Take two: Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood (1996)

Heaven knows when this was bought but it was bought well after I returned from Japan (which happened in 2001) and it was bought second-hand. There’s a notation “$8.50” inside on the first page, which gives you some idea of when the purchase took place. This is a recent valuation for a used book of no particular value, and in fact you can get novels for much less – $3 at Vinnie’s or $4 at the 2MBS FM book & record bazaar – if you go out of your way to look for ‘em. Most people don’t buy second-hand and it’s even hard to get rid of used books.

I bought used copies of Atwood’s books because I was curious about her. In recent years as a result of TV shows she’s hit a resurgence and is, in fact, a dominant figure in the publishing world, but when this book was published she was still building her reputation. The remarks by notable authors used on the back cover to spruik the book show, however, that many people appreciated her skill and imagination in 1996 when this book appeared in print. This Virago edition was published in 1997 (5 times), in 1998 (5 times), in 1999 (twice) and in 2000. For a full review see my Patreon.