Novelist Margaret Atwood provided book recommendations for readers on lockdown.
Her novel, Oryx and Cake, is about a man-made virus that consumes society.
Detective novels, romances and comic books can provide comfort or laughs during a crisis.
Canadian author Margaret Atwood recently offered book recommendations to fans and followers on Twitter who are feeling isolated and anxious in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Channeling her inner bibliotherapist, the best-selling author provided suggestions based on genre.
A guilty pleasure
Responding to requests for comforting reads, Atwood suggested Agatha Christie’s crime novels featuring beloved sleuths Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. While crime doesn’t immediately come to mind as a “soothing” genre for many, there is something to be said for the satisfaction of a detective finally cracking a difficult case. Eureka!
Romantic recommendations
When asked for love stories, she proposed two categories: love stories that work out, and love stories that do not. For the latter, Atwood recommended Edna O'Brien’s trilogy The Country Girls as well as Edith Wharton’s heartbreaking novel The Age of Innocence. As for the former, “you can’t beat Jane Austen novels,” the author remarked.
A hearty laugh
For those who need a good chuckle, Atwood suggested comics, including Kate Beaton's Hark! A Vagrant, known for its humorous take on historical events, and The Snooty Bookshop by Tom Gauld, a collection of 50 postcards from one of Britain's most celebrated cartoonists.
Total immersion
Golden Globe-winning actress Mia Farrow joined the conversation on books about plagues. Atwood, not leaving much to the imagination, recommended three historical non-fiction books: 1491 by Charles Mann, Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond, and Rats, Lice, and History by Hans Zinnser.
Global pandemics are far from a novel topic for the critically acclaimed author, who has written about fictitious virus outbreaks in the past. When pressed on which of her books could be taught in a Science as a Story class, she suggested Oryx and Crake, a dystopian tale that revolves around a man-made virus that slowly consumes society.
The author is undoubtedly best known for her novel The Handmaid’s Tale, which has been adapted to an Emmy-winning dystopian drama series. However, the show recently announced it was shutting down production of its fourth season due to the escalating outbreak of COVID-19 in the US.
