"A lot of people have died, so I can actually say these things without destroying somebody's life. Except for the people whose lives I wish to destroy. Thus spake Margaret Atwood in a recent interview about Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts, in a clip that has gone viral. They deserve it, she says, of the people she hasn't said such nice things about. Asked if she likes holding a grudge, she replied: I don't have a choice. I'm a Scorpio."
"It's that same wry acknowledgment of the supposed wrongness of one's own grudge-holding that makes Book of Lives so funny. From Atwood's response to one hatchet job being the immortal words: Piss up a rope, wanker, to her account of hiring an exorcist to banish the possible ghost of her husband's ex-wife, the woman who unfairly labelled her a homewrecker, her vengeance is too hilarious to be judged entirely cold."
An eminent literary figure embraces icily sardonic grudge-holding, claiming that many foes are already dead and thus safe to name. The tone blends dark humor and vindictive delight, with references to astrology and wry one-liners. The delivery evokes a 'literary mafia don' image, suggesting private knowledge of enemies even when unnamed. A river-bend image of enemies' bodies floating past underscores morbid patience. Anecdotes range from coarse retorts to hiring an exorcist to banish a perceived rival's ghost. The narrative questions whether naming and shaming equals revenge and notes public fascination with pettiness amid a culture of forgiveness.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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