pennymine's review against another edition
2.0
So slow in the beginning that I almost gave up on it. This book really does not have the beautiful, lyrical quality that "The Handmaid's Tale" does. Basically just the story of Nell's life, but not told in a compelling or engaging way for me.
haylstormer's review against another edition
4.0
Attwood, as always, is absolutely brilliant.
Harder to follow than others but deep & insightful as usual
Harder to follow than others but deep & insightful as usual
abrswf's review against another edition
5.0
I savored every minute of this beautifully written and narrated book of linked short stories. Atwood seems incapable of producing sloppiness or wasted words. Her prose is crystalline. The stories clearly have a significant autobiographical component but they are also a sharp and penetrating examination of gendered power structures, and a sardonic tour of, among other things, rural Canada, the sixties, and complex family dynamics. Atwood also takes an unvarnished look at death and aging. I loved the whole collection but especially “The Bad News” and “My Last Duchess.”
dernichtraucherin's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
mokey4's review against another edition
4.0
This is classic, vintage Margaret Atwood. I loved most of it. A woman's life story. Her relationship with her anxious sister, born when she was 11 years old. Her unconventional relationship with Tig, their time as city folks trying to make a rusty old farm work. Lots of great livestock (or "dead-stock") stories. Her real estate karma. Her step sons, her lover's wife Oona. It only slows down when getting to her aging parents.
My favorite line:
"All that anxiety and anger, those dubious good intentions, those tangled lives, that blood. I can tell about it or I can bury it. In the end, we’ll all become stories. Or else we’ll become entities. Maybe it’s the same."
My favorite line:
"All that anxiety and anger, those dubious good intentions, those tangled lives, that blood. I can tell about it or I can bury it. In the end, we’ll all become stories. Or else we’ll become entities. Maybe it’s the same."
cpq's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
corallig's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
"Ich hatte noch nicht entdeckt, dass ich in einer Art durchsichtigem Ballon lebte, der über die Welt hinwegtrieb ohne wirklich mit ihr in Berührung zu kommen, und dass ich mir von den Leuten, die ich kannte, ein Bild machte, das nicht mit ihrem Selbstbild übereinstimmte; das galt umgekehrt auch für mich. Den anderen erschien ich hoch oben in meinem Ballon kleiner, als ich mir selbst erschien. Auch verschwommener."
"Ich glaubte, in dieser Welt meinen Weg machen zu müssen, wo immer der war. Ich glaubte, ich sollte irgendwo ankommen- wie so oft in meinem Fall hieß irgendwo nicht hier."
"Sie hatte eine Grenze überschritten. Aber wo war die Grenze? Sie konnte sie nicht erkennen."
"Ich glaubte, in dieser Welt meinen Weg machen zu müssen, wo immer der war. Ich glaubte, ich sollte irgendwo ankommen- wie so oft in meinem Fall hieß irgendwo nicht hier."
"Sie hatte eine Grenze überschritten. Aber wo war die Grenze? Sie konnte sie nicht erkennen."
ebbalinnaea's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.5
rsafeer's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't like it as much as Atwood's other work. Her other novels, the Handmaid's Tale, for instance, are gripping and endearing and perfect. This one, I thought was a little bland in many parts and could have been much better. But, there were definitely some very beautiful stories, just not as good as I was expecting.