Margaret Atwood is brilliant. Margaret Atwood read a lot. You want to be as talented as Margaret Atwood. You want to read what Margaret Atwood read. Well... unfortunately, Margaret Atwood is mostly evasive about what her favorite books are. In the FAQ section of her own website, she answers this question: "I get a surprising number of requests for my favorites lists. I generally don't answer this question because I have a hard time deciding on favorites."
As a book lover, of course you should understand this sentiment. I know my favorite books list changes about every five minutes or so, and one or two of them have been on the list for at least five years or so. But even though any bibliophile's list of favorite books is always changing (because we're always reading!), any one-time favorite is at least noteworthy. Although Atwood hasn't answered the question on her website, she has certainly hinted at some of the books that have been influential or significant in her life in interviews and fan Q&A. At one point, only The Telegraph managed to swindle an actual list out of the author, but, for us ardent Atwood fans, that was clearly not enough. Since Atwood herself admits she has a hard time deciding on a favorite, we'll politely make sure this list is good and long.
So, there you have it, a list of potential favorites, if not at least one-time important books, that the incomparable Margaret Atwood has some feel for.
Donovan's Brain by Curt Siodmak
Atwood has mentioned the book on several occasions, noting its importance in her life and at one point saying that it "made a profound impression on me."
"Wuthering Heights " by Emily Brontë
Atwood often mentions Wuthering Heights as a book she cherished in high school and a book with a great story. She even admits that she had a bit of a (misguided) crush on Heathcliff (and, of course, Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice ) in high school.
Edward O. Wilson "The Future of Life"
Atwood recommends this book as one that all young people should read. “But read the last chapter first,” she said, “because it’s more hopeful.”
George R.R. Martin "Game of Thrones "
She wrote a strange love letter about the show in The Guardian !
Grimm's Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm
In an interview with Joyce Carol Oates of The New York Times , Atwood told Oates that her interest in the supernatural and the gothic may have come from Grimm's fairy tales . "That may or may not have something to do with the fact that as a child - I think I was about six - we read the complete Grimm's Fairy Tales ... My sister was terrified of it, but I loved it."
Ridley Walker Russell Hoban
Atwood is apparently a "huge fan" of the book, highlighting it when she discussed the science fiction favorite with The Atlantic .
"Moby-Dick" by Herman Melville
Well, who knows if she actually liked the whole book, but she did quote it once because it has one of the best first lines in literature.
1984 George Orwell
Atwood often cites this book when talking about the golden age of speculative fiction and the beginning of her love for the genre.
Complete Works of Shakespeare William Shakespeare
She quoted from "The Complete Works of Shakespeare , " "Wuthering Heights" and "Treasure Island" in response to a fan's question "What is the one book you wish you had written?"
The complete stories and poems of Edgar Allan Poe
Atwood credits Poe with the inspiration for the poem. She also specifically cited Edgar Allan Poe's story "The Cask of Amontillado," as well as Ray Bradbury's "The Martian" and (again!) "Wuthering Heights ," calling it "a great story".
