Description
Book SynopsisWinner of the 2023 Atwood Society Award for Best Book on Atwood and Her WorkMargaret Atwood is one of the most significant writers working today. Her writing spans seven decades, is phenomenally diverse and ambitious, and has amassed an enormous body of literary criticism. In this invaluable guide, Fiona Tolan provides a clear and comprehensive overview of evolving critical approaches to Atwood's work. Addressing all of the author's key texts, the book deftly guides the reader through the most characteristic, influential, and insightful critical readings of the last fifty years. It highlights recurring themes in Atwood's work, such as gender, feminism, power and violence, fairy tale and the gothic, environmental destruction, and dystopian futures. This is an indispensable companion for anyone interested in reading and writing about Margaret Atwood.
Trade ReviewA valuable and necessary book for students, researchers, and enthusiastic readers of Margaret Atwood’s novels. It offers both a substantial study of her fiction and a comprehensive overview of Atwood criticism up to the present, unequalled in any other publication. Covering all relevant thematic, genre, narrative, and contextual issues, it deftly guides readers through the rich diversity of critical responses to her work. * Coral Howells, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of English Studies, University of London, UK *
Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Early Works and Early Reception Chapter 2: A Developing Canon and Developing Themes: Lady Oracle, Life Before Man, and Bodily Harm Chapter 3: ‘Are There Any Questions?’: A Focus on The Handmaid’s Tale Chapter 4: Spotty-handed Villainesses: Cat’s Eye and The Robber Bride Chapter 5: History, Memory and Recovering the Past Chapter 6: Atwood’s Dystopian Futures: The MaddAddam Trilogy Conclusion Notes Bibliography
