The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Robber Bride
Book Review: Another great book by Margaret Atwood
Summary: 5 Stars
THE ROBBER BRIDE by Margaret AtwoodTHE ROBBER BRIDE is yet another cleverly written novel by Margaret Atwood, who most recently was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2003 for her apocalyptic book ORYX AND CRAKE. THE ROBBER BRIDE follows a similar theme as her novel CAT'S EYE, in which four girls form a clique of friendship, while one of the girls becomes the ring leader, tormenting one of the other girls endlessly till near-tragedy strikes. However, in THE ROBBER BRIDE, we are now looking at four women, whose history begins in college.
Roz, Charis, and Tony were acquaintances during their college years. Their one link was a mutual "friend" named Zenia, a friend that eventually turned on each of them later on in their lives and practically destroyed them in order to get what she wanted from them.
The book is very complex, as the author takes us back and forth in time, telling the story of each of the women and their relationship with each other and with Zenia. What's interesting is that without Zenia, none of these women would have kept in contact. But as each one finds out what a snake Zenia can be, they bond and through the years they continue their friendship. Zenia then dies, and the women feel they are safe and can move on with their lives. But, then one day while they are out at a restaurant, one of them thinks she has spotted Zenia...
I found THE ROBBER BRIDE to be riveting and very intense. I feel that out of all the books I have read by Margaret Atwood, this was the most powerful of them all in terms of emotion and passion. This is not to say that her other books were any less than this one, but I remember feeling a lot of angry feelings as I read it. Margaret Atwood is truly a talented writer, and what makes me want to read her other books is that each book she writes is different from the next. She doesn't use a formula; she re-invents herself with each new book. I rated THE ROBBER BRIDE five stars and I highly recommend it. Margaret Atwood fans will love it.
Book Review: Another masterpiece
Summary: 4 Stars
Like Wally Lamb and John Irving, Margaret Atwood is an author whose works I savor. Each Atwood novel is a unique experience, so it's nearly impossible to claim one as "the best." Like "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Alias Grace," "The Robber Bride" examines the nature of female identity, specifically the ways in which women treat each other and the motives behind their relationships. In this novel, Atwood has created four extraordinary characters, each so well-crafted and precise that the entire novel could be about any one of them. That Atwood manages to populate one novel with four such incredibly well-defined characters is remarkable in itself. And her technique is likewise remarkable, because she actually creates only three of these characters--Tony, Charis, and Roz, each of whom may symbolize some essential aspect of womanhood. Through the creation of these three women, Atwood conjures (yes, that's the exact word for it) a fourth--Zenia, the titular anti-heroine. Atwood uses a symmetrical structure to relate the stories of these four women's interactions over a long period of time, and though some of the plot events seem unfathomable and simply preposterous, there is only a hint of preternatural malevolence at work here. The true horror is evoked by the reprehensible actions of Zenia, who may or may not be the embodiment of pure evil. "The Robber Bride" is written with the sure hand of a master who knows how to weave ambiguity into truth.Book Review: At times uneven but often fascinating.
Summary: 4 Stars
I love Ms Atwood's writing period. I mean,in my opinion she could write about the phone book and keep me engrossed. You may not agree with me,I know,I just wanted to state that before I review this book,which while not her best work of the ones I've read so far, still resonates. The three woman are so well-drawn that you feel like you are snooping in on some very good friends. All quite flawed, but still the kind of friends I wish I had more of. Also, There are,unfortunately,"Zenias" in this world,although most don't operate on such a high-level of manipulation as she does. The stark reality of these woman's lives is a vivid,though at times,a bit unbelievable parallel to this woman who seems to exist only for her own selfish needs. It's a scary,sometimes funny and often sad book that will keep you wondering what will happen next.Book Review: Atwood Strikes Again
Summary: 4 Stars
The highly sophisticated Margaret Atwood produces another successful novel yet again. Along with her award winning books, The Blind Assassin and The Handmaid's Tale, she delivers a clever and complicated novel that intertwines a shrewd antagonist with three very different friends. Atwood's use of flashbacks and vastly different characterization of all women in the novel provide the reader with a lengthy page turner that always keeps you guessing.
Atwood's flashbacks to Tony, Charis, and Roz's childhood days make the story very welcoming and relatable. The reader gets a better sense of who the women really are and where they have come from. I soon fell in love with Charis, or then Karen, and her grandmother on the farm, and felt as if I was there. Atwood's imagination keeps the reader intrigued about where the story will head and what will take place, which makes the book even more enjoyable. Her break down of the novel isn't complex, with sections and chapters dedicated to a specific woman, but it does have the reader sometimes struggling to remember the details about each person's life.
The one downfall to Atwood's writing was her off beat characterization of Tony and Charis. Although they were very interesting characters, their intensely different philosophical ideas seemed to go off on tangents and I often found myself losing interest as Atwood went farther and farther in depth to their spiritual beliefs.
Overall I would recommend this book to anyone if you don't mind sifting through 520 pages you will definitely be in for an interesting read.
Book Review: Atwood a good novelist.
Summary: 4 Stars
This is the first novel I have read by Atwood and it is very impressive. Her characters seem so real and as the reader I really cared about what would happen to them. Tony, Roz and Charis are 3 very diverse and unusual women who become and stay friends in the face of a common adversary. I think one of the appealing things about this novel is that it is easy to identify with the women and what is or has happened in their lives.
The only dissatisfaction I had with the book is that some places could have been edited. When the characters have lapsed into memory there are portions that just drag and in other places it's a repeat of what we already know about that particular character.
Overall, an excellent read and I recommend it. I think this novel will have a strong appeal for most readers out there.