Revenge, thy name is Hag-seed

I make no secret of the fact that I am a fan of Margaret Atwood. But I will admit to not loving everything she has written.

I did, however, love Hag-seed, and have recommended it to several people.

Publisher’s Summary: William Shakespeare’s The Tempest retold as Hag-Seed

Felix is at the top of his game as Artistic Director of the Makeshiweg Theatre Festival. His productions have amazed and confounded. Now he’s staging a Tempest like no other: not only will it boost his reputation, it will heal emotional wounds.

Or that was the plan. Instead, after an act of unforeseen treachery, Felix is living in exile in a backwoods hovel, haunted by memories of his beloved lost daughter, Miranda. And also brewing revenge.

After twelve years, revenge finally arrives in the shape of a theatre course at a nearby prison. Here, Felix and his inmate actors will put on his Tempest and snare the traitors who destroyed him. It’s magic! But will it remake Felix as his enemies fall?

Margaret Atwood’s novel take on Shakespeare’s play of enchantment, retribution, and second chances leads us on an interactive, illusion-ridden journey filled with new surprises and wonders of its own.

 

Later this year, when I teach A Midsummer Night’s Dream,  we will do a lesson on Shakespearean cursing, but it will not be as funny as the chapter in Hag-seed when the inmates look for, and decide upon, which curses they will be allowed to use in class, or how their curses punctuate the story. It is a beautiful story of revenge.

Hag-seed  is one of the books in The Hogarth Shakespeare Project in which modern authors retell Shakespearean plays. Hag-seed  was the first book in the project that I read because I hadn’t known about the project before. Now, I plan in reading others.

Margaret Goes Graphic

When I first heard that Margaret Atwood was working on a graphic novel, I was shocked. Then, upon reflection, I realized I shouldn’t have been surprised. She’s written novels, poetry, children’s books, non-fiction, short stories, television scripts, and libretti. As a he fan, I had to pick up a copy of Angel Catbird,  from Portland’s own Dark Horse Comics.

Publisher’s Summary: A young genetic engineer is accidentally mutated by his own experiment when his DNA is merged with that of a cat and an owl. What follows is a humorous, action-driven, pulp-inspired superhero adventure—with a lot of cat puns.

Strig Feleedus, the engineer mentioned above, is hired to complete a formula after his predecessor is killed in an accident. The night he solves the problem, he, too, has an “accident”. Strig survives, but the compound he’d been working on spills onto him, his cat and an owl.

The story is peppered with cat facts, like the one you can see in the lower left corner. Although I am a dog person, I rather enjoyed these facts.

As the story evolves, we learn there is a whole world of cat people as well as an evil rat person trying to take over the world.

The story is good, but my biggest complaint is the portrayal of Strig’s female sidekick. In her cat form, she reforms in a club wearing an outfit reminiscent of that of Princess Leia when she was Jabba the Hutt’s captive.

I probably wouldn’t have picked this one up if it hadn’t been written by Margaret Atwood. Overall, I thought it was pretty good.

I heart Margaret Atwood

MaddAddam is here. In my house. We are spending the weekend together.

This is the 3rd book in the  post-apocalyptic science fiction trilogy she began with 2003’s Oryx and Crake. Now I realize that this has nothing to do with children’s lit, YA lit or basset hounds, but I have to talk about it because I’m so thrilled.

My first encounter with Margaret Atwood came in my Grade 13 lit class where we read her poetry. (Thank you Mrs. Enticknap!) Then, I got to meet her because, like me, Margaret Atwood is a Vic girl. She attended Victoria College in the University of Toronto and attended sour annual Christmas dinner every year. I was surprised at how small she was.

I think the first novel I read was The Handmaid’s Tale. Next, I was given  The Blind Assassin  as a Christmas gift. And over the years, I’ve read her other books, novels and short stories. I think the older I get the more I like her.

If you’ve never read any Margaret Atwood, consider starting with one of her short story collections.My two favorites are Moral Disorder and  Wilderness Tips.  I hope they lead you to read more.