henry71's Full Review: Margaret Atwood - Alias Grace
I recently reread this book and found that despite knowing the ending, I was still as interested in what was going on in the novel. Even though this book is a mystery, finding the villain is not the only reason to read, for this book has rich descriptions of the time period.
The basic plot:
We met Grace Marks in a prison cell. She is an object of controversy and interest in Canada; she is convicted of being an accessory to the murder of her employer and his housekeeper/mistress. Some people believe that she is innocent and some believe that she is an evil, deceiving temptress, and some believe that she is made. She is about to become an object of study for Dr. Simon Jordan, a researcher in the field of psychology. Grace claims to have no memory of many things that occurred during the time of the murder and he is interested in using his skills to help solve the question of her guilt or innocence. During their meetings together, we hear much of Grace's past. She begins with her drunken, abusive father, the death of her mother during the family’s emigration to Canada and her placement into various households as a servant. The household that is most focused on is that of the Parkinsons, for there she meets her good friend Mary Whitney and this is where the happiest part of Grace's life occurs. But this ends with Mary's sudden death. After that Grace works at several homes and than accepts a job offered by Nancy Montgomery, housekeeper for Thomas Kinnear. It there she meets James McDermott, her partner in the crime, and where the crime occurs. After a failed escape, they are both captured, James is hanged and Grace is sentenced with life in prison.
This is a very suspenseful mystery. I was not sure until the end what exactly happened, and I must admit that after several readings I do find the ending slightly confusing. Many times Grace makes remark that makes the reader doubt their conclusions on her guilt or innocence.
My favorite part of the book, though, was not the mystery but the history. This book gives a clear and unvarnished picture of what life was like the early to middle 19th centaury. The reader hears about everything from housework to some crude descriptions about the relationships between men and women (I enjoyed these parts; my favorite speaker on this was Mary Whitney). The sensational of the press at this time is quite similar, I think, to our own. Of special interest to me are the descriptions of the history of psychology. Even today psychology does not have many clear cut , absolute answers and I imagine that back in the 1850s, the mind and its matters were much more ambiguous. This seems to be true, as the reader watches Dr. Simon become more desperate in his attempts to penetrate Grace's mind. The best treatment for the mentally ill is certainly not known based on the descriptions of poor treatment of the insane in the asylums. As psychology student it was very interesting to read about the evolving of psychology.
I would definitely recommend this book, not only as a mystery but as a well-researched peek into past lives.
In Alias Grace, bestselling author Margaret Atwood has written her most captivating, disturbing, and ultimately satisfying work since The Handmaid's T...More at Barnes & Noble.com
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