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Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood - 4* - My Review

Published in 1976, this book is Margaret Atwood’s third novel. It follows Joan Foster, a woman who has fled to Italy, looking back on her life. She was born in Canada to an overbearing mother and absent father. Her beautiful perfectionistic mother is disappointed in her daughter, and constantly criticizes her. Joan copes by overeating, leading to body image issues and depression. Joan’s childhood difficulties are brought to bear on her romantic relationships. She looks for an escape and eventually finds an outlet by writing “costume romances.”

It reflects upon women’s issues, such as the role of women in society and the over-emphasis on beauty. Joan hides her dysfunctional past behind a layer of lies and elaborate deceptions, leading to deep unhappiness of her own making. Joan is a master of avoidance, refusing to admit the real cause of her problems. She ends up in a vicious cycle of denial and victimhood. The overall themes are being true to oneself and confronting childhood traumas, though these ideas lie between the lines.

Toward the end, Joan’s life becomes as outlandish as one of her costume romances. I preferred the first two-thirds. The last third contains quite a lot of satire, and the ending is over-the-top. But overall, I have to admire the creative and bold attempt to mirror Joan’s novels in her life. I did not quite figure this out until I was finished reading it. I think I would have appreciated it more if I had known ahead of time. Hence, I am including it in my review.