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McClellard and Stewart 1st Edition |
Publisher: McClellard and Stewart
Year: 1972
Margaret Atwood's Surfacing is a novel about a woman rediscovering her roots in the wooded Quebec landscape. Forced to return to her parents' cottage after her father disappears, the unnamed narrator finds herself flooded with memories. She brings along her boyfriend and another couple to help in her search. As the week progresses, the narrator becomes less connected with reality.
Atwood is Canada's most well-known author. Born in Ottawa in 1939, she resides in Toronto. She began her career as poet and slowly moved onto novels. Surfacing was her second novel, but her best known work would probably be A Handmaid's Tale (1985).
Surfacing was said to be inspired by her childhood trips to Northern Canada. A major focus in Atwood's writing is Canadian identity. She wanted to identify a national literature for Canada that separates itself from American literature. Characters in Surfacing hate Americans and their infiltration on Canadian culture.
Some other themes in Atwood's writing are femininity, environmental concerns, and the importance of storytelling. Much of Canadian literature is about survival particularly in the wilderness.
Her female protagonist is very distant. Her voice is unnatural and unemotional. She seems to be void of love, comfort, and happiness. The narrator also has difficulties deciphering between reality and her imagination. She tells her boyfriend, Joe that she was once married and had a child. It is later revealed that she had an affair with a married man and an abortion. She also dwells on her brother 's drowning at the cottage, but again the reader learns he is actually still alive.
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New Canadian Library Edition 1994 |
Surfacing is a quick read, but lacks any real connection with the audience. With a lot of narration, when character dialogue does occur it isn't enjoyable. Of the four main characters, none are very likable. This book leaves you wanting to avoid a couples cottage week.
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