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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape
Pulled this off my back-log shelf after reading the Oryx & Crake trilogy. Originally compiled in 1977, some of the stories seemed a bit data, but I found gems here and there.
Mostly bilious tales of relationships. I did enjoy "The Resplendent Quetzal"
ზოგი მოთხრობა ძალიან მომეწონა, მაგრამ საშუალო შეფასება მაინც 3,14 გამოვიდა
The War in the Bathroom: 4 stars - I originally had this as three stars, but I'm still thinking about it months later, so an upped rating it gets.
The Man From Mars: 3 stars - This one made me uncomfortable and can't pinpoint why
Polarities: 2.5 stars
Under Glass: 2 stars - I wrote that I will be forgetting this one and wouldn't you know, I was right.
The Grave of the Famous Poet: 4 stars
Hair Jewellery: 3.5 stars
When it Happens: 4 stars
A Travel Piece: 4 stars
The Resplendent Quetzal: 3 stars
Training: 4.5 stars - A shame I can't remember this one, but clearly I liked it.
The Lives of Poets: 3.5 stars
Dancing Girls: 4.5 stars
Giving Birth: 3 stars
This was my first Margaret Atwood book, and it is a bit of a shame that I haven't read anything else of hers, but here we are. I liked her writing a lot, and it's clear why she has such a long and illustrious career. It's totally deserving. Her writing felt eerily familiar, much like a lot of the Canadian writers that I've found myself picking up lately. That being said, this wasn't my favourite collection, and I can tell that it's not one of her stronger books. Which only means there's so much more to look forward to, and for that I am very excited.
The Man From Mars: 3 stars - This one made me uncomfortable and can't pinpoint why
Polarities: 2.5 stars
Under Glass: 2 stars - I wrote that I will be forgetting this one and wouldn't you know, I was right.
The Grave of the Famous Poet: 4 stars
Hair Jewellery: 3.5 stars
When it Happens: 4 stars
A Travel Piece: 4 stars
The Resplendent Quetzal: 3 stars
Training: 4.5 stars - A shame I can't remember this one, but clearly I liked it.
The Lives of Poets: 3.5 stars
Dancing Girls: 4.5 stars
Giving Birth: 3 stars
This was my first Margaret Atwood book, and it is a bit of a shame that I haven't read anything else of hers, but here we are. I liked her writing a lot, and it's clear why she has such a long and illustrious career. It's totally deserving. Her writing felt eerily familiar, much like a lot of the Canadian writers that I've found myself picking up lately. That being said, this wasn't my favourite collection, and I can tell that it's not one of her stronger books. Which only means there's so much more to look forward to, and for that I am very excited.
The Man from Mars - I hate pointless stories. This was a pointless story. 1/5
Betty - No one wants to have the only thing people remember them for be "nice" 4/5
Polarities - What could have been an interesting story about a man coming to terms with being in love with a mentally ill woman turned into another pointless story with nothing resolved. 1/5
Under Glass - A story with a completely unrelateable and flat main character, though at least the story was slightly more coherent than some of the others. 2/5
The Grave of the Famous Poet - "Let's go visit a grave and then decide to get divorced while we wait for a bus" If only I knew a little more about these characters so that I could actually care about them. 1/5
Hair Jewelry - Basically "The One that Got Away" except he's still living in my basement in my imagination. 2/5
When It Happens - An incredibly eerie story. It doesn't matter what the "it" is. When it happens, will you be ready? 5/5
A Travel Piece - I would have liked a conclusion to this but I don't think I'm going to get one with any of these short stories. Still, it was easy to relate to the character's depression and depersonalization. 4/5
The Resplendent Quetzal - A story about a woman who lost a baby and suppresses her emotions about it...I think. Also could be about birds. 2/5
Training - I really thought I understood this story. And then the last sentence happened. 3/5
Lives of the Poets - I really hope Margaret Atwood has learned how to deal with her emotions since publishing this book because none of her characters seem to have any idea how to. 2/5
Dancing Girls - What?? Was??? The???? POINT????? Why would you name your entire short story collection after Dancing Girls who had a mention of maybe two lines and were never actually in the story? What the hell am I missing? Why am I still reading this??? 0/5
The Sin Eater - I don't even know anymore I'm just glad I'm done with this book. 1/5
Betty - No one wants to have the only thing people remember them for be "nice" 4/5
Polarities - What could have been an interesting story about a man coming to terms with being in love with a mentally ill woman turned into another pointless story with nothing resolved. 1/5
Under Glass - A story with a completely unrelateable and flat main character, though at least the story was slightly more coherent than some of the others. 2/5
The Grave of the Famous Poet - "Let's go visit a grave and then decide to get divorced while we wait for a bus" If only I knew a little more about these characters so that I could actually care about them. 1/5
Hair Jewelry - Basically "The One that Got Away" except he's still living in my basement in my imagination. 2/5
When It Happens - An incredibly eerie story. It doesn't matter what the "it" is. When it happens, will you be ready? 5/5
A Travel Piece - I would have liked a conclusion to this but I don't think I'm going to get one with any of these short stories. Still, it was easy to relate to the character's depression and depersonalization. 4/5
The Resplendent Quetzal - A story about a woman who lost a baby and suppresses her emotions about it...I think. Also could be about birds. 2/5
Training - I really thought I understood this story. And then the last sentence happened. 3/5
Lives of the Poets - I really hope Margaret Atwood has learned how to deal with her emotions since publishing this book because none of her characters seem to have any idea how to. 2/5
Dancing Girls - What?? Was??? The???? POINT????? Why would you name your entire short story collection after Dancing Girls who had a mention of maybe two lines and were never actually in the story? What the hell am I missing? Why am I still reading this??? 0/5
The Sin Eater - I don't even know anymore I'm just glad I'm done with this book. 1/5
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
What can I say? Wonderful, transcendent, incredible. Reading Margaret Atwood at what seems to be the permanent state of "top of her game" is never not amazing. The more surreal/exploratory stories in here especially ("When It Happens," "The War in the Bathroom") were probably my favorites, though there was no story I didn't like here.
(The fact that this book took me so long was the fault of the election rather than the book.)
(The fact that this book took me so long was the fault of the election rather than the book.)
I find collections of short stories difficult to get invested in, but here Margaret Atwood delivered as promised.
Surprisingly, a story that I had been dreading since the table of contents, "Rape Fantasies," turned out to be my favorite.
Surprisingly, a story that I had been dreading since the table of contents, "Rape Fantasies," turned out to be my favorite.