Surfacing

by Margaret Atwood

Part detective novel, part psychological thriller, Surfacing is the story of a talented woman artist who goes in search of her missing father on a remote island in northern Quebec.  Setting out with her lover and another young couple, she soon finds herself captivated by the isolated setting, where a marriage begins to fall apart, violence and death lurk just beneath the surface, and sex... (read more)

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Other Reviews

Amazon Reviews (5)
 

Most Helpful Reviews

Liked It

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
Selina C
  • Rated 5 stars

Surfacing is a deceptively simple story of one woman's search for her father in the Canadian wilderness. We are not given much to go on by Atwood but she writes in this almost psychotic dream-like prose that draws you into this inner world. Submerged as she with herself, the unnamed narrator finds strength in nature, and we only hope that upon her return to civilisation she will be able to conquer her fears of living the life she cannot seem to escape.

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Didn’t Like It

Peach
  • Rated 2 stars

Surfacing follows a nameless protagonist, a woman who is searching for her missing father in the Canadian wilderness. Although she is accompanied by her lover and another couple, she is very much alone, separated from others in terms of language, priorities, and something deeper.

What makes Surfacing interesting is that the story is told from the viewpoint of a mentally unbalanced woman. Yet until you complete the story, it's not clear what her troubles are. Going back...

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Community:
  • Rated 3.46875 stars
Amazon:
  • Rated 3.5 stars
 

Newest Comments

  • Harshdeep

    harshdeep said:

    I liked the flow of the story albeit its my 3rd contemporary novel.

    posted Wednesday, November 14 2007
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