BOOK OF LIVES

A literary life infused by humor, grace, and devotion to craft.

“How often have I heard, at book signings,” Atwood writes, “‘But your writing is so dark! I wasn’t expecting you to be funny!’ A good question to ponder. Which one of these personae is real? And why can’t it be both?” In this penetrating memoir exploring multiple dimensions of her complex personae, it’s Atwood’s irrepressible wit—not darkness—that enlivens both mundane domestic moments and life’s pivotal events, creating a fully engaging chronicle. Indeed, Atwood’s humor permeates the recounting of her early years, from exploring northern Quebec’s backwoods with science-minded parents—her father an entomologist, her mother a dietician—through family moves between Ottawa, Sault Ste. Marie, and Toronto, and her journey through college, graduate school, and her evolving writing career, including formative travels to Cambridge and Britain. Beyond a mere chronology of events leading to writing success, Atwood’s narrative is particularly notable in its focus on the genesis of her observations, revealing how writing itself perpetually unfolds alongside life; writing becomes life’s reflection: “I move through time, and, when I write, time moves through me. It’s the same for everyone. You can’t stop time, nor can you seize it; it slips away.” She explores craft in vivid, instructive terms: “This has been an experience I’ve often had: poetry breaks a subject open, fiction grows from the break.” Such insightful analysis extends to more personal observations, as Atwood examines her relationships within the writing and publishing communities, including fellow Canadians Margaret Laurence and Alice Munro, her early marriage to writer Jim Polk, and most significantly, her enduring partnership with novelist Graeme Gibson and their daughter, Jess. Woven throughout the later chapters are considerations of the acclaimed novels that would define her legacy—The Handmaid’s Tale and Alias Grace among them—alongside prestigious honors, awards, and celebrated adaptations that cemented her position as one of literature’s most influential voices.

Engaging, wise, and marvelously witty—illuminating both the craft of writing and the art of living.