Life Before Man

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An American edition of Life Before Man
An American edition of Life Before Man

Life Before Man is a novel by Canadian writer Margaret Atwood. It was first published by McClelland and Stewart in 1979

The novel has three main characters, Nate, Elizabeth and Lesje. Nate and Elizabeth are an unhappily married couple, each of whom is having an extramarital affair. Lesje is Nate's lover and a coworker of Elizabeth's; Elizabeth's lover, Chris, has just committed suicide.

All three of the main characters are narrators. Each chapter presents events from one character's perspective.

Shirley Gibson, ex-wife of Atwood's husband Graeme Gibson, has been cited as the inspiration for the character Elizabeth.

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