


ISBN-13: 9781486224401
Unabridged editionMP3 format

ISBN-13: 9781408803585
Special editionHardcover

ISBN-13: 9780385260084
Trade in the USA editionHardcover

ISBN-13: 9780553472387
AbridgedAudiobook cassette
Exploring the paradox of female villainy, this tale of three fascinating women is another peerless display of literary virtuosity by the supremely gifted author of Cat's Eye and The Handmaid's Tale . Roz, Charis and Tony all share a wound, and her name is Zenia. Beautiful, smart and hungry, by turns manipulative and vulnerable, needy and ruthless, Zenia is the turbulent center of her own perpetual saga. She entered their lives in the sixties, when they were in college. Over the three decades since, she has damaged each ...
ISBN-13: 9781486224401
Unabridged editionMP3 format
ISBN-13: 9781408803585
Special editionHardcover
ISBN-13: 9780385260084
Trade in the USA editionHardcover
ISBN-13: 9780553472387
AbridgedAudiobook cassette
Ellyb
Mar 24, 2010
What a juicy read this was! I certainly was not expecting a mystery with a clearly defined villain when I picked up "The Robber Bride," but that's what the novel turned out to be. The story begins with three women whose lives have been irrevocably altered by a woman who seems to haunt them like a spectre. I wasn't very far into the book before I was desperate to find out exactly WHAT this woman had done.
Zenia, the villainess who steals men (among other things) and ruins lives, embodies the fear that trust is too easily misplaced, and that some people just want to hurt people for the thrill of it. I'm not sure how realistic she is as a character, but I think that's beside the point. Roz, Tony, and Charis, the three protagonists of the book, are as real as they come, and are utterly recognizable as three variations on the everywoman.
I will say that some patience is required in reading this novel, as the narrative tends to jump back and restart itself for each woman's own story of Zenia. I went along with it, but occasionally found myself wishing that the overarching narrative thread were stronger throughout the different parts of the book.
ashleylovestoread
Jul 15, 2007
After reading "The Blind Assassin" by Margaret Atwood, I was excited to read more of her stories. This one, however, just didn't excite me like "TBA." For me, it took too long to get to the actual storyline, and I find that to be pretty important in books.