18 October 2017

A Good Read

Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood
Artist Elaine Risley, in her late fifties is revisiting Toronto for the opening of a retrospective of her work. This rekindles vivid memories of her childhood and teenage years. Her strongest memories are of Cordelia, who was the leader of a trio of girls who were both very cruel and very kind to young Elaine, in ways that tint Elaine's perceptions of relationships and her world, not to mention her art. 
Elaine’s early years were nomadic but not unhappy: the family moved around with her entomologist father. When she was seven, he took a university post and they settled in the Toronto suburbs, but her family was rather eccentric, and she didn't quite fit in, exacerbated by her being a tomboy and the fact she never really had the opportunity to make friends before. 
As children Elaine and her brother played marbles; Elaine kept a prized cat’s eye marble in her red purse. The cat’s eye later appears as a common motif in her paintings. 

I think Atwood is a very good writer, having a keen sense of human experiences but I sometimes struggle to understand her books. This one I enjoyed and understood it!

12 comments:

  1. Hello Polly,
    Thank you for your book reviews. I will add this one on my to be read list.
    Big hug
    Giac

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  2. Hello Polly,

    Het lijkt me een heel mooi boek zoals je het omschrijft,
    soms neem ik te weinig tijd om een boek te lezen terwijl
    het juist zo fijn is om te doen.

    Fijn te lezen dat jij er in ieder geval van genoten hebt.

    Groetjes,
    Josephine

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  3. Thanks for sharing, Polly, sounds like a great book. I don't think I've ever read anything by Margaret Atwood.
    Amalia
    xo

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    Replies
    1. Hello Amalia, I don't find her books easy to read. I have read three, one I struggled to understand, the others were all right :-)

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  4. You always share reviews of things I'm not familiar with Polly, and I really like it. I've not read Atwood either, though I should, her being just north of my borders!

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    Replies
    1. Hello Jeanie, most of what I read are chosen by my book group, but others, like this one, came from charity shops or friends and have been sitting on shelves for years. It is a work in progress reading them or taking them to the charity shop!

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  5. I don't know about this writer, but definitely like to read this book, as i like the content of this book. Thanks for sharing.
    I am your new follower #37, hope to see you on my blog.
    https://clickbystyle.blogspot.in/

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    Replies
    1. Hello Shweta, it's very nice to meet you, I have just visited your blog.

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  6. Thanks for the book review, Polly. Sounds like a good book, and I'll add it to my list, which is quite long now as I've been immersed in crossword puzzles lately rather than reading. I'm finding working crossword puzzles is very relaxing for me. Enjoy the rest of your week. ~ Nancy

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Nancy. I like crosswords too, I like to think they help keep my brain healthy!

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