Surfacing

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While voyeurism is the central reason to commit to reading a book: the tantalising treat of being able to enter a different world, sometimes there are those books that lure us in with this promise and then leave us in the lurch. Sometimes it’s good and sometimes it’s bad, depending on who you are and then there are times when you’re not quite sure of anything. Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing is one of those times.  

The book tells the story of woman returning to her childhood home in Northern Quebec to investigate the mysterious disappearance of her father. But when she arrives on the remote island she is flooded with memories of her past and, as the natural world of her childhood begins to work on her, she realises that it’s not her father she’s really looking for. 

I found myself immersed in this book, but very confused. Such is the talent of Atwood really. She’s a wonderful writer who can create such a rich and visible world from words that you find yourself completely enveloped in it and thus, stuck in there for the long haul. 

Surfacing explores are lot of different themes ranging from natural, to spiritual, to sexual, to political. There is a lot you can interpret from it: Canadians vs. Americans, the modern political student vs. the archaic views of the world, nature vs. technology, and even men vs. women. It’s not so much a book about discovery as the title could honestly refer to the act of coming up for air between bouts of fighting. 

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But while the subject matter is confusing and vague, the way the book is written is lovely: very deep and pensive and observant of all the meanings hidden below. And its vagueness is what keeps us turning pages, as it’s not just the subject matter that’s hidden. The character of the narrator -who sees the world and describes others- does not give us much of herself. Through subtle hints we can discern some form, but she’s as unfocused as though underwater and -of course- the central motif of the island and the lake highlight that. 

If you’re an Atwood fan then Surfacing is worth the time, as it’s a wonderful example of her talent and ability to write in any genre. But I do not recommend it for the novice, as it is metaphorical and confusing: maybe start with Alias Grace.

Author: Margaret Atwood

Published: 1979, Virago Press