Alias Grace, by Margaret Atwood
Nan A. Talese Doubleday, 1996
If you like mysteries, but are bored to tears with the insipid redundancies of "K is for Kill-Me-Now-Before-She-Publishes-Again!" mentality of the 'bestselling' mystery writers of the major retailers, Alias Grace is definitely for you.
Margaret Atwood is one of those writers who can captivate you with a storyline as simple as 'young misfit becomes famous artist but still can't get over pained youth' (Cat's Eye), or as complex as an examination of a post-apocalyptic world where fertile women are forced to birth offspring for politicians (The Handmaid's Tale).
Alias Grace takes on the incredible task of telling a story based on a true, unsolved crime of late-19th Century Canada. A young servant girl, Grace, is accused of being an accomplice in the murder of her master and his mistress (also the head female servant of the house). Grace's brilliant lawyer convinces the court that his client was not of sound mind and should therefore be spared the death penalty.
But was she really? or was he so captivated by her charms that he made the convincing argument that allowed her to be a free woman thirty years later? A young psychologist takes it upon himself to investigate the case and also falls prey to Grace's charms, which cloud his judgement and cause him to nearly suffer a nervous breakdown himself.
Alias Grace brings to light the troubles of the early use of psychiatry in investigating murders. Those of you who have read The Alienist, by Caleb Carr, will find Alias Grace a suitable follow-up on the subject.
Margaret Atwood is an incredible storyteller. Knowing that this novel is based on a true story makes it an even more enthralling read.
