OCTOBER 2011 - AudioFile
Charis, Roz, and Tony are haunted by Zenia, a man-eating master manipulator from their college days. They are almost literally haunted—as they thought Zenia was dead until she reappeared to wreak havoc on their settled middle-aged lives. Bernadette Dunne’s throaty purr nicely portrays both Zenia’s predatory ways and the trio’s grown-up concerns. The story jumps back and forth in time, so listeners get to hear Zenia’s past exploits and present-day psychological torture. Dunne is especially adept at showing resignation and world-weariness. But the story is not all dark. Dunne has more than a bit of playfulness in her tones, which suits Atwood’s penchant for clever wordplay. The youthful edge in Dunne’s voice moves beautifully from college-age concerns to middle-aged trials. G.D. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine
Library Journal
Set in Canada in the early 1970s, The Robber Bride continues Atwood's satiric exploration into sex and empowerment. Three women and the femme fatale who unites them are set against a backdrop of draft dodgers and the resurgence of feminism. Atwood is an astute observer of contemporary misinformation, and references to tarot, auras, astrology, and more abound. Despite some wonderful passages, however, the narrative thrust consists of self-contained vignettes that do not easily lend themselves to audio. The histories of these women are intense and distinctive, but the superficial present in which they do little more than move from restaurant to restaurant blurs them to the point of being interchangeable. When she stays with one character long enough (e.g., her treatment of Charis's incest-filled childhood at the start of the third tape), the poignancy increases. It's slow going, but a lively reading by Blythe Danner and musical interludes that accentuate the New Age mood should help keep maintain listeners' attention.
Michiko Katukani
. . .In a shorter, more focused book, [a] cartoonlike approach to writing might have resulted in a kind of darkly colored fairy tale. . . .Her characters [here] remain exiles from both the earthbound realm of realism and the airier altitudes of allegory, and as a result, their story does not illuminate or entertain; it grates.
—The New York Times
From the Publisher
"Funny, thoughtful, moving. . . . Atwood's plotting is masterful, and her humor is razor-edged, sexy, and raucous." —The Washington Post
“Vividly written, acutely observed and . . . very possibly the most intelligently tongue-in-cheek novel of the year.” —Salman Rushdie, The Independent
“Moving amid these three women, touching up their portraits with one perfect detail after another, conjuring Zenia from their memories and tears, Atwood is in her glory. What a treasure she is.” —Newsweek
"Margaret Atwood continues her long-running roll, offering us the good fortune of yet another disturbing and brilliantly conceived work of fiction." —Chicago Tribune
OCTOBER 2011 - AudioFile
Charis, Roz, and Tony are haunted by Zenia, a man-eating master manipulator from their college days. They are almost literally haunted—as they thought Zenia was dead until she reappeared to wreak havoc on their settled middle-aged lives. Bernadette Dunne’s throaty purr nicely portrays both Zenia’s predatory ways and the trio’s grown-up concerns. The story jumps back and forth in time, so listeners get to hear Zenia’s past exploits and present-day psychological torture. Dunne is especially adept at showing resignation and world-weariness. But the story is not all dark. Dunne has more than a bit of playfulness in her tones, which suits Atwood’s penchant for clever wordplay. The youthful edge in Dunne’s voice moves beautifully from college-age concerns to middle-aged trials. G.D. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine
