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review 2015-03-05 00:00
The Robber Bride
The Robber Bride - Margaret Atwood I consider myself a big Margaret Atwood fan, though I’ve only delved into a few of her novels. And I actually only first read The Handmaid’s Tale because it was assigned to me for a class (though I was delighted to find it already on my bookshelf, probably purchased for a few bucks at some used bookstore, and thus not one I needed to add to the list of textbooks to acquire). But it was a novel that really stuck with me, though whether because of its feminist undertones, its narrative style or Atwood’s particular voice, I can’t really say.

I guess the reason I can call Atwood a favorite is because I know she’s reliable. If I’m in a fictional funk, unable to pick up any novels that satisfy my craving for a good yarn, Atwood is one author whose work I know will fit the bill – and there’s a lot of it for me to choose from. That’s kind of what happened with The Robber Bride. I went to the library in search of a post-worthy read, a book that would be worth all the time and effort required to finish it, one that would just beg to be shared with the blogosphere and my small community of readers. I have a huge list of books to get to but I find that few are right at my fingertips at the local public library. Nine times out of ten, I have to put in a request and get it shipped from another branch before I can delve into its pages. So I decided to browse the aisles instead and see what was already right at my fingertips and ready to go home with me. Atwood was it.

The Robber Bride is the story of three women whose lives have been inextricably bound by a woman named Zenia. Tony, Charis and Roz all attended the same university, lived in the same dorm even, but barely knew one another until Zenia, their ruthless, mysterious and beautiful classmate, wreaked havoc in all their lives. Though the three suffered Zenia’s malice in entirely independent encounters, the recurring patterns of her behavior and the lasting heartbreak she sought solidified a friendship among these three women whose commonalities were few and far beyond Zenia.

Told in brilliant Atwood fashion, when The Robber Bride opens, Tony, Charis, and Roz are having lunch some five years after Zenia’s funeral. When they spot her across the restaurant, as alive as ever, we are taken back to the formative years of this dangerous woman’s relationship with her fellow co-eds in order to unearth the character of a woman who faked her own death.

Currently a history professor, Tony was a quiet undergrad who uncharacteristically took up a male friend’s offer to attend a party one night in the hopes that doing so would lead to the unfolding of a beautiful romance. Rather, it led her right to Zenia, and their brief but intense friendship was unlike anything reclusive Tony had known before. We are then taken back to Charis’ unstable youth, as she was juggled among female relatives against her will and fighting against a whole host of inner demons. After college, Zenia enters Charis’ life when the later becomes a yoga instructor and Zenia arrives to her class with a plea for help that the sympathetic gentle Charis cannot refuse. And finally we meet a young Roz, the mysteries of her father’s work, the pull to leave home, and the day when, in an effort to shower some due attention on his wife, Roz’s husband takes her to the restaurant where Zenia waitresses and the two women connect.

As in a mystery, Atwood doesn’t give her readers all they may want or need to know right away, but we earn more and more details as we bide our time. That very form was actually one of my favorite things in reading The Robber Bride; we learn about these three women leading quite disparate existences but who, nonetheless, share a deep and lasting bond because of one mysterious woman. It takes quite a lot of time to discover why Zenia played such a significant role for each of them, how she irrevocably changed the course of their lives, and how it ultimately brought them together. In form, the story unfolds quite realistically, for we are thrown into the present moment with little context, and only in patient time can we expect for the pieces to come together and the larger picture to find itself revealed.

Though a bit dark and brimming with mystery, deception, and heartbreak, The Robber Bride isn’t your categorical mystery novel, harlequin romance, or indulgent piece of chic lit. Intelligently told and wisely crafted, the book has all the hallmarks of a classic drama, a soap opera even, but dispensed in measured doses and veiled under cover of Atwood’s talent as an alluring wordsmith. Though it clocked in at a daunting 520 pages, the novel didn’t feel lengthy or drag on at any point, but rather, quickly progressed in the anachronistic telling of these four women’s stories.

No matter what sort of book you’re in the market for, drama, romance, mystery, or simply a well-weaved story, I highly recommend getting your hands on The Robber Bride. As expected, reviews are good all around and this complex novel is accessible and entertaining for any reader without dumbing itself down to the lowest appreciable level. Margaret Atwood’s authorial stamp on any piece of fiction is a high recommendation in itself but if you need further encouraging to pick this one up, take my word for it. You will be happy you did!
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review 2014-11-18 13:24
Zenia... Cruel, cruel Zenia...
The Robber Bride - Margaret Atwood

Although lengthy in spots, Margaret Atwood’s The Robber Bride is a mesmerizing tale of lies and manipulation. We meet Zenia, who has to be one of the cruelest and most mean characters I've come across in the world of fiction. Her cruelty is subtle, no doubt, but in the end that’s what makes it even more chilling. There might’ve been some hidden purpose in doing what she did, but I still was biting my lip at some of the “shenanigans” she puts Roz, Tony, and Charis through.

 

While the three had known each other for a while, they became even closer friends once Zenia was presumed dead. Each woman has been greatly affected by Zenia’s lies and actions. All lost their men to her at some point. She made up stories for each woman as a way to infiltrate their lives at some point. But that’s over now. Zenia’s dead and while the three of them are haunted by the past, they can at least move on now. That is… until Zenia shows up again.

 

I love Atwood’s prose. It’s so clear and crisp. She seems to favor writing stories in present tense, which I know can bother some people, but I really think she does it in a fluid and smooth way. Half the time, you don’t even realize she’s doing it because it seems that natural to her. I’m still thinking about the ending now. I’m sure there are different ways one could look at this story as a whole, and it’s probably going to stay with me for a while.

 

Bernadette Dunne once again does a superb job with the audiobook. If you haven’t heard her flawless reading of Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in a Castle, then I urge you to seek it ASAP.

 

The Robber Bride is another strong work from Atwood. While it may not be completely perfect in my eyes, the pros outweigh the cons. I enjoyed getting to know more about Roz, Tony, and Charis, and follow them through their lives. And I’ll also cringe whenever I think of Zenia. Zenia, Zenia, Zenia.

 

And now I really want to go back and read that short story in Atwood’s recent collection. The story is called, “I Dream of Zenia with the Bright Red Teeth,” and it revisits those characters again after quite some time has passed.

 

4 stars

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text 2014-11-17 12:04
Reading progress update: I've read 460 out of 520 pages.
The Robber Bride - Margaret Atwood

Zenia is one of the most vicious and cruelest characters I've come across in the world of fiction for quite some time. And it's a very subtle viciousness. Very curious to see how this ends, and I'm glad that I've already forgot most of the follow-up short story in Stone Mattress so it should still be a surprise to me.

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text 2014-11-13 14:18
Reading progress update: I've read 357 out of 520 pages.
The Robber Bride - Margaret Atwood

Atwood loves to write in present tense. With this one, she switches every now and then between past tense and present tense. I think that would seem jarring to most readers, yet Atwood does it in a very smooth and fluid way. Or at least that's how it comes across when you're listening to the audiobook.

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text 2014-11-12 11:54
Reading progress update: I've read 312 out of 520 pages.
The Robber Bride - Margaret Atwood

A really strong and powerful novel. Definitely one of Atwood's best so far. I'm in awe of her storytelling abilities.

 

And the audiobook is fantastic.

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