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Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts
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About This Book
How does one of the greatest storytellers of our time write her own life? The long-awaited memoir from the author of The Handmaid's Tale and The Testaments, one of our most lauded and influential cultural figures.'Every writer is at least two the one who lives, and the one who writes. Though everything written must have passed through their minds, or mind, they are not the same.'Raised by ruggedly independent, scientifically minded parents – entomologist father, dietician mother – Atwood spent most of each year in the wild forest of northern Quebec. This childhood was unfettered and nomadic, sometimes isolated (on her eighth 'It sounds forlorn. It was forlorn. It gets more forlorn.'), but also thrilling and beautiful.From this unconventional start, Atwood unfolds the story of her life, linking seminal moments to the books that have shaped our literary landscape, from the cruel year that spawned Cat's Eye to the Orwellian 1980s Berlin where she wrote The Handmaid's Tale. In pages bursting with bohemian gatherings, her magical life with the wildly charismatic writer Graeme Gibson and major political turning points, we meet poets, bears, Hollywood actors and larger-than-life characters straight from the pages of an Atwood novel.As we travel with her along the course of her life, more and more is revealed about her writing, the connections between real life and art – and the workings of one of our greatest imaginations.* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF containing images and drawings from the book.
Reviews
"Sheds light on the author's morals and marriage – and offers some very niche gossip ..."
"A largely shapeless narrative spanning the entire life of Canada's pre-eminent novelist, and it contains a good deal of passive voice ..."
"A venerable sort, a cradle-to-rocking-chair telling of a celebrated life ..."
"Has to be the most spectacular, hilarious, and generous autobiography of the last quarter century ..."
"Atwood acknowledges (after overhearing readers complaining) that her books have become very long, but doesn't explore why."
"The Canadian novelist's memoir, Book of Lives, displays the wit, intelligence and complexity that marks her best work ..."
"Where most such backward looks are cosily triumphalist or anxiously self-justifying, hers is sharp, funny and engaging, a book you can warm to even if you're not fully au fait...with her astonishing output."
"Charts the remarkable life story of one daring author who looks back on her career with awe and humility, realising how much living and influence she has indeed accomplished."
"If Book of Lives does not end up among the lasting Atwoods, I suspect the reason will be so many words, and so quickly—or, rather, her not taking the time to make it shorter."
"Personal events are treated with brisk frankness ..."
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