Scan barcode
wereallinthegutter's review
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
abbie_'s review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
If you haven't read any Atwood yet and your attention span still isn't too great, I can definitely recommend Good Bones as an excellent way of getting a feel for Atwood's style and savage wit! This is a collection of flash fiction, short stories and prose poems, not something I'd usually reach for but, of course, Maggie always delivers.
.
I loved how, in every story, she flipped something on its head - some gender norm or fictional trope. She has such a knack for showing us things we take for granted, or accept as the norm, from a different perspective and opening our eyes to how reductive or damaging something is. Even if you're already aware of how destructive gender roles can be, this collection will still surprise you!
.
Some of my favourites were Epaulettes, where world leaders are chosen in a beauty pageant-esque competition, Alien Territory, which explores the politics of having a body, particularly a male one, and Cold-Blooded, where some insectile alien muses gently on when they will once again rule the earth after humans have destroyed it...
.
A couple didn't leave much of an impression, and Poppies: Three Variations was clever but didn't really fit in with the other stories, which were all gender-based or sci-fi/dystopian-esque (which made me really want to reread Oryx & Crake). But overall, a deft, funny, subversive collection that I recommend!
.
I loved how, in every story, she flipped something on its head - some gender norm or fictional trope. She has such a knack for showing us things we take for granted, or accept as the norm, from a different perspective and opening our eyes to how reductive or damaging something is. Even if you're already aware of how destructive gender roles can be, this collection will still surprise you!
.
Some of my favourites were Epaulettes, where world leaders are chosen in a beauty pageant-esque competition, Alien Territory, which explores the politics of having a body, particularly a male one, and Cold-Blooded, where some insectile alien muses gently on when they will once again rule the earth after humans have destroyed it...
.
A couple didn't leave much of an impression, and Poppies: Three Variations was clever but didn't really fit in with the other stories, which were all gender-based or sci-fi/dystopian-esque (which made me really want to reread Oryx & Crake). But overall, a deft, funny, subversive collection that I recommend!
thisotherbookaccount's review against another edition
3.0
I once compared Margaret Atwood to what ancient philosophers understood about stars and the night sky. They believed that stars were holes in the curtain of night, letting the light of heaven to pass through. Of course, we know all of that is bullshit today, but that's how I see Margaret Atwood in some ways.
Atwood is not a god, but reading her makes me feel like a person in the medieval times, peeping at heaven through holes in the sky. I may not know exactly what I am looking at, but I know somewhere on the other side of the curtain lies brilliance.
Good Bones is a good example of that. In this collection of short fiction, Atwood goes to town with her playfulness, like a literary exercise she does from time to time to work her brain muscles. As such, while some stories are entertaining and thought provoking to say the least, others don't quite make sense. But because it is Margaret Atwood, I, as a reader, feel that it is my fault for not "getting it" rather than her. She's just on another level, even when she's just hunkering down for some fun on the page.
Not every piece of writing here worked for me, but that's just the way short fiction operates. And I'm fine with that.
Atwood is not a god, but reading her makes me feel like a person in the medieval times, peeping at heaven through holes in the sky. I may not know exactly what I am looking at, but I know somewhere on the other side of the curtain lies brilliance.
Good Bones is a good example of that. In this collection of short fiction, Atwood goes to town with her playfulness, like a literary exercise she does from time to time to work her brain muscles. As such, while some stories are entertaining and thought provoking to say the least, others don't quite make sense. But because it is Margaret Atwood, I, as a reader, feel that it is my fault for not "getting it" rather than her. She's just on another level, even when she's just hunkering down for some fun on the page.
Not every piece of writing here worked for me, but that's just the way short fiction operates. And I'm fine with that.
kate_white's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
rclyburn's review against another edition
5.0
Funny, and honest, and frightening. I love the fairy tale framing. Ageing is terrifying to 21 year old me.
nxssistr's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
2.5
laurarm's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
4.0
Eine höchst amüsante Prosa-Sammlung zum Thema Weiblichkeit und Männlichkeit in der modernen Welt. Atwood kreiert Szenarien, die auf den ersten Blick absurd wirken, aber sich schnell in ihrer gender Problematik entfalten. Einiges wirkt zeitspezifisch, aber vieles erscheint auch zeitüberdauernd zu sein.
Scharfsinnig, kurzweilig und unterhaltsam. Insbesondere das Kapitel zu „Es war einmal“ habe ich sofort im Schulunterricht gesehen. Es würde sich definitiv lohnen, in einigen Jahren noch einmal das Buch zu lesen, da man kaum in der Lage ist, sich alle Texte einzuprägen.
Scharfsinnig, kurzweilig und unterhaltsam. Insbesondere das Kapitel zu „Es war einmal“ habe ich sofort im Schulunterricht gesehen. Es würde sich definitiv lohnen, in einigen Jahren noch einmal das Buch zu lesen, da man kaum in der Lage ist, sich alle Texte einzuprägen.