A Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year
A New York Times and Washington Post Notable Book
A TIME Must-Read Book of the Year
A Kirkus Review Best Nonfiction Book of the Year
Longlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award

“The most spectacular, hilarious, and generous autobiography of the last quarter century—or ever.”
—Boston Globe

“Atwood's long-awaited memoir covers her arc to becoming one of the leading voices of modern literature.”
—New York Magazine

“Atwood is droll. Also quick, intelligent, smart, shrewd, varied, multi-faceted, playful, unpredictable, cunning, and mercurial. . . . Book of Lives is a remarkable accomplishment. It is, and it had to be, a big book, for Atwood’s is a big life.”
—Literary Review of Canada

“Wonderful. . . . Book of Lives is an absorbing must-read for anyone interested not just in the grande dame of Canadian letters, but in North American cultural development in the second half of the 20th century. . . . Interesting and often funny details pop off virtually every page. . . . The book is noteworthy for its witty and conversational tone. . . . Long may Atwood reign.”
—Winnipeg Free Press

“Charming, interesting and witty . . . Packed with dishy tales . . . Scintillating portraits of major and minor characters are one of Atwood’s specialties.”
—Minnesota Star Tribune

“Luminous prose, a palpable lust for life, and an invaluable glimpse into the mind of a literary giant make this a must-read.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Engaging, wise, and marvelously witty—illuminating both the craft of writing and the art of living.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Virtuoso, protean, forthright, and astute . . . Atwood is one of the world’s most significant writers and her capacious memoir deeply illuminates her life and work. . . . Encompassing, surprising, and entertaining . . . Electric with portraits of family, friends, beaux, and foes . . . A keystone source for biographers and scholars while delighting and enlightening readers curious about [her] life.”
—Booklist (starred review)

“A tour de force. . . . A remarkable read. She makes space for everyone. Her engaging voice is populated by a large cast of beguiling characters, settings are enriched with vivid details, all of it grounded in a compelling storyline. It contains multitudes, conflates life and art, and, evoking Jim Croce, successfully puts time in a bottle.”
—Los Angeles Times

“[Atwood] is finally focusing her penetrating gaze and yarn-spinning brilliance on her own rich life as a writer, feminist, wife, and mother. . . . [Book of Lives] vibrates with candour, wisdom, and wit.”
—Oprah Daily

“A vivid and deeply personal memoir that traces the roots of [Atwood's] creativity, her unruly curiosity, and the moments that shaped one of the most influential literary careers of our time.”
—Women’s Prize Recommendation

“Displays the wit, intelligence, and complexity that marks her best work. . . . Satisfying. . . . Striking and moving. . . . Generous.”
—The Observer

“A humble look at greatness. . . . A wise and witty account of the life that shaped [Atwood’s] writing. . . . Radiant [with power]—full, expansive, and joyful. . . . A wonderfully thorough examination of one writer’s life. . . . This memoir highlights Atwood’s energy, generosity, focus, and vigour, as well as her Canadian modesty, self-deprecation, and good cheer."
—Portland Press Herald

“Sentimental, blunt, and deliciously naughty. . . . [An] entertaining memoir. . . . [Atwood’s] sort of self-deprecating wit, a humour as dry as toast, makes Book of Lives immensely readable.”
—iNews

“A for­mid­able addi­tion to an eclectic Atwood cata­logue . . . [with] warmth and a wry, self-deprec­at­ing humour.”
—Vancouver Sun

“With humour and exuberance, Book of Lives charts the remarkable life story of one daring author who looks back on her career with awe and humility, realising how much living and influence she has indeed accomplished. In all, Atwood renders a captivating portrait of personal history, one ultimately enlivened by its wisdom on the art of fiction from one master storyteller.”
—Irish Times

“As compulsively readable as her best fiction. . . . Astringent, unsparing, and generous by turns. . . . Aspiring writers will find miniature masterclasses scattered all through, like a trail of enchanted breadcrumbs. . . . Book of Lives is breathtakingly brutal in some passages, but also tartly funny. One of the most deliciously engaging memoirs of the decade, this brims over with life, wit and flashes of prophecy. At 85, Atwood remains a champion teller of tales.”
—Financial Times

“A sharp, funny, and engaging autobiography from one of the towering literary figures of our age."
—The Guardian

“Fiercely funny tales from a literary mafia don. . . . Book of Lives is as pacy and fascinating as any of her books. . . . Here she is hilarious, with a poet’s eye for detail and endless short, tart punchlines. . . . Atwood understands that it is the petty delights of stone-cold vengeance, along with the major trials and tribulations, successes and heartbreaks that make up a life. She’s lived a good one, and she’s generous enough to share it.”
—The Standard

“Delightfully funny. . . . It sparkles with elegance, wit, and grace. . . . At every turn, the enthralling and entertaining Book of Lives exquisitely captures moments small and monumental in equal measure, revealing one of our most brilliant storytellers at work.”
—BookPage (starred review)

“Even if you had never heard of its author this book would be worth reading simply as a wide ranging, interesting collection of personal stories and firsthand accounts of public events. . . . [Her] directness and openness, not just about her abilities but also her shortcomings, puts the reader at ease. . . . As well as being refreshingly down to earth and endlessly curious about, and engaged in, the world around her, Atwood has, as befits a poet, a metaphorical cast of mind. . . . The book is well served by a narrative style that is immensely quotable—direct and relaxed but sprightly.”
—The British Columbia Review

“Wittily funny and engrossing on every page. . . . An adept technician and genius at the craft of spinning a story, Atwood . . . breathes tremendous vitality into Book of Lives. In the candid self-portraiture, the lively Canadian social history, and the fulfilling behind-the-scenes of CanLit’s bourgeoning in the ‘60s and ‘70s, the book simply slays. . . . With a distinctive narrating voice . . . Atwood surfaces over and again as canny, wise, prickly, cogent, and endlessly curious about whatever it is she has fixed her attention. It’s charismatic, that voice, eloquent and yet forcible. . . . Book of Lives [has] so many pleasurable hours of reading.”
—The Miramichi Reader

“A compelling and personable read that combines the meticulous detail of a scientist and historian with the intense focus of an outstanding novelist. Atwood is all of these and so much more. . . . Exquisite, gripping, and often hysterically funny intermingling of both genres into something truly unique. . . . Fascinating."
—Bookreporter