From one of the world's most passionately engaged and acclaimed literary citizens comes Writing with Intent, the largest collection to date of Margaret Atwood's nonfiction, ranging from 1983 to 2005. Composed of autobiographical essays, cultural commentary, book reviews, and introductory pieces to great works of literature, this is the award-winning author's first book-length nonfiction publication in twenty years. Arranged chronologically, these writings display the development of Atwood's worldview as the world around her changes. Included are the Booker Prize–winning author's reviews of books by John Updike, Italo Calvino, Toni Morrison, and others, as well as essays in which she remembers herself reading Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse at age nineteen, and discusses the influence of George Orwell's 1984 on the writing of The Handmaid's Tale. Atwood's New York Times Book Review piece that helped make Orhan Pamuk's Snow a bestseller can be found here, as well as a look back on a family trip to Afghanistan just before the Soviet invasion, and her "Letter to America," written after September 11, 2001. The insightful and memorable pieces in this book serve as a testament to Atwood's career, reminding readers why she is one of the most esteemed writers of our time.
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About the Author
Margaret Atwood’s books have been published in over thirty-five countries. She is the author of more than thirty books of fiction, poetry, and critical essays. In addition to The Handmaid’s Tale, her novels include Cat’s Eye, short-listed for the Booker Prize; Alias Grace, which won the Giller Prize in Canada and the Premio Mondello in Italy; The Blind Assassin, winner of the 2000 Booker Prize; and Oryx and Crake. Her previous nonfiction book was Second Words, published in 1984. She lives in Toronto with writer Graeme Gibsion.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exceptional: A Passion for Reading and Writing,
This review is from: Writing with Intent: Essays, Reviews, Personal Prose: 1983-2005 (Paperback)
Writing With Intent from 2005 is an excellent book that I highly recommend.
There are a few words of caution, however. Atwood has written a number of non-fiction works including the famous "Negotiating With The Dead" to name just one. She has another non-fiction book from 2004 called "Moving Targets" which is sold in what appears to be a different market. So, if you have read or own that 2004 book, you can probably skip the present book. I did not compare them word for word but they are very similar. Okay, now back to this present book. Unlike some writers, Atwood loves to read other people's work, and has done so since she was a child. Few have read more than Atwood. It is her passion as is her own writing. So, flowing from the two passions we have a series of essays on many topics including her own writing experiences and what she thinks of other books and other writers. You do not have to read it all at once. Each section or essay is a story. It is an impressive display of humor and knowledge of the field. She shows the reader her deep insight into how writers think and what other authors are trying to say, or their "voice." As one example, she links Orwell's writing to her own work "A Handmaid's Tale" and shows why and where she got her ideas and inspiration. Another author, and one who I do not really like personally, is Toni Morrison. She gives the reader many reasons to like Morrison, and maybe I will have a second look at "Beloved" which I read and did not like, or more accurately was not too excited about. Overall, this is a humbling experience for "we common readers" and most will be awed by her knowledge and personality. It reminds the reader of Virginia Woolf's "Common Reader" books, but not as broad as Woolf, but with more personal stories, and it is the same size or a bit longer than Woolf's two "Common Reader" books combined. I cannot say enough good things about this book.
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