Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood: A Review

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Having really enjoyed The Handmaid's Tale, I was very excited to read Alias Grace and to see that it is a new series on Netflix.  I really enjoyed The Handmaid's Tale but I have to say that I actually liked Alias Grace more.  It might have been because it was based on a true story but the story was fascinating to me. 

Grace Marks is a prisoner, having been found guilty of the grisly murder of her employer and his housekeeper.  She is said to have committed the murders of Nancy Montgomery and Thomas Kinnear with her coworker, James McDermott, who is a surly and jealous man.  While she was initially sentenced to hang like McDermott, she is saved by her lawyer, who pleads with the court to consider her youth, and her sentence is commuted to a life term.  Soon after she is imprisoned, she is committed to an asylum on account of fits and her amnesia surrounding anything to do with the crime.  While she is treated with the worst of the time's psychiatric treatments, she still does not remember anything about the time when Montgomery and Kinnear are murdered.  Years later, a young psychiatrist is brought in by a group trying to prove her innocence to try to help her remember more about the crime.

My favorite part of this book would have to be the characters that Atwood has created, Nancy being one of my favorites.  She is the perfect narcissist.  She is jealous, manipulative and overly sensitive.  One never knows where they stand with her as she can love you or hate you from day to day and minute to minute.  Grace, herself, is actually quite likeable.  She comes off as very intelligent in a very street smart way.  I also think that she could be a very relatable character for many of us in that she is but a product of her past.  While I didn't feel that Dr. Jordan's story added very much to the overall feel of the book, Grace's story was sad but very interesting.  I was left wanting to know more.  The writing style is sophisticated but still very easily readable.  I really enjoyed this book and I believe that anyone who enjoys historical fiction, true crime or medical mysteries will enjoy this book, too.

The series on Netflix compares very nicely with the book.  I didn't think too many liberties were taken with the story.  The overwhelming feeling that I got, both when I read the book and when I watched the TV show, was how sad this story was no matter whether or not Grace Marks did anything.  Grace had such a sad life up until she was 16 and the crimes took place and then ended up in a place where more sadness and depression were heaped onto her.  Some of the phenomena that occurred to her seem to mimic what we would diagnose as psychological disorders today.  While the story took place during the Civil War, this story, with its portrayal of cruelty and the aftermath of a tragic childhood, still ring true today.  I believe this story should be just as popular as Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and sends just as powerful a message.

My rating:
★★★★★

Reviews of books like this one:
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything by Lydia Kang and Nate Pedersen
The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian


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