Alias Grace

Part true story, part invention Alias Grace is the tale of enigmatic Grace Marks, who's convicted for murder in the 19th century. Grace is gentle, self-controlled and sometimes mad, she's a puzzle, and spellbinds a variety of surroundings characters who try to get her released from prison. We hear her tell the story in her own words to a young physician who tries to analyse her mind, interlaced with fragments of other people's reports and also Grace's own contradicting confessions from the past.

Atwood's narration is beautiful, gripping, sometimes sensual, sometimes haunting, and her Grace is fascinating especially as she always remains slightly out of grasp. The mystery of the murder and Grace's innocence and guilt is built around a portrait of 19th century culture, in which women are always at the mercy of men, the weaker gender, exploited. The ending with Grace stitching together a quilt containing symbols for herself, Mary and Nancy, was such a subtle yet powerful end commentary.

4.5