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Surfacing
Surfacing
Author: Margaret Atwood
Part detective novel, part psychological thriller, Surfacing is the story of a talented woman artist who goes in search of her missing father on a remote island in northern Quebec.  Setting out with her lover and another young couple, she soon finds herself captivated by the isolated setting, where a marriage begins to fall apar...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780445084650
ISBN-10: 0445084650
Publication Date: 1/1972
Rating:
  • Currently 5/5 Stars.
 2

5 stars, based on 2 ratings
Publisher: Warner Books C/o Little Br
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Surfacing on + 19 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Great earlier Atwood at her most feminist.
cajunqueen avatar reviewed Surfacing on + 25 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I read this in a Women's Lit class. Incredible book, though can be a bit confusing, but well worth the time and effort.
reviewed Surfacing on + 5 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I read this in a Women's Literature class. I would've enjoyed it less without the guidance of the class instructor, who inundated us with recent Canadian history and culture that better contextualized this story.

What most impressed me was the quiet tone and ordinary phrasing that almost masked the pain of the narrator. The prose just flows smoothly, but there are memories and deeper meanings enough to choke on occasionally.
nnaylime avatar reviewed Surfacing on + 14 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Margaret Atwood is one of my favorite authors, and this book was just as well-written and evocative as any of her others. To an extent, however, given the themes of this book, it worked to its discredit. The protagonist is disconnected--both in a literal sense (going to an island in the Canadian wilds where the closest town is majority French-Canadian leaving her at a loss for most communication when she *does* go in) and emotionally (not making ties with those around her).

And given that it was a first person narrative and the themes of this disconnect were SO well-done, I really found I didn't care. It was easy to put the book aside and just stop forgetting about this woman who so effectively separated herself from so many others.

It was important and thought provoking, but I didn't like it.
reviewed Surfacing on + 8 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A must read for any Atwood fan.
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reviewed Surfacing on + 9 more book reviews
Amazing. A stunning and powerful read of a woman's self discovery.
kera108 avatar reviewed Surfacing on + 54 more book reviews
some of the most skillful and darkly evocative prose ever written.
reviewed Surfacing on + 22 more book reviews
I have to admit it has been years since I read this for my women's lit class. I found it to be refreshing at the time.
reviewed Surfacing on + 28 more book reviews
I have read nearly all of Atwood's works, including her poetry, and this is my second favorite of her entire collection of works.