- Paperback: 480 pages
- Publisher: Anchor (1997)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0385490445
- ISBN-13: 978-0385490443
- Product Dimensions: 20.4 x 13.4 x 2.7 cm
- Shipping Weight: 408 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (120 customer reviews)
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Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Crime and Punishment, Alias Punishment Without Crime?,
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This review is from: Alias Grace : A Novel (Paperback)
A sizable part of _Alias Grace_ is based on Susana Moodie's mid-19th century book about Grace Marks, who was convicted along with fellow servant, James McDermott, for the murders of Thomas Kinnear, and his housekeeper and mistress, Nancy Montgomery. Moodie met Grace Marks while the former was visiting the insane asylum and then the penitentary where Marks was later incarcerated. McDermott was hanged for his part in the murders; Marks was also condemned to die in the same manner, but her sentence was commuted to life in prison through the efforts of her attorney and of private citizens' groups who believed in her innocence. Much of Grace Marks' story is told by her, through a series of post-conviction interviews with Dr. Simon Jordan, a medical doctor who was a pioneer in the enlightened treatment of the mentally ill. Dr. Jordan is sponsored by a Reverend Verringer, who heads one of these groups.What makes Margaret Atwood's novel so compelling is that much of what happens in _Alias Grace_ is based on true accounts of Grace Marks' life, which is seamlessly and expertly adapted by Ms. Atwood. She readily admits in her afterword "where hints and outright gaps exist in the record, I felt free to invent." Ms. Atwood is a master storyteller. Her Grace Marks is very much a three-dimensional, flesh and blood 19th century woman. The public's beliefs about her parallel many of the widely held views of females of her time. While many imagined Marks to be weak and easily led astray by a stronger and more wiley older man (Marks was only 16 at the time of the murders), others saw Marks as an evil and jealous temptress who entrapped a gullible man into the killings. Atwood also sensitively reveals the plight of many young girls of the period who suddenly become motherless and due to their changed cicumstances take positions as servants to the wealthy, or worse yet, are forced into prostitution. The alternative was pennilessness and ultimate starvation. Then there are those young women who fell prey to a "gentleman's" amorous demands, some of whom promised marriage, only to later abandon them. A truly heartbreaking episode in the book concerns Mary Whitney, a co-worker and close friend of Grace Marks, who dies as a result of a shoddily performed abortion. By the end of the book the reader is given no definitive answer as to whether Marks was directly involved in either of the two murders. Her complexity is further revealed in the section of the book where a doctor (of the jack-of-all-trades type) puts her under hypnosis and another aspect of her personality is revealed. Grace Marks is confirmed as a woman of many sides, capable of acts of goodness, compassion--but murder? Read the very highly recommended book and then decide for yourself.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
fascinating exploration of a real-life trial,
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This review is from: Alias Grace : A Novel (Paperback)
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.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Like ratcheting to the top of a tunnel in a rollercoaster,
By
This review is from: Alias Grace : A Novel (Paperback)
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.
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