Surfacing,: Amazon.ca: Margaret Atwood: Books

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Customer Reviews

30 Reviews

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

Average Customer Review

3.5 out of 5 stars (30 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars Quest Symbolism in The Twilight Zone, Dec 4 2001

By

justin (Montreal, QC, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Surfacing (Paperback)

"Surfacing" is the second Atwood book I've experienced, and to be honest, I found her narrative style in this one more accessible than in "The Handmaid's Tale". The first 165 pages evoke a cynicism rooted deep in the apathy of 1970's North American culture, especially from a Canadian perspective. While Americans may find the references to the "flag-waving Yankees" the narrator loathes so much a bit distasteful in the light of recent events, the book must be taken as a narrative of one woman's personal struggle. While many of the narrator's opinions may find readers slightly offended, they provide a vehicle for her own personal frustration. The last few chapters seem a bit far-fetched compared to the others, but then again, I don't recommend reading the entire book in one sitting for that very reason. Though turned off by some elements of "weirdness" (the very same reason I didn't get into "The Handmaid's Tale"), I found "Surfacing" to be one of the most psychologically-challenging novels I've read, and perhaps the discomfort I felt while finishing the last page is post-magical-realism at its finest-- "There's no way this could happen...I think. Well...maybe?"

Try it out for yourself, but please don't judge its value on a few anti-American references. Remember, she's Canadian, and the book was written in the 70's.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Atwood being surly!, Dec 31 2011

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David Sabine (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Surfacing, (Mass Market Paperback)

I read this book in my early 20's in the early 90's and found that her telling of the 70's was intriguing.

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3.0 out of 5 stars These thoughts are for you, Jun 23 2011

By

Chris (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Surfacing (Paperback)

I had many thoughts about "Surfacing" while reading it. I thought it felt like homework at times; thought another author should cover the book, take Atwood's story and tell it without her mumbo jumbo writing; thought a horror movie killer should show up and deal with the unhappy characters (they were in the right environment). Unexpectedly, I finished the final forty pages quickly and thought that was a good thing.

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Surfacing? Sinking? Or sunk?
On the exterior many lives are impetuously lived, in constant motion, constant flux, demanding change... Read more

Published on Jan 26 2002 by Cipriano

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark Surfacing
Having read most of Margaret Atwood's works of fiction, I have to say that Surfacing is probably the darkest of any I have read by her -- including the Handmaid's Tale. Read more

Published on Jan 1 2002 by Denton Loving