I saw advertised in Waterstones last week that Margaret Atwood would be speaking about her book, The Year of the Flood. Well, on further investigation she has scripted a one-staged reading of her latest novel accompanied by actors. So have booked my ticket for next week as Atwood is one of my favourite feminist writers. I love her narrative style; the language is lyrical, imaginative and enigmatic. You can’t tie her to one specific genre either.
One of my other favourite feminist authors was Angela Carter who died so prematurely. I have wondered what other spectacular enchantments she would have conjured up. What I also like about Atwood is that one of her favourite films is the cult Night of the Hunter. There is so much of the grim fairytale about that film, which is due to the combination of Laughton’s direction and the spectacular cinematography of Stanley Cortez (so many memorable iconic scenes depicting Cortez’s mastery of chiaroscuro and expressionist imagery).
I must admit I am looking forward to this one-staged reading by Atwood.
I have read a lot of Atwood’s work and really rate the earlier books like The Edible Woman, but they go downhill for me and Life Before Man must be one of the most depressing books ever (but not even close to the depression induced by The God of Small Things. I bought The Blind Assassin and didn’t get past page 1 where the sister dies.
Was introduced to Angela Carter at uni and absolutely hated her – really should revisit her and see what I think now. I seem to remember liking the actual fairy tales in the grim sense they were originally ‘written’.
Have you read Searching for Angela Shelton? I’ve almost finished it and it is an amazing book.
I haven’t read her later works (not got around to it)but I have a soft spot for Atwood, and am intrigued by staged performance next week. I like the way she uses language and concepts.
I adore Angela Carter’s work, mythical, enchanting, wonderful language/dialogue, feminist and powerful. One of the reasons I changed my attitude towards censorship and porn was reading Carter’s non-fiction The Sadeian Woman. Thought provoking.
No, I haven’t read Searching for Angela Shelton.