It’s taken me over a week to sit down and write this review, and I’m still not entirely sure I know what I want to say about it - it certainly was not my favourite Atwood, and unfortunately the story doesn’t quite match up to the fabulousness of my cover!
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It sort of reminded me of a 70s version of Conversations with Friends, except I didn’t love it as much. It features a married couple who both are/have been involved in extra-marital affairs, with the present day storyline starting from after the wife’s lover has committed suicide. What follows is an entanglement with various different players, going back and forth between past and present, exploring the nature of all these different relationships from the POV of the wife, the husband and the husband’s new lover Lesje... Really there isn’t much more to say about the plot than that!
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As usual, even when the plot isn’t as strong, I can’t fault Atwood’s style or her eye for the human nature. There were some truly great passages, particularly about the wife’s (I can’t even remember the husband and wife’s names, not a good sign!) Auntie Muriel, a formidable woman and an excellent ‘bad guy’ character. I found Lesje’s chapters to be the most compelling, though, as she struggles to find her own identity while embroiled in a pretty unhealthy and codependent relationship.
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Overall, middle ground for me and I probably wouldn’t recommend it if you’re looking to just start out with some Atwood - maybe one for those of you wanting to read all of her work!