Alias Grace - Margaret Atwood

"It's 1843, and Grace Marks has been convicted for her involvement in the vicious murders of her employer and his housekeeper and mistress. Some believe Grace is innocent; others think her evil or insane. Now serving a life sentence, Grace claims to have no memory of the murders.

An up-and-coming expert in the burgeoning field of mental illness is engaged by a group of reformers and spiritualists who seek a pardon for Grace. He listens to her story while bringing her closer and closer to the day she cannot remember. What will he find in attempting to unlock her memories?"

A truly masterful book. 

Grace is a murderess. She collaborated with her co-worker to kill their master and his mistress out of jealously. So the people say. So the people want to believe. Because, let’s face it, where’s the fascination in a murder committed only by a man? There’s no sensation, nothing to stir the crowds. Whereas a woman who took a life? Well, there’s the spectacle! Never mind that she may be innocent. This is a perfect chance to humiliate women, to place the blame on them and continue the tradition that started at the beginning of time...But Grace knows the truth. Or does she?

Margaret Atwood takes the story of one of the most famous female prisoners of the 19th century and weaves a masterpiece of a novel. Set in the 1840s in Canada and spanning almost 30 years, this is a confession and a fascinating journey to the mind and the life of a woman who has much to say and even more to hide. Is she a criminal? An innocent bystander? A cold-blooded killer? Is she a victim of her weak will? A small animal captured in a man’s well-constructed trap? And does anyone want to actually listen to her? When a young psychiatrist decides to dive into the darkest part of Grace’s mind, everything will change.

This is a novel that I consider perfect on every level. I’ve always believed that the finest writers can give us the conclusion at the beginning of the story and we’ll still be interested and invested in the development of the action. This is exactly what happens here. While Atwood doesn’t reveal everything at once, we have all the proper materials to ‘’guess’’ the end and there is still much space for suspense, agony and, speaking strictly for me, anger. Anger was the feeling that became my loyal companion while I was reading. Anger because of the double-standards of the time, the conviction that a woman is guilty by definition when accused, the habit of regarding women as objects for the men’s pleasure, ripe for the taking...

I loved the way Atwood uses the newly-born ideas of Mesmerism and Magnetism and the rising of Spiritualism movement that became in vogue a few years later. In addition, she addresses the issue of Hysteria, the common belief that all women were prone to uncontrollable, violent fits of rage, another token of a society that refused to believe that women are actual human beings with the right to seek sexual pleasure and emotional fulfilment. God forbid, these are principles solely belonging to men…. 

This theme of suppression is apparent throughout the novel. Suppression of thoughts, feelings and sexuality that become, because of its suppression, twisted and grotesque. This is mainly shown is the character of Dr Simon Jordan, the phycologist sent to assess Grace. He is very complex, in my opinion, very real and perplexing. He is not free from his own demons, he has some fairly obscure ideas about sexual pleasure but he desires progress and knowledge. The internal grappling between the carnal and "base" attributes and the socially excepted enlightened ones was wonderfully expressed and so interesting to explore. 

Grace is a complex, intriguing character. In my opinion, she retains characteristics of the Unreliable Narrator as we are never actually certain that her views on events and people are accurate. She comes across as a sympathetic, level-headed, brave, considerate and surprisingly dignified woman.  However, she keeps an air of quiet cunning and manipulation, suggesting she could very well be a murderess playing on the stereotypes of the day, a masterful actress portraying the feminine ideal.  She’s not afraid to express mistrust or uncertainty and has the self-discipline to keep her most ‘’controversial’’ thoughts secret until the opportune moment. Atwood takes us into Grace’s mind before she speaks and succeeds in creating a complete picture of our heroine. However, there is still an aura of mystery surrounding her and a strange, underlying sensuality and dark innocence.

I absolutely adored the writing in this book. Atwood lends a lyrical and poetical prose to her work, something not often seen in historical fiction. Sometimes I just had to stop and reread a sentence as it was just so exquisitely written. The whole book has a feeling of oppressiveness, trapped and in danger, like being in a locked hothouse with too many clothes on. Truly an atmospheric work of art. 

Age Rating 16+. Adult content. Sex, allusions to sex, rape, abortions, death, murder, and an disturbingly oppressive atmosphere.