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I found when talking to people about Jane Austin and Margret Atwood, that Austin is more universally accepted than Atwood (Austin is enjoyed more by both sexes while Atwood appeals to females mainly). Maybe this isnt a general opinion, and I just happened to find a group of people it applies to, but what would make Austin more universally accepted when both authors definatly tend to lead to feministic issues?
Id say that its because Austin is inoffensive in the way she address the issues and Attwood is well Attwood.
Somene I know recently called Austins work the original mills and boons ( romantic slush in other words) and her books are nice aand filled with nicety (in the original sense of the word). All of them end in happy endings for the heroine at least and I suppose there is an element of nostalga involved.
As for Attwood Ive only ever read 2 of her books but in handmaids tale at least she comes across as one of the foaming at the mouth rampant feminits the book is harsh shocking and too realistically scary a distopia for people to have the same level of fondness they have for Austin.
Alias Grace on the other hand is still harsh and shocking and agin lacks the happy ending the reader really wants but the beauty of Attwoods writing is so evident in the book that it carries you past all the unpleasent bits but still makes you think about them.
It might be that Attwood is sooo negitive while Austin is positive, and while miery loves company Postive and happy books are more universally accepted ( in my universe anyway)
Actually I dont really see how you can compare them they ar like apples and oranges both Fantastic but differant sorts of fantastic.
:D :nod:
Atwood and Austen come from very different contexts, therefore their expression of feminism is to very different degrees. Austen comments mainly on the hierarchy and behavioral irrationality of society, where as Atwood is vastly more political and dark. They both use subtle humor to present their cause, but Austen expresses this through a comedy of manners and Atwood expresses this more through irony. They also use very different genres.
But both are excellent at story telling and writing, and in my opinion of what I have read of both I think they are delightfully feminist and observant of their society as well.