Canadian author Margaret Atwood, 68, has won Spain's Prince of Asturias literary prize. In announcing the award today, the jury praised her for work that covers several genres "with sharpness and irony" and "defends the dignity of women and denounces situations of social injustice." Atwood has published more than 25 volumes of poetry, fiction and nonfiction. She won Britain's Booker Prize in 2000 for
The Blind Assassin, and is also known for
The Edible Woman and
The Handmaid's Tale. Her works have been read by many book clubs in the Baltimore area, but I wonder whether she has been somewhat overlooked because of her affinity for science fiction? What is her best book?
Comments
I can't say it's her best, since it's the only work of hers I've read so far, but I enjoyed "The Handmaid's Tale." Since I generally despise novels about dystopian futures, it was a very pleasant surprise.
Posted by: Nancy | June 25, 2008 11:34 AM
As a fan of historical fiction (and definitely not science fiction), I recommend "Alias Grace," which is her fictionalized account of a true crime in 19th century Canada, based on very scanty newspaper accounts and fleshed out by her imagination. Despite my general dislike of futuristic works, I also found "The Handmaid's Tale" very good. I remember liking "The Blind Assassin" but not so much that I would have given it the Booker. (But, then, I wouldn't have given McEwan's "Amsterdam" the Booker, either, so it's a good thing I'm not on the committee.)
Posted by: KristinB | June 25, 2008 12:18 PM
I read Oryx and Crake with my now-defunct book club. Good read, not life changing.
Posted by: Aaron K | June 25, 2008 9:49 PM