Author Archives: susan

LITERATURE: Alias Grace – Finale

Finished Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace the other day, and have been attempting to plan this wrap-up post in some semblance of organization and importance. A brief synopsis of the ending:  While the hypnosis session by Dr. Dupont (Jeremiah the pedlar) … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Alias Grace – Tension

Naturally, with the deed done and the suspects either hanged or imprisoned at the start of the book, the burden of maintaining tension within the retelling of the story lies in the building up to the moment based on the … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Alias Grace – New Depths

I do, I do, I do have lots to say about more predawn reading, but must frame quickly ten small Chinese papercuts into little golden frames before this client walks through my shop door.  However, as a teaser: Suddenly he … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Alias Grace – Credibility

While the use of Grace’s first person narrative voice in the retelling of her story to the point at which the story begins is exciting in its intimacy (as posted previously), something about it is starting to bother me. Grace … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Alias Grace – Leit-Motif

How remiss to have neglected to mention the quilt as the leit-motif in Alias Grace, but it seemed so obvious that I find it hard to believe that a writer such as Atwood would use it to imply any hidden … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Alias Grace – Narrator

A thought on Atwood’s choice of telling story via the first person of the protagonist, Grace Marks and the question of reliable narrator (God help me, I hope I have this term correct, being on the brink of senility as … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Alias Grace – Backstory

Atwood employs the use of tale-telling in braiding the past with the present in the story of Grace Marks.  She has in the first few pages of the book used exposition to present the reader with the situation:  A young … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Ploughshares Update

Just discovered that some of these stories may be read online, and in finding the link to Ploughshares for the previous post, I’ve found the story by Miles Harvey that I discussed (or, I suppose I should say "held forth" … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Alias Grace – Time & Place

Just about halfway through and just a quick note on voice suiting historical placement, and the underlying image we get of a space that is of a different era than where the author resides. Atwood’s narrative voice switches between that … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Ploughshares

Sometimes there’s an extra special story in a literary journal and I’ve found one that excels on all counts.  Drought by Miles Harvey (Ploughshares, Fall 2004) is an exquisitely written story based on the simple premise of an adulterous affair … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Alias Grace – Theme

While I may have missed the point of Michele’s suggestion, I am finding the theme of perception that draws this novel together.  It is not really a murder mystery as I had called it, for the murder is right upfront … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Alias Grace – Update

A quarter way through the book, and while I’m finding it a most enjoyable read, reminiscent of my long-time affair with murder mysteries, especially based on true crime, I do not find any deep meaning to uncover.  Since the mystery … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Alias Grace – Stark Simile & Metaphor

Even though the story is a murder mystery, so to speak, since we have been already made aware in the first few pages as well as it being clearly noted on the back cover, the handling of this case based … Continue reading Continue reading

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POETRY: Misplaced Space

It was wrong I know, to materialize in this dimension, this shade of grey between the blurred primary colors.  Each life a rainbow arc of climbing to the noon, sliding down to end again with blue or yellow soles.  Oft … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Alias Grace – ALIAS and Imagery and POV

Okay, so I guess I must already retract my musings and admit to being a "poor" close reader:  On page 59, the doctor Simon Jordan is looking at the same portraits I mentioned seeing on page 10, and reading underneath … Continue reading Continue reading

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