I‘m sure most of you know what I am talking about when I ask if you have ever heard of The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood. The name has practically been everyone this summer, from regular conversations to spoofs and parodies on TV shows like SNL. And as you know, this is all thanks to the success of the screen adaption made available in April of this year on HULU’s streaming service. The book alone stood on its own two feet, being nominated for many awards and winning some as well. Margaret Atwood’s novels have be cherished and used as great examples in writing. The great success of the TV show is just a well-executed extension of this success. As a student whose bachelor degree was in English Literature, I am well aware of Margaret Atwood and her novels. I wish I could say that I have read them all, but like most readers, I just don’t have enough time in a day to read everything I want. I am, however, well aware of her writing and the respect it brings with it.
In one of my classes, we were required to read her novel Alias Grace. Published in 1996, the story takes place over 100 years earlier in Canada, and is grounded in the true crime murders of Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery. Both the stable hand, James McDermot, and Grace Marks, a servant of the house, were considered to be guilty of the crime. The book finds Grace, years later in prison, trying to discover her lost memory of the day of the murders with the help of a Doctor who is interested in mental health. Margaret Atwood takes liberties with this story, but it’s all due to the fact that not a lot is truly known about Grace Marks. Due to this uncertainly, Atwood creates an untrustworthy narrator and leaves you asking what is true and what is not. It is a must read in my eyes.
At beginning of this month, Netflix released its miniseries adaption of Alias Grace to much success, just as its sister novel did on HULU. In fact, it’s earned a higher score on Rotten Tomatoes amongst other accolades. Well known Canadian actors like Anna Paquin and Zacharay Levi, to name a few, find themselves involved in this tale. The acting and storytelling are well done. With only six episodes, this show is easy to binge watch on a weekend night. Grab a quilt and some hot chocolate, and enjoy yourself.
You can find works done by Margaret Atwood our catalog collection. --http://bit.ly/2zOx8Fa
About the Blogger: Rebekah works in MidPointe’s Library on Wheels. She loves to cuddle up with her dogs, drink hot chocolate, and listen to true crime podcasts.
