Margaret Atwood's The Robber Bride is inspired by "The Robber Bridegroom," a wonderfully grisly tale from the Brothers Grimm in which an evil groom lures three maidens into his lair and devours them, one by one. But in her version, Atwood brilliantly recasts the monster as Zenia, a villainess of demonic proportions, and sets her loose in the lives of three friends, Tony,

Charis, and Roz. All three "have lost men, spirit, money, and time to their old college acquaintance, Zenia. At various times, and in various emotional disguises, Zenia has insinuated her way into their lives and practically demolished them.

To Tony, who almost lost her husband and jeopardized her academic career, Zenia is 'a lurking enemycommando.' To Roz, who did lose her husband and almost her magazine, Zenia is 'a cold and treacherous bitch.' To Charis, who lost a boyfriend, quarts of vegetable juice and some pet chickens, Zenia is a kind of zombie, maybe 'soulless'" (Lorrie Moore, New York Times BookReview ). In love and war, illusion and deceit, Zenia's subterranean malevolence takes us deep into her enemies' pasts.

瑪格麗特·阿特伍德，1939年齣生於加拿大渥太華，早年在安大略北部和魁北剋度過，1962年獲哈佛大學文科碩士學位，曾任加拿大作傢協會主席。她是加拿大最著名的小說傢和詩人，其作品迄今已在全球35個國傢齣版。她曾推齣30多部作品，其中包括小說、詩歌與批評散文。她的小說《女僕的故事》、《貓眼》與《彆名格雷斯》曾獲得加拿大的吉勒爾奬與意大利的普雷米歐·濛德羅奬，《瞎眼刺客》曾獲2000年英國布剋小說奬。