The Robber Bride - Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood is an astonishingly good writer. She excels in intricate construction and hers is a clear, seemingly effortless transparency of the language: like if it wasn`t there, like if nothing mediated between the reader and the tale. She is so good that despite the fact that she mostly writes about women, from a female perspective and with a noticeable feminist slant; her writing transcends the boundaries of what is often described as `female fiction`. In Polish we have no expression for `chick-lit`, there is, however, one of `menstrual literature` which applies to more serious examples ... more

First published in 1993, "The Robber Bride" was the eighth novel by Margaret Atwood, distinguished Canadian novelist, poet and short-story writer. Born in Ottawa in 1939, Atwood is Canada's most eminent writer, the author of such acclaimed novels as "Alias Grace", "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Cat's Eye". "The Robber Bride" is, in my view, one of her finest achievements. "The Robber Bride" takes as its inspiration the Grimm fairytale of the Robber Bridegroom, in which an evil groom lures three maidens into his lair in order to devour them. Atwood's version turns this on its head in creating the ... more

I was first introduced to Margaret Atwood through a recommendation from a school teacher and have been a huge fan ever since. The Robber Bride did not disappoint. I think it is one of her best. In the beginning, it takes a little concentration to follow which character is speaking but as the reader becomes more familiar with the characters, their identities soon become recognisable, even without introduction. Margaret Atwood is a great author and this is definitely reflected in The Robber Bride. I found it difficult to put down. The character development has a depth that you would expect of ... more