What I’ve Been Reading Lately…

Surfacing, Margaret Atwood

Surfacing follows the story of a young woman who goes to her family’s cabin with her boyfriend and two fiends in search of her missing father. She is the definition of an unreliable narrator, first telling the story of her past one way and then another, and of course the two versions are in stark contrast to each other. First she believes her father to be dead, then just missing, and then when proof is found that he is indeed dead, from an accident, she refuses to believe it and returns to her animal self, running into the woods and waiting for her boyfriend and friends to leave. This reduction from full person to animal self can be seen as an unambiguous metaphor as to what can happen when the truth is revealed and we are not ready to assimilate it. With references to abortion, personhood, and sexism, this novel by Atwood is as timeless as her other novels, showing just how little really changes in the space of 40 years.

The Beautiful Ones, Silvia Moreno-Garcia

This is the second book I’ve read by Moreno-Garcia, and it the stark contrast between this and the one I previously read (Gods of Jade and Shadow) show the wide range of her abilities as a writer. Gods of Jade and Shadow took place in Mexico, and was interlaced with Mayan myths and Mexican folklore, while The Beautiful Ones is set in France and follows a misfit woman in her first years in high society as she tries to find love and acceptance. The use of magical realism contributed to this book being completely different from what I expected, and even though it could feel a bit trope-y at times (with the ever-present stereotype of the evil stepmother figure), the heartwarming ending teaches readers valuable lessons in self-acceptance, self-love, and self-understanding. Reading this book made me even more excited to read her newest novel, Mexican Gothic.

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