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Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing Paperback – September 9, 2003

by Margaret Atwood (Author)
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From the bestselling author of The Handmaid's Tale and The Testaments:"A clear-eyed glance into the shadows where writers work and live.” —The Washington Post Book World

In this wise and irresistibly quotable book, one of the most intelligent writers now working in English addresses the riddle of her art: why people pursue it, how they view their calling, and what bargains they make with their audiences, both real and imagined. To these fascinating issues Margaret Atwood brings a candid appraisal of her own experience as well as a breadth of reading that encompasses everything from Dante to Elmore Leonard. An ambitious artistic inquiry conducted with unpretentious charm, Negotiating with the Dead is an invaluable insider’s view of the writer’s universe.
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  1. Print length
    256 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Anchor
  4. Publication date
    September 9, 2003
  5. Dimensions
    5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1400032601
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1400032600
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A delight. . . . Frank and spirited. . . . A clear-eyed glance into the shadows where writers work and live.” —The Washington Post Book World

“An engaging book—erudite yet informal, playfully witty yet down to earth.” —Los Angeles Times

“Smart, deeply humane, courageous. . . . I have never come across a single book that more elegantly goes to the heart of the craft and its demands. . . . Hooray for Atwood!” —Michael Pakenham, The Baltimore Sun

“This amazing woman’s voice, this fine writer’s constant example, is extraordinary.” —The Boston Globe

“Smart, deeply humane, courageous. . . . I have never come across a single book that more elegantly goes to the heart of the craft and its demands. . . . Hooray for Atwood!” –Michael Pakenham, The Baltimore Sun

From the Inside Flap

What do we mean when we say that someone is a writer? Is he or she an entertainer? A high priest of the god Art? An improver of readers minds and morals? And who, for that matter, are these mysterious readers? In this wise and irresistibly quotable book, one of the most intelligent writers now working in English addresses the riddle of her art: why people pursue it, how they view their calling, and what bargains they make with their audience, both real and imagined.
To these fascinating issues Margaret Atwood brings a candid appraisal of her own experience as well as a breadth of reading that encompasses everything from Dante to Elmore Leonard. An ambitious artistic inquiry conducted with unpretentiousness and charm, Negotiating with the Dead is an unprecedented insider s view of the writer s universe.

Product details

About the author

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Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood

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Margaret Atwood is the author of more than fifty books of fiction, poetry and critical essays. Her novels include Cat's Eye, The Robber Bride, Alias Grace, The Blind Assassin and the MaddAddam trilogy. Her 1985 classic, The Handmaid's Tale, went back into the bestseller charts with the election of Donald Trump, when the Handmaids became a symbol of resistance against the disempowerment of women, and with the 2017 release of the award-winning Channel 4 TV series. ‘Her sequel, The Testaments, was published in 2019. It was an instant international bestseller and won the Booker Prize.’

Atwood has won numerous awards including the Booker Prize, the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Imagination in Service to Society, the Franz Kafka Prize, the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade and the PEN USA Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2019 she was made a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour for services to literature. She has also worked as a cartoonist, illustrator, librettist, playwright and puppeteer. She lives in Toronto, Canada.

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
173 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find this book to be a must-read for aspiring writers, praising its amazingly insightful writing and thought-provoking reflections on the craft. They appreciate its humor and practical advice. The literary references receive mixed reactions from customers.

Select to learn more

ReadabilityWriting styleThought provokingAdvice levelHumorLiterary references
13 customers mention "Readability"11 positive2 negative

Customers find the book readable and interesting, with several noting it's a must-read for aspiring writers.

"...Thumbing through, I know this book is a winner! I want to absorb everything Margaret Atwood has to say!" Read more

"Loving this book." Read more

"...A must read." Read more

"Love all of her books." Read more

8 customers mention "Writing style"8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, describing it as amazingly insightful and a learned meditation on writing.

"...But also a glimpse at the breadth of influences on her fantastic writing. It's like being with her every time you pick up the book." Read more

"Excellent quality book and writing. A book for intellectuals, writers, academics. Very interesting, inspiring and thought provoking." Read more

"This book is a relaxed and learned meditation on writing and being a writer, by an accomplished writer of novels, short stories, poetry, and..." Read more

"...the nature of writing are both profound and practical, and her prose is engaging and insightful throughout...." Read more

7 customers mention "Thought provoking"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and insightful, with one customer describing it as a collection of reflections on writing, while another mentions gaining new perspectives from Atwood's honesty and self-awareness.

"...'s insights and observations about the nature of writing are both profound and practical, and her prose is engaging and insightful throughout...." Read more

"...A book for intellectuals, writers, academics. Very interesting, inspiring and thought provoking." Read more

"...As one can tell from the topics discussed, the book might be insightful for those who want to make writing a career, giving good advice on how best..." Read more

"...literary principles a la T.S. Eliot, but as a collection of thought-provoking reflections on writing, which may or may not resonate with you...." Read more

4 customers mention "Advice level"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's practical advice, with one customer noting that the evidence used to support the cases is perfect.

"Excellent quality book and writing. A book for intellectuals, writers, academics. Very interesting, inspiring and thought provoking." Read more

"...and observations about the nature of writing are both profound and practical, and her prose is engaging and insightful throughout...." Read more

"...She is witty and the evidence she uses to support her cases are perfect. It was a great read." Read more

"perfect for wrters..." Read more

4 customers mention "Humor"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's humor.

"I love Margaret Atwood. She is ethereal, like a witty and charming angel. Her voice leaps off the page in this book about how she writes...." Read more

"...In her usual mix of amazingly insightful writing and a dash of humor, Atwood breaks down the craft of writing as well as her personal relationship..." Read more

"Smart, funny, not at all dry and right on point, Atwood relays in no uncertain terms what it means to be a writer, how to navigate pitfalls, and..." Read more

"...She is witty and the evidence she uses to support her cases are perfect. It was a great read." Read more

5 customers mention "Literary references"3 positive2 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the literary references in the book, with some appreciating the collection of essays and the treasure trove of information in the bibliography, while others find them academic and overwhelming.

"Great collection of essays tied together with the common theme of writing and being a writer...." Read more

"...Some of the chapters are awash with esoteric literary references and written in a style to appeal to academicians. For me, quite variable in value...." Read more

"...I gained much insight from her literary references (allusions, if you will) and find the endnotes and bibliography to be a treasure trove...." Read more

"...But this was a bunch of very academic essays that eventually made me feel like I was reading a very self-important navel-gazing grad school article..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Okapi
    5.0 out of 5 stars Explore the Creative Mind of Margaret Atwood
    Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2023
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Margaret Atwood's "Negotiating With The Dead" is a must-read for any aspiring writer or anyone interested in the creative process. Atwood's insights and observations about the nature of writing are both profound and practical, and her prose is engaging and insightful throughout.

    I have read this book thrice, and each time I find something new to take away from it. Atwood's discussions of the relationship between the writer and their audience, their role in society, and how writers deal with their mortality are all fascinating and thought-provoking.

    What I appreciate most about this book, however, is Atwood's honesty and self-awareness. She doesn't shy away from the complex writing aspects of the challenges writers face in pursuing their craft. Instead, she offers practical advice and encouragement for anyone committed to the writing life.

    Overall, I would highly recommend "Negotiating With The Dead" to anyone passionate about writing or interested in the creative process. Atwood's wisdom and insight will inspire you to pursue your creative goals with renewed energy and focus.
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  • LovesDaisies
    5.0 out of 5 stars I Can Feel The Inspiration Just Holding It!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Looking forward to reading this book. Thumbing through, I know this book is a winner! I want to absorb everything Margaret Atwood has to say!
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Thomas M
    5.0 out of 5 stars Typically great writing from Atwood
    Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2015
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Great collection of essays tied together with the common theme of writing and being a writer. In her usual mix of amazingly insightful writing and a dash of humor, Atwood breaks down the craft of writing as well as her personal relationship with writing. Great read for those wishing to write as well as those that are simply curious as to the life of a professional writer.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • R. M. Peterson
    4.0 out of 5 stars A relaxed and learned meditation on writing and being a writer
    Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2012
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This book is a relaxed and learned meditation on writing and being a writer, by an accomplished writer of novels, short stories, poetry, and literary criticism. In it, Margaret Atwood adapts six lectures she gave at the University of Cambridge in 2000. I call it a meditation because there is no central thesis or sustained, linear argument. Rather, the thoughts circle around and refer to and bounce off one another, with all coalescing generally around the medium of writing. Atwood's style is relatively informal and often playful, and she draws upon an impressive - and instructive - range of literary references.

    The title of the book is also the title of the last chapter, and is derived from Atwood's hypothesis that "not just some, but ALL writing of the narrative kind * * * is motivated, deep down, by a fear of and a fascination with mortality - by a desire to make the risky trip to the Underworld, and to bring something or some back from the dead." I am a little dubious about what follows the dash in that sentence about trips to the Underworld, at least as applied to ALL writing, but the broader statement that writing is motivated by a fear of and a fascination with mortality makes sense to me. In fact, it articulates a notion that from time to time had occurred to me. And that's the value of the book - not as a how-to guide to writing or a magisterial pronouncement of literary principles a la T.S. Eliot, but as a collection of thought-provoking reflections on writing, which may or may not resonate with you.

    Here are three of the comments that I marked as I leisurely made my way through the book:

    * "Wanting to meet a author because you like his work is like wanting to meet a duck because you like pâté."

    * There is "only one real question to be asked about any work" and that is "is it alive, or is it dead?"

    * "Narration - storytelling - is the relation of events unfolding through time. You can't hold a mirror up to Nature and have it be a story unless there's a metronome ticking somewhere. As Leon Edel has noted, if it's a novel, there's bound to be a clock in it."

    At times, I felt that Atwood moved too far from the realm of reflection and observation to that of analysis, and I am not sure that the medium of writing lends itself to unpretentious, non-academic analysis. But those moments were relatively infrequent and abbreviated, so that overall I enjoyed NEGOTIATING WITH THE DEAD. Just don't look to it for some sort of satori.
    19 people found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Georgia Francis
    5.0 out of 5 stars perfect for wrters
    Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Margaret Atwood is the best of the best
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  • Amazonian Empress
    5.0 out of 5 stars She Never Disappoints
    Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2021
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Excellent quality book and writing. A book for intellectuals, writers, academics. Very interesting, inspiring and thought provoking.
    Helpful
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  • Lottie Wilds
    5.0 out of 5 stars Dead Wright.
    Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2013
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I love Margaret Atwood. She is ethereal, like a witty and charming angel. Her voice leaps off the page in this book about how she writes.
    I bought this book to review before her appearance in my home town. It is a peek inside her mind and helped me to enjoy her books even more.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • H2Steacher
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not what I was expecting
    Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2009
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    As a high school English teacher, I wanted to perfect my craft of teaching writing to my students. Who better to know writing than a real writer, right? Unfortunately, this book is not about the nuts and bolts of writing per se; it is more about Atwood's journey to being a writer, her literary life.

    The book is divided into six chapters, each based on a lecture Atwood delivered in 2000 at Cambridge University. Here is an overview of the topics discussed:

    Ch. 1- "Orientation", How Atwood became a writer (Educated parents, solitude, early/voracious reader) and the literary sub-culture.
    Ch. 2- "Duplicity", The duality of the Writer (Self v. Muse).
    Ch. 3- "Dedication", Literary success v. financial success and their subsequent perceptions/pressures on the Writer.
    Ch. 4- "Temptation", The Writer v. Social Repsonsibility (Is Art merely decorative or does it serve a greater purpose?)
    Ch. 5- "Communion", The Reader's role in literature (Analysis/interpretation of the Writer's work)
    Ch. 6- "Descent", Telling stories because we're human, because we're connected with others.

    As one can tell from the topics discussed, the book might be insightful for those who want to make writing a career, giving good advice on how best to do this. However, if you are looking for a book on the craft of writing, the steps one goes through to produce a published work, this is probably not the best book for you.
    37 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • hblnk
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good selection
    Reviewed in Germany on April 22, 2019
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    A very nice selection of essays. Not the place to start with this author, but not be missed by fans.
    Report
  • Baggy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Magical insights from a master novelist
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 14, 2007
    Verified Purchase
    If you love Margaret Atwood's novels then please buy this book. It has the same qualities you will have treasured before - every paragraph has a shaft of humour, an original insight, and a poetic use of language.

    I've hesitated before to move from Margaret Atwood's novels into the short stories and poetry - a mistake i'll be rectifying soon. The writing and the level of intelligence in this set of reflections on the artist's life and motivations are as one with the rest of her captivating work.
    Report
  • Gayle MacDonald
    5.0 out of 5 stars Atwood as literary Critic: just when we thought we knew her...
    Reviewed in Canada on May 22, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    One of the finest books on writing I have read, and I've read a few! This is a readers' guide to writing, the depth and breadth of literary reference is nothing short of astounding. From Old English to current day references, Atwood is at her singular best here; she intersects/dissects and delivers, often in hilarious juxtapose, insights on the reader, the writing, the author and the book with her usual incredibly frank and honest prose, all sorts of revelations which border on on the startling, of life behind the desk. It's an incredible journey of the English language in print and the difficulties in wrestling that print to the page. Bravo, Atwood. Although this book might be considered a little dated, buy it anyway. It's a treasure for your library. I keep going back to it. As will you.
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  • STSTSTST
    5.0 out of 5 stars A real gem of a book! Atwood's writing is ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 1, 2017
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    A real gem of a book! Atwood's writing is immersive and her view of writing is both thoughtful and founded on an extensive knowledge on writing through the ages.
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  • Martin Frank
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interessant, aber...
    Reviewed in Germany on January 5, 2012
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Margaret Atwood ist eine ausgezeichnete Schriftstellerin, ohne Zweifel. Was sie über ihre Aufwachsen und ihre ersten Schreibversuche schreibt, fand ich interessant und unterhalten. Wo sie Seiten zu füllen beginnt mit Theorien und Zitaten aus ihren Lieblingsschriftstellern, bekam ich den Eindruck, dass sie zuviel liest und zuwenig lebt. Es gibt eine Welt ausserhalb der Literatur.
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