Writing with Intent: Essays, Reviews, Personal Prose: 1983-2005

Writing With Intent from 2005 is an excellent book that I highly recommend. There are a few words of caution, however. Atwood has written a number of non-fiction works including the famous "Negotiating With The Dead" to name just one. She has another non-fiction book from 2004 called "Moving Targets" which is sold in what appears to be a different market. So, if you have read or own that 2004 book, you can probably skip the present book. I did not compare them word for word but they are very similar. Okay, now back to this present book. Unlike some writers, Atwood loves to read other people's work, and has done so since she was a child. Few have read more than Atwood. It is her passion as is her own writing. So, flowing from the two passions we have a series of essays on many topics including her own writing experiences and what she thinks of other books and other writers. You do not have to read it all at once. Each section or essay is a story. It is an impressive display of humor and knowledge of the field. She shows the reader her deep insight into how writers think and what other authors are trying to say, or their "voice." As one example, she links Orwell's writing to her own work "A Handmaid's Tale" and shows why and where she got her ideas and inspiration. Another author, and one who I do not really like personally, is Toni Morrison. She gives the reader many reasons to like Morrison, and maybe I will have a second look at "Beloved" which I read and did not like, or more accurately was not too excited about. Overall, this is a humbling experience for "we common readers" and most will be awed by her knowledge and personality. It reminds the reader of Virginia Woolf's "Common Reader" books, but not as broad as Woolf, but with more personal stories, and it is the same size or a bit longer than Woolf's two "Common Reader" books combined. I cannot say enough good things about this book.

Writing With Intent from 2005 is an excellent book that I highly recommend. There are a few words of caution, however. Atwood has written a number of non-fiction works including the famous "Negotiating With The Dead" to name but one. She has another book from 2004 called "Moving Targets" which is sold in what appears to be a different market. So, if you have read or own that 2004 book, you can probably skip the present book. I did not compare them word for word but they are very similar. Okay, now back to this present book. It is a series of essays on many topics including her own writing experiences plus what she thinks of other books and other authors. It is an impressive display of humor and knowledge of other books. She shows the reader her deep insight into how writers think and what other authors are trying to say, or their voice. As one example, she links Orwell's writing to her own work "A Handmaid's Tale" and shows why and where she got her ideas and inspiration. Another author, and one who I do not really like personally, is Toni Morrison. She gives the reader many reasons to like Morrison, and maybe I will have a second look at "Beloved" which I read and did not like, or more accurately was not too excited about. Overall, this is a humbling experience and most will be awed by her knowledge and personality. It reminds the reader of Virginia Woolf's "Common Reader" books, but not as broad as Woolf, but with more personal stories and a bit longer than Woolf's two books combined. I cannot say enough good things about this book.

Ms Atwood is at top of her game in this collection. Amust read for her many fans!

Atwood's collected essays in this book range from book reviews to discussions about writing futuristic dystopias and a defense of the villainess. I highly recommend this for Atwood fans who want to know more about the author and for any writer insterested in pushing the boundaries of genre, feminism, and writing courageously. Worth the price of admission just to read the story of her first ever book signing - in a store's Mens' Underwear department.

I was introduced to the works of Margaret Atwood several years ago through A Handmaid's Tale. For several years, I knew her only as a writer of fiction novels. With this collection of essays and reviews, I have finally come to fully appreciate what an amazing writer she is. I cannot praise this book enough. It is divided into three parts according to the time in which they were written. The works contained in this book include her own process of writing such novels as the Handmaid's Tale and Alias Grace, to reviews of other works (she only reviews what she likes), to personal stories. This is the kind of book that I feel the need to highlight and discuss with my friends. I started to photocopy various selections to give to my best friend to read, but in the end I decided just to lend her the entire book, post-its sticking out all of the pages, marking the sections I think she must read. Read it one section at a time, or all in one sitting, either way, this collections shows just how talented and thought-provoking Margaret Atwood is as a writer.