2025 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss Margaret Atwood‘s book, Alias Grace.


***Please remember to mark spoilers.***

Participants: Kristin, Alexxy, Lisa, Scott, Savannah, Missy, Susy, Sheila

Suggested break down of reading so that you can check in and let us know how you're doing. The following breakdown is purely a suggestion and is therefore not set in stone.

Rather than putting dates for each section I've done it so that it takes into account that not everybody will necessarily have the book at the same time.

Week 1: 117
Week 2: 117
Week 3: 117
Week 4: 117

Got started! So frustrating that I keep getting interrupted, just let me read people!!

It was a little hard to start with as Grace’s narrative has no quotation marks around the speech. That is all part of the authors style to define the characters I believe. I’m on Chapter 11 (they go pretty quickly) and I’m used to the style now

I haven’t started reading this yet. I’m planning on beginning tomorrow. I’m so looking forward to delving into this book!

I just started this book yesterday and so far I'm really enjoying it! It was a book club pick from a few months ago, but there were so many holds at the library that I'm just now starting it. I'm glad I found you all to discuss it with!

Okay, let me be honest. I got distracted last week and fell WAY behind in my reading. Hoping I can get back on track this week. LOTS of pages to make up.
How is everyone else doing?

I’ve been working like crazy so waaaaaayyyyy behind as well. Haven’t started this one yet. Am reading Circe now and just got The Bookthief from the library.

I started this yesterday and it looks really good so far. I’ve got a lot of reads going on as well so it will take awhile to get through this...

I’m half way through the book now. What is everyone’s opinion of Grace so far? Do you think she is innocent or is she manipulative and conniving? I tend to be a little skeptical of people so I’m suspicious of her right now.

Okay so I’m almost 3/4 of the way done. I got some really good reading time in this week.
Has anyone else noticed that(view spoiler)[ when Grace and Mary peel the apple, they decide that Grace’s peel is in the shape of a “J.” Thus she will marry someone whose name begins with “J.” Many of the male characters have names beginning with “J.” Jeremiah/ Jerome (yes,that was a surprise to me!), James, Jamie, Dr. Jordan, even the butchers name was Jefferson! (hide spoiler)]

Well, I haven't started yet so I'm even more behind. Combination of too many planned reads and being way too busy with work. So I mostly come home to get some sleep and then I'm off to work again.

Due to different factors as I have mentioned in Circe's buddy read thread I haven't gotten around to this book. I still plan on reading, but might start in July when I have a couple of weeks off from work...

I finished reading this today. I really enjoyed this book. I won’t add any spoilers, but I will say I wish I knew what was truth and what was made up by Grace. I believe that is just one aspect that makes it such an interesting read.

I'm a little over half way and plan on finishing in the next week or so. Pretty good so far.

I just started today....

Ok I finished. I really like the style of the book where you don’t know if grace is telling the truth or lying or something else. I think it’s really hard to tell if she guilty or innocent. I guess this story is based on real events that are just as uncertain.

One interesting they I found on the internet is the prison she was in from 1843-1872 was still open until 2013.

Have any of you watched the series on Netflix? I’ve watched 3 episodes so far and it’s pretty good. Not too far off from the book, yet.

I haven’t watched the show yet but I would like to.

Sheila wrote: "Have any of you watched the series on Netflix? I’ve watched 3 episodes so far and it’s pretty good. Not too far off from the book, yet."

Interesting! Must check it out when I'm back from my vacation.

Scott wrote: "Ok I finished. I really like the style of the book where you don’t know if grace is telling the truth or lying or something else. I think it’s really hard to tell if she guilty or innocent. I guess..."

I liked it too, yet there is something holding me back to give it 4 stars.....I just don't know what it is.... Been thinking I might have found it too long, but on the other hand it really builds towards that ending, I don't feel like there were parts that could have been missed. There's something, I just don't know what it is (yet)....

I think this book creates more questions than provides answers. I feel like the detective when reading it. What’s true and what’s a lie. Can we really trust any of the characters in the book? Everybody seems to have an agenda. Grace Marks could be lying to get out of prison. The doctor wants to make a name for himself. The minister seems to want to sanctify women. The newspapers mixed sex and violence to sell papers. The doctor’s mother... So who is the real Grace Marks? Can we trust Margaret Atwood? Maybe she intentionally made the book more ambiguous than what the historical accounts show. Can we trust those historical accounts themselves... I guess we will never really know...

Sheila wrote: "Have any of you watched the series on Netflix? I’ve watched 3 episodes so far and it’s pretty good. Not too far off from the book, yet."

I really enjoyed the series. There was a little more information on a few things in the book that were not in the series. I think that’s pretty much how it usually goes with movies based on books, in my experience.