Sandy Brown  retired after working with the math teachers
	at school a couple years ago. She has regularly shared glimpses 
	of her reading and book discussions with the rest of us. I always 
	look forward to her contributions, because of the variety of 
	books she reads and the pithy insights she shares.

"Margaret Atwood's latest novel Alias Grace is based on a true story of the murder of Nancy Montgomery and Mr. Kinnear of Canada in the mid-1800s. Atwood is at her very best using newspaper clips, quotations from reports, and poetry as introductions to each section of the book. These sections are named for quilt patterns and a quilt block illustrates the beginning of each section The novel includes descriptions of the double murder, the murdered pair, the two accused culprits, as well as Canada, the United States, and psychiatric 'asylums' of the period. Atwood has used correspondence as an excellent tool to describe events and attitudes. This latter usage reminds me that we don't write enough in this day and age. The communication by phone which many of us have used to replace letter writing will not serve history. Perhaps e-mail (if one makes a hard copy) will revive written accounts of events, and more importantly, ideas.

The publisher's Readers' Group Companion to Alias Grace

And here's Brittaney Goodman's list of internet links to Atwood-related sites

"I've got my asterisk, but assume this will extend me for another year."

	This will certainly extend your asterisk, if only I can get the bookkeeper 
	to update the records.  As usual, I had a couple thoughts while reading 
	your comments.


	Your description of Atwood's new book reminds me of 
	Wisconsin Death Trip by Michael Lesy. That was a bit of history 
	told almost exclusively through newspaper clippings, local insane
	asylum records, and photographs taken in the late 19th century around 
	Black River Falls, Wisconsin. I don't know yet about Alias Grace, 
	but WDT painted a pretty bleak picture of small town life in 
	Victorian Era Wisconsin. Your description certainly tempts me to read
	another of Atwood's novels.


	I'd probably agree with Conn about the reasons for Pearl Buck's 
	neglect. But I'd add a couple. She was actively involved in the political
	lobbying to add legitimacy to Chiang Kai-Shek's government (which 
	was mostly based on his wife's wealthy banking family and her 
	connections to the USA through Wellesley and various Christian 
	missionary societies, and U.S. military aid).  That kind of partisan 
	politics, especially in the 1950s (even when you were on the "right" 
	side during the McCarthy era) won few friends among intellectuals 
	and artists.  

	Secondly, her novels about China are probably seen today as perpetuating 
	and popularizing condescending stereotypes of Chinese as mindless 
	hordes who don't value human life. And perhaps we should add that 
	Hollywood made a very popular movie based on her most famous book.  
	What more reason could there be for the artistic/literary community to 
	ignore her?


	By the way, The Queen's Gambit is by Walter S. Tevis. 
	Tevis is the author of The Hustler and The Man Who Fell to Earth made 
	famous on film. (I had to log on to the Northfield Library's electronic 
	card catalog to find out.)


	Thanks, Sandy. 

Reading's Home Page | Title Index | Author Index | Genre Index