Customer Reviews
Disappointed - By: jessica maxwell-muller, 24 Aug 2008 
After reading 'A Handmaid's Tale' I chose to read another book of Atwood's. I was thoroughly disappointed, I could not get into it at all, there was very little dialect which made the novel quite boring, the last few chapters had no speech at all, & the ending was very unsatisfying. I would not recommend this. Also the fact we do not know the womans name is quite annoying.
woman becoming whole.... - By: A. Barton, 18 Oct 2007 
for all of us -this book can allow growth to unfold. for me personally it is a reminder to keep asking myself the questions - who am I ? & to be brave enough to acknowledge my lies.I loved the main characters discust at the superficial & the wild womanin me rejoiced as she began to experience a new magic powerful reality.
Absorbing and intelligent - By: Jack Barnes, 01 Sep 2007 Firstly, a note to my fellow reviewers: it is bad form to give away the ending of booksin review - despite your own personal views, it's not up to you to spoil it for other readers.
Anyway, to review Atwood's excellent book, Surfacing.
I am a huge Atwood fan, & upon starting this book I must confess to being initially disapointed - it seemed quite drab compared to some of her other novels, quite low-key & uninvolving.
However, this is a slow-burning story, & before long I was completely hooked. It is not as showy or explicitly 'interesting' as 'The Handmaid's Tale' or 'The Blind Assassin', but don't let that put you off. It's a brilliantly well-written tale about a woman returning to her childhood home, & the memories that come flooding back with it.
Most similar to 'Cat's Eye', this is Atwood still early onin her career, still learning her craft, but never the less a masterful storyteller. I highly recommend this book if you are a fan - expect something different, & you won't be disapointed.
A level studies - By: Hayley Brown, 25 Jun 2007 I too, agree that if I had not been studying this book, I don't think I would have understood it to the same extent I did. Margaret Atwood explains & delves into issues that really related to me. This book really made me reflect on my own "superficial" life & make changes, & I look forward to reading more of her novels.
Great book (on hindsight) - By: Lydia, 02 Feb 2007 
I also read this book during my English A-Level studies. I have to agree that it is a hard book to understand but, now that a few years has lapsed since I read it, I do still think back to it & understand it more now.
This book is about a woman (who purposefully remains nameless) who is visiting her parents home after the disappearance of her father. Once there she starts to go through a delayed grieving process. On the surface it would seem that she is going crazy, however this is simply not the case.
I acknowledge that I wouldn't have understood the basics of this book had I not studied it but I would certainly say that this is a book that one can appreciate, I loved it.
