Lady Oracle

by Margaret Atwood

Book Overview

An original and compelling work in which Margaret Atwood passes one woman's bizarre life through the prism of her unique literary vision. The shy, awkward wife of a perpetual radical, Joan Foster is a formerly obese woman whose delicate equilibrium is threatened by the fact that the several lives she has lived separately and secretly are coming together and will be exposed. She is newly and notoriously famous as a bestselling author; she writes gothic...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0771008155
• ISBN13: 9780771008153
• Release Date: January 1976
• Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
• Length: 345 Pages
• Weight: 1.34 lbs.

Customer Reviews

One of the better books I've read

I randomly stumbled across this book and I'm so glad. I'd never read any of Atwood's books before this, and was extremely impressed. Her book is a truly inspired blend of hilarious farcical elements combined with haunting, melancholy passages. Joan is an extremely well drawn and three dimensional character, easy to empathize with in spite of, and because of, her numerous quirks, neuroses, and personalities. Combined with Atwood's fluid, flawless writing style, it made for a unique and highly entertaining experience I will not soon forget. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

If you liked "Cat's Eye," You'll Love This!

Like in "Cat's Eye," Atwood does an excellent job in this book of exploring female relationships---mother/daughter, husband/wife, and girlfriends. This book really spoke to me, and I encourage any woman hoping to make sense of strained relationships to read this book. Atwood captures the essence of such relationships and thus is able to put into written word the feelings that few of us are able to verbalize. After reading this book, you will no longer feel alone.

One Of My All-Time Favorites

Hysterical. You can't help but laugh at Joan's childhood mishaps, dietary comments and exploration of the spiritual world. Her husband is a lout, her lover a kook, yet somehow, Joan evolves as a strong woman to be reckoned with. A must-have. Quite possibly Atwood's best novel.

Atwood's funniest book has a lot more than laughs to offer

"Lady Oracle"'s Joan is one of my favorite of Margaret Atwood's heroines. She overcomes the problem of her body image and an unhealthy relationship with her mother with a great sense of humor and a definite mind of her own. My favorite thing about this book is the way Joan weaves her own story into the historical romances she churns out for money. I also love the cynical depiction of the literary world which creates her accidental cult hit "Lady Oracle" out of an experiment in Automatic Writing. The men in Joan's life don't know what to make of her, and their attempts to fit her into their predetermined roles never fail to backfire with hilarious results. As always, Margaret Atwood is right on target.

A Fantastic Satire!

This is most definately one of my all time favourite books. The way Margaret Atwood examines how pre-occupied our society is about body image is both halirious, sad and unbelievably realistic. She is able to demonstrate how we all struggle to find our identity while at the same time are terrified to come to terms with our true selves, past and present. Despite the fact, the protagonist went to ridiculous extremes to hide her past, I felt I could relate to her situation. This is a wonderful book for anyone who has struggled with their self image. It is also a great read for anyone who loves to laugh!