Reading, Learning, Teaching Margaret Atwood

Atwood's dark landscapes, complex and frequently deliciously unreliable characters, and her take on a world that, if you have not noticed, has gone slightly mad appeal to novices in literary studies along with seasoned readers and critics. Thomas (education, Furman U.) finds dozens of ideas within Atwood's works to attract high school students and early undergraduates. He offers a biography and preview of themes and issues of craft, then steps through the nonfiction corpus, including interviews, commenting on Atwood's place among women writers and writers in general. He describes the early works such as The Edible Woman and the self-discovery of Surfacing, moving to the dark novels such as Life Before Man, Bodily Harm and of course The Handmaid's Tale, The Blind Assassin and the later mythologies. He concludes with careful analysis of Atwood's short fiction, poetry and children's books and gives tips on building a community of reading, writing and learning about Atwood. Annotation c2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)