Margaret Atwood is all over the news with her amazing series The Handmaid’s Tale (based on her 1984 novel) and the upcoming series Alias Grace (watch for a future post on this since I finished reading it last night).  Her diversity and creativity is astounding with each unique publication.  Since meeting Margaret Atwood last November, I have been inspired to read more of her works including a reread of The Handmaid’s Tale, The Heart Goes Last , Stone Mattress and Alias Grace.

This summer, I enjoyed Hag-Seed.  It is a story based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest.  Atwood tells this tale of deceit and revenge set in rural Ontario with creativity and a sense of humour.  Felix had been the artistic director of a small theatre planning his brilliant rendition of The Tempest when his assistant undermined him, canceled the show and had him fired.

Felix, devastated ended up living a very different life, he moved into a decrepit outbuilding on a farm property where he shared the space and talked with his imaginary daughter (who had actually died many years before).  He began teaching at a jail where he planned  his ultimate revenge.

This is a quick read but I wish that I had read The Tempest first.  Having more background into the Shakespearean play would have provided more context to the novel but regardless it was a fun read.

Margaret Atwood is my literary hero!  She is a spunky, feminist who has published  novels, short stories, poetry, e-books, anthologies, non-fiction, graphic novels, children’s books, scripts and libretti.  She has even made her own craft beer called MaddAddamites Noo Broo ispired by Madd Addam (on my TBR list) and partnered for a bird friendly Atwood Blend coffee!

CBC has compiled a great list of 76 surprising facts about Margaret Atwood which is worth a read.  Who knew that she was a self professed bad typer, that her publisher held onto her first book, The Edible Woman for five years before publishing  and that she is an adept cake decorator?  I loved to learn that she begins writing with a pen and paper and that, like me, she is a procrastinator… and yes, Dominique, if you are reading this, somehow it all gets done!!

I definitely recommend reading more Margaret Atwood and hope that I get another chance to meet her soon!  Watch for posts on both Stone Mattress and Alias Grace as I catch up on my posts from my summer reading.