The Robber Bride [B1790]

1998 PB with some wear. From the bestselling author of The Handmaid's Tale and The Testaments-one of Margaret Atwood's most unforgettable characters lurks at the center of this intricate novel like a spider in a web. The glamorous, irresistible, unscrupulous Zenia is nothing less than a fairy-tale villain in the memories of her former friends. Roz, Charis, and Tony-university classmates decades ago-were reunited at Zenia's funeral and have met monthly for lunch ever since, obsessively retracing the destructive swath she once cut through their lives. A brilliantly inventive fabulist, Zenia had a talent for exploiting her friends' weaknesses, wielding intimacy as a weapon and cheating them of money, time, sympathy, and men. But one day, five years after her funeral, they are shocked to catch sight of Zenia: even her death appears to have been yet another fiction. As the three women plot to confront their larger-than-life nemesis, Atwood proves herself a gleefully acute observer of the treacherous shoals of friendship, trust, desire, and power.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "I love Atwood's writing, having read Handmaids Tale years ago. This piece of feminist fiction is an incredible depiction of toxic friendship, masculine influence, and feminine mystique.

I plan to re-read this soon, and have recommended it for many friends. I would consider this essential to anyone who considers themselves an Atwood fan. The different voices and worldviews of the characters bring stark contrasts which make their connections even stronger."; "A literary masterpiece. Such a well-crafted book with every detail brilliantly constructed and expressed. Reading this is a real pleasure as characters are developed asynchronously alongside the central theme. Even the chapter breaks add flair and balance to something quite sublime."; "Zenia is a fugly slut!!!!!"; "A book that really hooks you and refuses to let go. For the first two thirds, I wanted to do nothing more in life than read this novel, and despite a slight drop in my interest towards the end of the book, overall I really enjoyed it."