What I'm (Re-)Reading: 'The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

October 12, 2015 Natalie Morath

I truly love the indulgence of re-reading a beloved book. The entire experience opposes my normal mental state when reading or selecting books, which is something along the lines of, there is not enough time for me to read everything I want. And yet, I spent something like 11 hours re-reading a novel I already love. Or more accurately, I let Claire Danes read it to me via Audible, which was even better. It really helps that one of the promotional images for 'Homeland' shows her swathed in red robes, in a sea of people wearing black, because that is so very "Offred" of her. She has a lovely, deep voice that really suits the material and the narrator. I highly recommend it if you have 11 hours to kill, whether you've read it before or not.

The Better Father's Day Gift Guide

June 19, 2015 Natalie Morath

Don't waste a day of celebrating your father with garbage books like Erik Larson and Doris Kearns Goodwin. That is perhaps unnecessarily harsh -- both are great writers -- but show a little creativity this Father's Day. Every other Father's Day gift guide I've seen lists the same old sports and non-fiction stuff, which is fine and predictable and lame. Here are the superior choices to celebrate your dad:

Missoula by Jon Krakauer -- This one is actually a trick because Krakauer is totally in the realm of Erik Larson and Doris Kearns Goodwin in terms of non-fiction bestsellers, but hey, dad's love Krakauer. Plus, this one has a bit of sports and a heaping dose of feminism, so it's the perfect thing.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood -- In my own dad's words "It's one of the best books I've read...AND it's by a woman!"

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald -- I've got a longer review of this coming up, but it's a really terrific book about grief and falconry, and is totally something your dad would like, if your dad is awesome.

The White Album by Joan Didion -- Baby-boomer dad's like books about their cultural "moment" which is why every list of dad books includes some kind of rock bio, but give your dad this instead. Didion's counter-culture essays are smarter and more nuanced than anything else out there.

Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace -- Another book of essays, although these are a lot more contemporary. Dads love books upon which movies are based (Seabiscuit, Unbreakable, all the Lincoln biographies), so buy your dad this funny, touching book and remind him about 'End of the Tour.'

The Son by Philipp Meyer -- If your dad is like my dad, or my father-in-law, he likes Westerns, even if he doesn't know it. More likely he just finds himself watching whatever is on AMC on a Saturday afternoon, and thus a lot of 'Lonesome Dove' type stuff. The Son is a really recent, really great novel, although I will admit the brutal violence was too much for me.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel -- If your dad dabbles in PBS programming, he probably caught at least an hour or two of the miniseries, so get him hooked on the original, which is better and less confusing; also, if he's like my grandpa, he can't figure out how to watch the rest of the episodes, so he needs to get caught up anyway.

Books on Love, Part I: Cynics Version

February 10, 2015 Natalie Morath

There is an over-abundance of books on love, and very few of them end happily, which is why I've rounded up a list of recommended fiction for those who are less than thrilled about Valentine's Day this year.

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene -- The name says it all; if you like your love stories to include terminal disease and weird Catholic overtones, this is the one for you.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood -- For those among us who have decided to swear off men for good, this is the validation you need.

Heartburn by Nora Ephron -- A very funny, sweet novel based on Ephron's own divorce experiences. Not nearly as cynical as the rest of the list, and an excellent breakup book.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte -- A book about love for anyone who feels too much.

The Awakening by Kate Chopin -- I am so tempted to summarize this novella about an unhappily married woman but I would inevitably ruin the ending for you, and it is such a treat (if you hate Edna, as I did).

#ReadWomen2014: Margaret Atwood

May 14, 2014 Natalie Morath

Margaret Atwood is an author who has always resided on a very high pedestal in my mind because when I was young my mother read several of her books, including The Robber Bride, whose distinct cover illustrated with an eye within a human hand made a permanent mark on my psyche, along with the flying dog from “The Neverending Story.” As freaked out as I was by the cover, Margaret Atwood felt like a literary cult leader for women because my mom read The Robber Bride with her book club, and I remember all the women gathered in our family room talking about it. As a result, Margaret Atwood particularly embodies any abstract ideas I’ve ever held about women and reading. That feeling was only further validated when I read The Handmaid’s Tale during puberty; I can’t really think of a more appropriate book for a girl on the brink of womanhood who is confronting her own new-found fertility, although it is decidedly darker than the more “traditional” pillars of the pubescent literary canon, Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret, and so forth. (A very strage aside, I read Lolita around the same time, and I think the argument could be made that these two novels simultaneously directed my life path towards feminism from a very early age. Moms with daughters take note.)