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mastersal's review against another edition
4.0
I struggle with rating this book / collection of essays. Ms Atwood is a titan of writing and this is a collection of essays so enjoyment can’t be used as a bar for success unlike a fictional story.
Nonetheless I can say that I enjoyed the essays. The first few were better - especially the first three which explore the nature of Sc-fi. I enjoyed her reviewers as well, even for the books I had not read.
I docked a star for the last part of the collection - specifically the Five Tributes. These seems like padding to me to push the book over 200 pages.
Still - overall, this is worth reading for anyone who is in interested in Sci-fi in general and Ms Atwood thoughts in particular.
Nonetheless I can say that I enjoyed the essays. The first few were better - especially the first three which explore the nature of Sc-fi. I enjoyed her reviewers as well, even for the books I had not read.
I docked a star for the last part of the collection - specifically the Five Tributes. These seems like padding to me to push the book over 200 pages.
Still - overall, this is worth reading for anyone who is in interested in Sci-fi in general and Ms Atwood thoughts in particular.
chelseaknits's review against another edition
4.0
Four and a half.
Oh look, I still love Margaret Atwood and everything she stands for. Surprise!
Oh look, I still love Margaret Atwood and everything she stands for. Surprise!
myriadreads's review against another edition
4.0
So far in my reading Atwood has touched on the origination of superheroes and their double identities in mythology. This is the first nonfiction work that I've read by Atwood, and I have to say that her somewhat dry and humorous voice shines through as in her fiction.
lsparrow's review against another edition
2.0
a collection of essays mostly about writing and other books.
Was no so into this. Although often I love to hear the author narrate their own books in this case I found it made me less interested.
Was no so into this. Although often I love to hear the author narrate their own books in this case I found it made me less interested.
missbookiverse's review against another edition
4.0
I geeked out about this book a little. I loved reading Atwood's contemplations on the sci fi genre/s and comparing them to my own studies of dystopian literature (she talks about Orwell and Huxley a lot), but also learning more about her life and career. Hence the first third of the book was my favorite part. The second third focuses on specific titles such as 1984, The Island of Doctor Moreau, Never Let Me Go and many more. Those were more accessible when I actually knew the works she was referring to but even if I didn't most texts include interesting commentary on the progress of technology independent of the book the text was initially dealing with. In the last section Atwood presents some of her own SF short stories, which was a cool idea in the context of all the theoretical rumination.
murphyc1's review against another edition
4.0
Endlessly interesting and incitful, Atwood covers a lot of territory in this volume. Her thoughts on science fiction and mainstream literature, and Art broadly, are thoughtful and fascinating. Above all, I am delighted that Margaret Atwood is a fan of superheroes and read Captain Marvel, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman as a kid.
balletbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty good. It was hard to get into - even though I kept telling myself that it was an origin story - but the second chapter got better and the third (Dire Cartographies) was excellent. The second section consisted of selected book reviews which made for great reading.
And if course the best section was the last one because it was Margaret Atwood's short fiction. Great way to structure a book of lit crit.
And if course the best section was the last one because it was Margaret Atwood's short fiction. Great way to structure a book of lit crit.