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Quote by Margaret Atwood

“I'm a novelist, and idle speculation is what novelists do. How odd to spend one's life trying to pretend that non-existent people are real: though no odder, I suppose, than what government bureaucrats do, which is trying to pretend that real people are non-existent.”

Book:Second words: selected critical prose

Work

Second words: selected critical prose

This volume compiles a selection of critical prose works that delve into the analysis and discussion of diverse literary and cultural phenomena. The essays within offer insightful perspectives on a range of subjects, showcasing the depth and breadth of critical thought on these topics. more

Author

Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood is a renowned Canadian poet, novelist, playwright, and critic, born on November 18, 1939. Her works are known for their unique style and profound insights into social issues, with notable titles including 'The Handmaid's Tale' and 'Cat's Eye'. more

“Canadians and Americans may look alike, but the contents of their heads are quite different. Americans experience themselves, individually, as small toads in the biggest and most powerful puddle in the world. Their sense of power comes from identifying with the puddle. Canadians as individuals may have more power within the puddle, since there are fewer toads in it; it's the puddle that's seen as powerless.”

World Looks May Different Individual Powerful United States Canada Most Powerful Fewer Powerless Identifying Puddles Toads

Author:Margaret Atwood

“Americans don't usually have to think about Canadian-American relations, or, as they would put it, American-Canadian relations. Why think about something which you believe affects you so little? We, on the other hand, have to think about you whether we like it or not.”

Thinking Believe Littles Hands United States Policy Relation Canada Foreign Policy

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Source: Second words: selected critical prose

“When a man is attacked in print, it's usually for saying what he says; when a woman is attacked in print, it's often for being who she is.”

Men Print

Book:Second words: selected critical prose

Source: Second words: selected critical prose

“It's probably a form of childish curiosity that keeps me going as a fiction writer. I ... want to open everybody's bureau drawers and see what they keep in there. I'm nosy.”