'The Robber Bride' by Margaret Atwood

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

The Robber Bride is the first book I have read by Margaret Atwood, and I went in knowing nothing about her or this novel as I wanted to have a completely unbiased read as Atwood has become very popular over the last few years with the serialisation of her book ‘The Handmaid’s Tale;’ and I must say I was NOT disappointed!

If I could rank this novel 6/5 stars I would gladly; the characters were all so unique and different from one another it made for an enjoyable and often very funny read, but what I loved most about the three main characters, Tony, Charis, and Roz, was the representation of female comradery and friendship through their individual and shared difficult times and trauma, which I feel is not shown often enough in the media and literature.

I also LOVED the villainess character of the story, Zenia. I came to think of her more as an anti-hero than a villain as I was constantly going back and forth between hating her actions yet seeing the good intentions behind them; and this element of not knowing if Zenia is doing these things for good, for bad, or just her own enjoyment is another element of the story that had me wanting more.

The overall mystery and intrigue surrounding the novel makes it a compelling read, with timelines going back and forth, different character perspectives (which I always love in a novel), and the general mystery asked by all the characters “Who is Zenia, really?” all come together as the driving force of the novel, making a reader not want to put it down until the mystery is solved.

I also had the chance to read the short story sequel 'I Dream of Zenia with the Bright Red Teeth' which was published nearly twenty years after the publication of 'The Robber Bride.' Even if you don't fancy reading 'The Robber Bride' (it is a very long book) then this short story is just as good as the novel; with hilarious banter and shenanigans happening the whole way through it is definitely worth the read!

Rating: * * * * *