another of Atwood's masterpieces, Cat's Eye. I found they appealed to me in the similar execution of narrative. The reader is first introduced to the present-day protagonist before a rambling exploration of her life is exposed through lengthy flashbacks, that are plotted over the course of the entire novel and require reading right to the very end to discover the entire, buried truth.
Also like so many of Atwood's other work, I found this discoursed on much more than just the direct story-line. Identity crises, familial disquiet, mental illness, and other distressing topics were covered and, in her usual style, I found much was left for the reader to interpret between what the protagonist actually deigned to expose of herself and what the author left for us to puzzle out.
Much of this novel reminded me of another of Atwood's masterpieces, Cat's Eye. I found they appealed to me in the similar execution of narrative. The reader is first introduced to the present-day protagonist before a rambling exploration of her life is exposed through lengthy flashbacks, that are plotted over the course of the entire novel and require reading right to the very end to discover the entire, buried truth.
Also like so many of Atwood's other work, I found this discoursed on much more than just the direct story-line. Identity crises, familial disquiet, mental illness, and other distressing topics were covered and, in her usual style, I found much was left for the reader to interpret between what the protagonist actually deigned to expose of herself and what the author left for us to puzzle out.
September 12, 2007
I am a big Margaret Atwood fan, mainly for her writing. Her books don't always have a lot of plot and sometimes I find her endings too pat, but I still devour her books for the language. Lady Oracle has one of my favorite beginnings to a book:
"I planned my death carefully; unlike my life, which meandered along from one thing to another, despite my feeble attempts to control it. My life had a tendency to spread, get flabby, to scroll and festoon life the frame of a baroque mirror, which came from following the line of least resistance. I wanted my death, by contrast, to be neat and simple, understated, even a little severe, like a Quaker church or the basic black dress with a single strand of pearls..."
"I planned my death carefully; unlike my life, which meandered along from one thing to another, despite my feeble attempts to control it. My life had a tendency to spread, get flabby, to scroll and festoon life the frame of a baroque mirror, which came from following the line of least resistance. I wanted my death, by contrast, to be neat and simple, understated, even a little severe, like a Quaker church or the basic black dress with a single strand of pearls..."
November 6, 2017
I finished Lady Oracle over a weekend, without being able to put it down. And yet, once I’d finished it, I was left having mixed feelings about it.
Lady Oracle started off strong, with the first paragraph grabbing my attention immediately. After only a few sentences I knew I want to dedicate my full attention to the book and read it until my eyes hurt. The narration was full of Atwood’s usual poignant insights on the human heart and behavior. You can see the main character’s, Joan’s, complicated personality grow into something wild and intense as a result of bad parenting, bullying at school, and fighting with obesity and being overlooked. Atwood’s observations and understanding were so strong, that I couldn’t help but feel I’m reading something very personal and multilayered. It sometimes even brought back memories from my own past, and gave me the opportunity to look back at them from another perspective.
But somewhere in Part Four of the book, something went wrong. The story started meandering into directions I was not very fond of – Canadian nationalists, communists, dynamite, enemies leaving dead animal’s corpses on doorsteps… Suddenly there was so much happening, so many unrealistic events making Joan look paranoid, but yet strangely absent-minded and detached at the same time, that I lost that fascination I had in the beginning of the book. I did not understand why half of the things happened or how they related to the story, nor did I feel they received any closure in the end of the book. While I felt Joan had turned into an unreliable narrator, partly living in the romantic gothic novels she writes for a living, there were still actual events happening around her that showed she was not all that unreliable. Still, these events did not receive any actual ending. From something serious and insightful, this book became a comedy very much verging on the absurd.
I love Atwood. Always have, always will. Even though Lady Oracle did not become a favorite of mine, I still believe that despite the strangeness of the second half of this book, the first half of it was simply incredible.
Lady Oracle started off strong, with the first paragraph grabbing my attention immediately. After only a few sentences I knew I want to dedicate my full attention to the book and read it until my eyes hurt. The narration was full of Atwood’s usual poignant insights on the human heart and behavior. You can see the main character’s, Joan’s, complicated personality grow into something wild and intense as a result of bad parenting, bullying at school, and fighting with obesity and being overlooked. Atwood’s observations and understanding were so strong, that I couldn’t help but feel I’m reading something very personal and multilayered. It sometimes even brought back memories from my own past, and gave me the opportunity to look back at them from another perspective.
But somewhere in Part Four of the book, something went wrong. The story started meandering into directions I was not very fond of – Canadian nationalists, communists, dynamite, enemies leaving dead animal’s corpses on doorsteps… Suddenly there was so much happening, so many unrealistic events making Joan look paranoid, but yet strangely absent-minded and detached at the same time, that I lost that fascination I had in the beginning of the book. I did not understand why half of the things happened or how they related to the story, nor did I feel they received any closure in the end of the book. While I felt Joan had turned into an unreliable narrator, partly living in the romantic gothic novels she writes for a living, there were still actual events happening around her that showed she was not all that unreliable. Still, these events did not receive any actual ending. From something serious and insightful, this book became a comedy very much verging on the absurd.
I love Atwood. Always have, always will. Even though Lady Oracle did not become a favorite of mine, I still believe that despite the strangeness of the second half of this book, the first half of it was simply incredible.
November 14, 2020
Joan Foster is a writer of Gothic romances, her story begins with the decision to start a new life, then we know about her childhood and next continue to this time of her life in which the situation get out of control.
Maybe running away from reality and difficulties are not a very logical decision, but I admire the people who easily can give up everyone and gave up everything, live their own lives, and don't care about what others say. So, I think Joan is something like this in a good way.
This book reminded me of the CAT's EYE with a small mystery. LADY ORACLE was a little different, maybe because of the dark comedy that I never read in Atwood's works. If there was not a too much-threatening stalker, this book became one of my all-time favorites. But I should say I was impressed with the mother-daughter relationship and liked the character of Aunt Lou. So I can say it was an interested and enjoyable book. Something pleasant to read.
Maybe running away from reality and difficulties are not a very logical decision, but I admire the people who easily can give up everyone and gave up everything, live their own lives, and don't care about what others say. So, I think Joan is something like this in a good way.
This book reminded me of the CAT's EYE with a small mystery. LADY ORACLE was a little different, maybe because of the dark comedy that I never read in Atwood's works. If there was not a too much-threatening stalker, this book became one of my all-time favorites. But I should say I was impressed with the mother-daughter relationship and liked the character of Aunt Lou. So I can say it was an interested and enjoyable book. Something pleasant to read.
December 30, 2018
Това е един от онези пъти, в които ми е трудно да разгранича мнението си за романа от мнението за главната героиня. Атууд е изключителен автор. Макар "Ясновидката" да е от от първите нейни книги, това не личи. Дълбочината, интересната форма, тънкият хумор и прокрадващата се ирония присъстват и тук и то не аматьорски, не по начина, по който начинаещият би ги употребявал.
Въпреки всичко ще опитам да разделя книгата от героинята. Харесвам "Ясновидката", защото е задълбочена психологическа книга, която в детайли разглежда живота на силно травмирана още от детството си жена, която трябва да се пребори с демоните, комплексите и талантите си. В същото време животът я лашка между разнообразните си прояви и затова тя /Джоун/ почти няма време да осъзнае къде се намира. Не че ако имаше време, щеше да се осъзнае. Искрено не я харесвам. Тя е от онези слаби жени, които на теория можеш лесно да оправдаеш - нелюбяща и крайна майка, която се срамува от детето си и иска то да е по-различно от това, което е. Към нея застават и лошите момичета, които се подиграват на различното, в случая - пълно, дете в класа. Горкото момиче, може да си кажем. Тя не е избрала майка си, обкръжението си, тортите, с които се тъпче... Да, тях може и да не е избирала, но е избрала ролята на жертва. Жените често стават жертва на стереотипи за външен вид, а и не само. Но пък още по-често имаш пълната свобода да си размърдат задника и да направят нещо по въпроса, ако пък чак толкова не им харесва.
Май стана ясно, че Джоун не ми е любимка, но пък ми хареса да чета за нея, защото тя е толкова смислено и логично построен образ, че няма мърдане. Атууд я хваща за ръка и я повежда из всички места, през които е нормално да премине. От объркани и нестабилни връзки и системна неувереност, до желание за самодоказване и бягство от лайната, които си надробил. Извинявам се за "лайна", най-вероятно можеш да намеря и друга дума, ама не намерих желание да го направя. Освен очакваните места обаче се появяват и други, които правят романа истински интересен.
Мисля, че "Ясновидката" ще стигне до много хора. За мен литературността и архитектурата му са най-важните му качества, които се надявам, че са неща, които ще впечатлят читателите. Ако те все пак не стигнат - в книгата има любов, драма, смърт, смяна на самоличността, омраза, самоделна бомба, изнудване, писателски манипулации.
Въпреки всичко ще опитам да разделя книгата от героинята. Харесвам "Ясновидката", защото е задълбочена психологическа книга, която в детайли разглежда живота на силно травмирана още от детството си жена, която трябва да се пребори с демоните, комплексите и талантите си. В същото време животът я лашка между разнообразните си прояви и затова тя /Джоун/ почти няма време да осъзнае къде се намира. Не че ако имаше време, щеше да се осъзнае. Искрено не я харесвам. Тя е от онези слаби жени, които на теория можеш лесно да оправдаеш - нелюбяща и крайна майка, която се срамува от детето си и иска то да е по-различно от това, което е. Към нея застават и лошите момичета, които се подиграват на различното, в случая - пълно, дете в класа. Горкото момиче, може да си кажем. Тя не е избрала майка си, обкръжението си, тортите, с които се тъпче... Да, тях може и да не е избирала, но е избрала ролята на жертва. Жените често стават жертва на стереотипи за външен вид, а и не само. Но пък още по-често имаш пълната свобода да си размърдат задника и да направят нещо по въпроса, ако пък чак толкова не им харесва.
Май стана ясно, че Джоун не ми е любимка, но пък ми хареса да чета за нея, защото тя е толкова смислено и логично построен образ, че няма мърдане. Атууд я хваща за ръка и я повежда из всички места, през които е нормално да премине. От объркани и нестабилни връзки и системна неувереност, до желание за самодоказване и бягство от лайната, които си надробил. Извинявам се за "лайна", най-вероятно можеш да намеря и друга дума, ама не намерих желание да го направя. Освен очакваните места обаче се появяват и други, които правят романа истински интересен.
Мисля, че "Ясновидката" ще стигне до много хора. За мен литературността и архитектурата му са най-важните му качества, които се надявам, че са неща, които ще впечатлят читателите. Ако те все пак не стигнат - в книгата има любов, драма, смърт, смяна на самоличността, омраза, самоделна бомба, изнудване, писателски манипулации.
January 23, 2018
Who is Joan Foster? I'm not sure she knows. She juggles two identities, has a whole career her husband doesn't know about, a past she hides from everyone... To get away from it all and start fresh, she fakes her death and takes off to a small Italian village, where she gets a chance to think back on exactly how she got there.
That sounds simple enough, but in Atwood's hands it turns into a story at once hilarious and tragic. Joan's story made me think of the actual multiple identities we carry around with us all the time: the person we are at work, with our family, with our friends are not always exactly the same person, are they? But she has taken this reality to a whole other level!
Margaret Atwood's prose is as elegant and fluid as ever. She digs deep into Joan's childhood in a away only she can, showing how some small things can travel with you for a very long time. The mother who is more attached to objects and images than to the reality of her life is chillingly believable, as is the shell-shocked and emotionally detached father. That a couple like that should spawn a young girl who wants to be someone else is not really surprising!
By way of Joan's career as a writer of trashy Gothic romance, an interesting commentary about the virtues of escapist writing is made (it's fun and important!), and if there is one theme in this book, it's definitely escape. Running away from a over-bearing mother, from a loathed self-image, from an unsatisfying lover, from a life one perceives as failed: Joan runs, runs, runs and still can't quite free herself.
Not one of Atwood's best, but a very interesting and enjoyable book. I just wish the ending had been a little bit more tidy.
That sounds simple enough, but in Atwood's hands it turns into a story at once hilarious and tragic. Joan's story made me think of the actual multiple identities we carry around with us all the time: the person we are at work, with our family, with our friends are not always exactly the same person, are they? But she has taken this reality to a whole other level!
Margaret Atwood's prose is as elegant and fluid as ever. She digs deep into Joan's childhood in a away only she can, showing how some small things can travel with you for a very long time. The mother who is more attached to objects and images than to the reality of her life is chillingly believable, as is the shell-shocked and emotionally detached father. That a couple like that should spawn a young girl who wants to be someone else is not really surprising!
By way of Joan's career as a writer of trashy Gothic romance, an interesting commentary about the virtues of escapist writing is made (it's fun and important!), and if there is one theme in this book, it's definitely escape. Running away from a over-bearing mother, from a loathed self-image, from an unsatisfying lover, from a life one perceives as failed: Joan runs, runs, runs and still can't quite free herself.
Not one of Atwood's best, but a very interesting and enjoyable book. I just wish the ending had been a little bit more tidy.
December 17, 2007
Sickly funny, in a way that's typically attributed only to men. The book begins with the narrator's (a writer of Harlequin romances) own faked death and becomes, finally, a woman writer enjoying her woman-ness, fat jokes and all. You could talk to this book over coffee about things that matter in your life, and it wouldn't start crying and gushing about Oprah. Plus it's got a delicious title. I can't believe it is a second novel.
December 14, 2022
4,25☆
"Pani Wyrocznia" kreuje przed nami niezwykle retrospektywną rzeczywistość, a dzięki zamierzonej niechronologii, z rozpoczęciem książki odnosi się wrażenie zagubienia, które jest swoistą grą między autorem a czytelnikiem. Niepojęcie lekki oraz rozumny styl Atwood jest jednym z największych piękności całej powieści.
Historia urzekła mnie swoim, niemal perfekcyjnym, rozplanowaniem fabuły; autorka czule dba o każdy szkopuł i niuans, dzięki czemu nic nie zostaje pominięte, a każde słowo ma swoją, niedającą się opisać słowami, wartość dla stworzonego po mistrzowsku literackiego świata.
Bohaterowie, namalowani skrupulatnie, wnikliwie i pedantycznie na pisarskim płótnie, dają nam się kochać, i nienawidzić. Wzbudzają ujmująco ludzkie emocje, czarują człowieczeństwem nieidealnie genialnym.
Zakończenie jest kompletnym odskokiem od wcześniej przedstawionego kunsztu literackiego autorki. Intryguje i zastanawia, zaskakuje błogością.
"Pani Wyrocznia" kreuje przed nami niezwykle retrospektywną rzeczywistość, a dzięki zamierzonej niechronologii, z rozpoczęciem książki odnosi się wrażenie zagubienia, które jest swoistą grą między autorem a czytelnikiem. Niepojęcie lekki oraz rozumny styl Atwood jest jednym z największych piękności całej powieści.
Historia urzekła mnie swoim, niemal perfekcyjnym, rozplanowaniem fabuły; autorka czule dba o każdy szkopuł i niuans, dzięki czemu nic nie zostaje pominięte, a każde słowo ma swoją, niedającą się opisać słowami, wartość dla stworzonego po mistrzowsku literackiego świata.
Bohaterowie, namalowani skrupulatnie, wnikliwie i pedantycznie na pisarskim płótnie, dają nam się kochać, i nienawidzić. Wzbudzają ujmująco ludzkie emocje, czarują człowieczeństwem nieidealnie genialnym.
Zakończenie jest kompletnym odskokiem od wcześniej przedstawionego kunsztu literackiego autorki. Intryguje i zastanawia, zaskakuje błogością.
April 13, 2022
I can never understand why I am drawn to Margaret Atwood...
Is it the strangeness of the personages...?
The quirkiness of the plot...?
The queerness of the situations and the plot...?
Because once I am in the middle of the story, such as ‘Lady Oracle’ I am surrounded by a sort of disquiet, a weirdness, I cannot fathom, come to terms with...
I should keep Atwood away from me but what draws me to her is her impeccable style of writing.
Is it the strangeness of the personages...?
The quirkiness of the plot...?
The queerness of the situations and the plot...?
Because once I am in the middle of the story, such as ‘Lady Oracle’ I am surrounded by a sort of disquiet, a weirdness, I cannot fathom, come to terms with...
I should keep Atwood away from me but what draws me to her is her impeccable style of writing.
September 23, 2007
This is one of those books that makes you feel kind of intellectual, but doesn't take any effort at all to slip into. Who can't relate to wanting to escape the life that you've built, or let happen, around you, at least from time to time? Atwood is such an accomplished writer that the themes are almost secondary to her skill with the language. A pure pleasure to read.
March 4, 2022
Ich bin echt ratlos!
Ein Roman mit einer prinzipiell guten Geschichte, eine Autorin, die ich erstens sehr schätze und die sprachlich sehr gut zu formulieren weiß, ein Plot, der nur zum Ende hin a bisserl verpufft, eine Protagonistin, deren Leben alles andere als öde ist und trotzdem … ich habe mich grausam gelangweilt. Dabei kenne ich meinen Geschmack normalerweise ausgezeichnet, kann so gut wie immer genau festmachen, was mich gestört hat und was an einem Roman zu verbessern sei, damit er mir gefällt. Diesmal bin ich verwirrt. Ich habe keine Ahnung, warum mich die Geschichte so überhaupt nicht gepackt hat und ich hauptsächlich gähnen musste.
Vielleicht können mir andere helfen, die die Geschichte gelesen haben und mir sagen, was mit dem Roman nicht stimmt. Ich weiß es nicht, aber für mich ist etwas faul mit Lady Orakel. Könnte irgendwer dem Geruch nachgehen und ihn für mich identifizieren? Danke! So etwas ist mir übrigens wirklich noch nie passiert.
Sehr schade, denn ich schätze Margaret Atwood sehr.
Ein Roman mit einer prinzipiell guten Geschichte, eine Autorin, die ich erstens sehr schätze und die sprachlich sehr gut zu formulieren weiß, ein Plot, der nur zum Ende hin a bisserl verpufft, eine Protagonistin, deren Leben alles andere als öde ist und trotzdem … ich habe mich grausam gelangweilt. Dabei kenne ich meinen Geschmack normalerweise ausgezeichnet, kann so gut wie immer genau festmachen, was mich gestört hat und was an einem Roman zu verbessern sei, damit er mir gefällt. Diesmal bin ich verwirrt. Ich habe keine Ahnung, warum mich die Geschichte so überhaupt nicht gepackt hat und ich hauptsächlich gähnen musste.
Vielleicht können mir andere helfen, die die Geschichte gelesen haben und mir sagen, was mit dem Roman nicht stimmt. Ich weiß es nicht, aber für mich ist etwas faul mit Lady Orakel. Könnte irgendwer dem Geruch nachgehen und ihn für mich identifizieren? Danke! So etwas ist mir übrigens wirklich noch nie passiert.
Sehr schade, denn ich schätze Margaret Atwood sehr.
April 24, 2022
One of Margaret Atwood's early novels is surprisingly light affair compared with the others I've read. The novel starts with Joan, a relatively famous author who has staged her own death and fled to Italy. We then travel way back and follow Joan's life from early childhood where she was friendless and obese with an overbearing mother.
This novel did have some charm and I'd definitely recommend it
This novel did have some charm and I'd definitely recommend it
June 19, 2007
This is my favourite of Atwood's books, probably because in some ways it's the silliest. Joan Foster is melodramatic and hapless, but entirely loveable. Plus, there's a mystery! And a fake death! And a secret life in a foreign villa! It's kind of like reading a romance novel, only a lot more with the intentional funny.
May 28, 2019
Имаше своите добри моменти, но като цяло се оказа, че не е моята бира. Може и очакванията ми да са били съвсем различни.
March 7, 2022
Published in 1976, this book is Margaret Atwood’s third novel. It follows Joan Foster, a woman who has fled to Italy, looking back on her life. She was born in Canada to an overbearing mother and absent father. Her beautiful perfectionistic mother is disappointed in her daughter, and constantly criticizes her. Joan copes by overeating, leading to body image issues and depression. Joan’s childhood difficulties are brought to bear on her romantic relationships. She looks for an escape and eventually finds an outlet by writing “costume romances.”
It reflects upon women’s issues, such as the role of women in society and the over-emphasis on beauty. Joan hides her dysfunctional past behind a layer of lies and elaborate deceptions, leading to deep unhappiness of her own making. Joan is a master of avoidance, refusing to admit the real cause of her problems. She ends up in a vicious cycle of denial and victimhood. The overall themes are being true to oneself and confronting childhood traumas, though these ideas lie between the lines.
Toward the end, Joan’s life becomes as outlandish as one of her costume romances. I preferred the first two-thirds. The last third contains quite a lot of satire, and the ending is over-the-top. But overall, I have to admire the creative and bold attempt to mirror Joan’s novels in her life. I did not quite figure this out until I was finished reading it. I think I would have appreciated it more if I had known ahead of time. Hence, I am including it in my review.
It reflects upon women’s issues, such as the role of women in society and the over-emphasis on beauty. Joan hides her dysfunctional past behind a layer of lies and elaborate deceptions, leading to deep unhappiness of her own making. Joan is a master of avoidance, refusing to admit the real cause of her problems. She ends up in a vicious cycle of denial and victimhood. The overall themes are being true to oneself and confronting childhood traumas, though these ideas lie between the lines.
Toward the end, Joan’s life becomes as outlandish as one of her costume romances. I preferred the first two-thirds. The last third contains quite a lot of satire, and the ending is over-the-top. But overall, I have to admire the creative and bold attempt to mirror Joan’s novels in her life. I did not quite figure this out until I was finished reading it. I think I would have appreciated it more if I had known ahead of time. Hence, I am including it in my review.
July 27, 2022
3.5* Не ме плени тази книга. Писането на Маргарет Атууд е безупречно, но ми липсваше драматизъм. Всичко беше представено някак монотонно, емоциите на героите не изпъкваха, на моменти звучаха делово като листовка на лекарство. Може би това е била целта, но предпочитам нещо по-динамично.
July 18, 2023
Lady Orakel ist eines der frühen Werke von Margaret Atwood. Es ist deutlich ironischer als die anderen Werke, die ich bisher von ihr gelesen habe. Es wimmelt nur so von skurrilen Personen, eine merkwürdige Szene jagt die andere. Die Protagonistin ist Autorin von Schundromanen, was sie aber vor ihrem Mann und ihrem Umfeld geheim hält. Das Buch beginnt damit, dass sie ihren eigenen Tod vortäuscht, um im Ausland unerkannt ein neues Leben zu beginnen. Dieses neue Leben ist nicht die erste ihrer vielen parallelen Existenzen. Sie scheint sich auch mit den Heldinnen ihrer Romane zu identifizieren. Von diesen werden immer wieder Auszüge dargestellt, die ich im übrigen meistens recht spannend zu lesen fand, wie ich zu meiner Schande gestehen muss.
Die Darstellung der Kindheit und Jugend fand ich sehr gut gemacht, ich lese solche Abschnitte ja immer sehr gerne. Auch die Beschreibung der folgenden Jahre empfand ich als spannend. Zum Ende hin allerdings wurde mir die Geschichte zu verworren und ich musste mich ehrlich gesagt durch die letzten Seiten quälen.
Margaret Atwood schreibt sehr gut, man merkt hier jedoch, dass sie ihre wahre Größe zu diesem Zeitpunkt noch nicht erreicht hatte. Ihre späteren Werke sind mir deutlich lieber.
Die Darstellung der Kindheit und Jugend fand ich sehr gut gemacht, ich lese solche Abschnitte ja immer sehr gerne. Auch die Beschreibung der folgenden Jahre empfand ich als spannend. Zum Ende hin allerdings wurde mir die Geschichte zu verworren und ich musste mich ehrlich gesagt durch die letzten Seiten quälen.
Margaret Atwood schreibt sehr gut, man merkt hier jedoch, dass sie ihre wahre Größe zu diesem Zeitpunkt noch nicht erreicht hatte. Ihre späteren Werke sind mir deutlich lieber.
October 25, 2024
'Lady Oracle' is Margaret Atwood's third novel - published in 1976.
Atwood deftly recounts the complex story of a complex main protagonist Joan Foster, who lives several lives at various points in her life, seemingly running away, or perhaps towards something she can't quite sem to grasp, if only she knew what it was?
I've working my way through all of Margaret Atwood's novels and this one definitely feels as though there's been a gear change up from her first two and preceding novels, there's an air of confidence, a sophistication in the writing, everything feels more nuanced.
'Lady Oracle' definitely feels, in style as well as thematically, that it's paving the way for the literary greatness of Atwood's classic novels soon to be foisted upon an unsuspecting, but hugely grateful world.
Atwood deftly recounts the complex story of a complex main protagonist Joan Foster, who lives several lives at various points in her life, seemingly running away, or perhaps towards something she can't quite sem to grasp, if only she knew what it was?
I've working my way through all of Margaret Atwood's novels and this one definitely feels as though there's been a gear change up from her first two and preceding novels, there's an air of confidence, a sophistication in the writing, everything feels more nuanced.
'Lady Oracle' definitely feels, in style as well as thematically, that it's paving the way for the literary greatness of Atwood's classic novels soon to be foisted upon an unsuspecting, but hugely grateful world.
February 7, 2013
Shit. I’d danced right through the broken glass, in my bare feet too. Some butterfly. I limped into the main room, trailing bloody footprints and looking for a towel. I washed my feet in the bathtub, the soles looked as if they’d been minced. The real red shoes, the feet punished for dancing. You could dance, or you could have the love of a good man. But you were afraid to dance, because you had this unnatural fear that if you danced they’d cut your feet off so you wouldn’t be able to dance. Finally you overcame your fear and danced, and they cut your feet off. The good man went away too, because you wanted to dance.
But I chose the love. I wanted the good man; why wasn’t that the right choice? I was never a dancing girl anyway. A bear in an arena only appears to dance, really it’s on it’s hind legs trying to avoid the arrows.
Tasty, no?
So says Joan Foster the main character in Margaret Atwood’s Lady Oracle. A woman who, in her own words, planned her death much more carefully than she planned her life.
I have a lot of Atwood on the shelves here at the Shaky Shack and I finally decided it was time to take one out for a spin. I thought I had read this one before but it didn’t take long for me to realize that I hadn’t. I’ve just been ... carrying it around for a long time. I do that sometimes.
I’m a firm believer in the “right time” to read a book. Not all books. Some books can just be chomped down on any old time, lips licked and on we go. They can be read on the run, between bus stops, standing in line, just before we drift off to sleep. I like some of those books. I also like books that are a bit.... heftier and seem to call out for a longer, quieter stretch. This one felt like that.
I picked it up on a snowy blowy night when the thermometer dipped below -30C. I made some tea, topped it off with some baileys and curled up by the fire.
I forget, sometimes, how witty Atwood is. And how wonderful and terrifying her worlds are. Wonderful because they are peopled with the most amazing and seemingly improbable characters who are.... us. That’s the terrifying part.
For a while, in university, I wanted to... rebel against Atwood. I can’t even remember why. Probably something bizarre like... she was so popular, and smart and ... middle class. I thought. Upper class even. How dare she be! Ahh... youth.
I began a paper on Surfacing for a wild class with Douglas Freake at York University. It was one of those classes that takes a whole bunch of seemingly disparate knowledge and interests and .... folds them all together somehow. It was a humanities class where we pulled apart advertising, pop culture, literature, film, music... all manner of things created by humans. I remember sitting there, near the end of the year, thinking... this is OUTSTANDING. I felt, for a few days, that I was brilliant. That I could suddenly see how the world worked. That all the sh*t I studied in all those other classed finally made sense. Part of this ecstasy came from working on the essay about Surfacing.
I set out to... rip that book apart. To rip Atwood apart, I suppose. To take her to task for... something. To expose her as a faker, a fraud, a soulless darling of the intelligentsia. I was in third year uni. I was more than a bit MAD if you can’t tell. I went in all guns blazing and... Atwood conquered me. The deeper I dug, the more fantastic the book seemed to become. I ended up doing a complete u-turn and singing her praises to the rafters. I was SCHOOLED.
I have the urge to do the same with this one. But I feel... weak and wobbly in my brain. Unable to offer up anything smart, or even witty, let alone INSIGHTFUL.
So, for now, I will just say. This is a good one. It’s chock full of layers and honesty and more than a few giggles.
It is the story of a life lived... almost by accident. A woman who follows the wind and becomes whatever the people she runs into want her to be. Joan Foster is many things, to many people. I finished the book with the hope that she will now, finally, be... herself. In all it’s fullness. With all it’s contradictions and complexities.
May she, and we, find our way to living life for our selves instead of others. To living with intent.
One more tasty quote to tempt you....
Where was the new life I’d intended to step into, easily as crossing a river? It hadn’t materialized, and the old life went on without me. I was caged on my balcony waiting to change. I should take up a hobby, I thought, make quilts, grow plants, collect stamps. I should relax and be a tourist, a predatory female tourist and take pictures and pick up lovers with pink nylon ties and pointy shoes. I wanted to unclench myself, soak in the atmosphere, lie back and eat all the flapdoodles off the tree of life, but somehow I couldn’t do it. I was waiting for something to happen, the next turn of events (a circle? a spiral?) All my life I’d been hooked on plots.
I too have always been hooked on plots.
I just think we ought to be the authors, and heroines, of our own stories. That’s all. And I know M. Atwood agrees.
go easy ~p
August 22, 2017
"Now I wanted to be acknowledged, but I feared it."
Καλογραμμένο όπως κάθε βιβλίο της Atwood που έχω διαβάσει ως τώρα. Με την απαιτούμενη υπερβολή και χιούμορ περιγράφει τις σχέσεις μιας γυναίκας με την οικογένεια της, τους εραστές, τον σύζυγο και τον ίδιο της τον εαυτό. Αγαπάω το χιούμορ της γραφής της, μαύρο και εκκεντρικό. Είναι το πρώτο δικό της μυθιστόρημα που διαβάζω χωρίς να είναι μετα-αποκαλυπτικό ή δυστοπικό και μου άρεσε εξίσου το ίδιο.
December 16, 2017
«پشت سرم آن همه اتفاق افتاده بود و من بیخبر بودم: خیانتها و قحطیها، کودتاهای دیپلماتیک، قتلهای عقیدتی و کارهای قهرمانانهای که پایانی شوم داشتند. چرا هیچکس به من نگفته بود؟ شاید گفته بودند، اما من گوش نمیکردم. فقط نگران وزنم بودم.»
«او زندگیاش را وقف ما کرده بود، او طبق آموزشی که دیده بود، تمام هم و غمّش را برای خانوادهاش گذاشته، و از ما مراقبت کرده بود.»
«انگار فقط در مسیر اوجگیری یا در زمان سقوط بود که من برایش وجود داشتم؛ در غیر این صورت، فقط برایش قطرهای مغذّی بودم. روابط عاطیفان هم فقطدر فواصل زمانی بین اوج و فرودها عینیت مییافت. وقتی در اوج بود، وقت نداشت، و وقتی رو به افول بود، انرژی نداشت.»
«مادرم همیشه میپرسید: «فکر کردی کی هستی؟» اما هیچوقت منتظر جواب نمیماند.»
*
اتوود، فمینیستیتش را با نمایش زنی مستقل و موفق به رخ نمیکشد. بلکه دقیقا میخواهد فضای فشار جامعه بر زنانی که مجبور میشوند «زنانه» فکر کنند را توصیف کند. کتاب خانم اتوود داستانی است از کودکی تا میانسالی دختری چاق، که مادرش و جامعهی سرمایهداری کانادا او را به خاطر میزان نبودن با معیارهای رایج موفقیت پس میزند.
توصیفهایش از نظام امپریالیستی هم دقیق است، ولی باز رمان را با شعارهای کمونیستی پر نمیکند. در عین حال جنبش چپ را هم زیاد جدی نمیگیرد و بنظرم با دیدگاهی منصفانه و جامع، همهی جناحها را به نقد میکشد.
«او زندگیاش را وقف ما کرده بود، او طبق آموزشی که دیده بود، تمام هم و غمّش را برای خانوادهاش گذاشته، و از ما مراقبت کرده بود.»
«انگار فقط در مسیر اوجگیری یا در زمان سقوط بود که من برایش وجود داشتم؛ در غیر این صورت، فقط برایش قطرهای مغذّی بودم. روابط عاطیفان هم فقطدر فواصل زمانی بین اوج و فرودها عینیت مییافت. وقتی در اوج بود، وقت نداشت، و وقتی رو به افول بود، انرژی نداشت.»
«مادرم همیشه میپرسید: «فکر کردی کی هستی؟» اما هیچوقت منتظر جواب نمیماند.»
*
اتوود، فمینیستیتش را با نمایش زنی مستقل و موفق به رخ نمیکشد. بلکه دقیقا میخواهد فضای فشار جامعه بر زنانی که مجبور میشوند «زنانه» فکر کنند را توصیف کند. کتاب خانم اتوود داستانی است از کودکی تا میانسالی دختری چاق، که مادرش و جامعهی سرمایهداری کانادا او را به خاطر میزان نبودن با معیارهای رایج موفقیت پس میزند.
توصیفهایش از نظام امپریالیستی هم دقیق است، ولی باز رمان را با شعارهای کمونیستی پر نمیکند. در عین حال جنبش چپ را هم زیاد جدی نمیگیرد و بنظرم با دیدگاهی منصفانه و جامع، همهی جناحها را به نقد میکشد.
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