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Publisher's Summary

A collection of highly imaginative short pieces that speak to our times with deadly accuracy. Vintage Atwood creativity, intelligence, and humor: think Alias Grace.
Margaret Atwood turns to short fiction for the first time since her 2006 collection, Moral Disorder, with nine tales of acute psychological insight and turbulent relationships bringing to mind her award-winning 1996 novel, Alias Grace. A recently widowed fantasy writer is guided through a stormy winter evening by the voice of her late husband in "Alphinland," the first of three loosely linked stories about the romantic geometries of a group of writers and artists. In "The Freeze-Dried Bridegroom," a man who bids on an auctioned storage space has a surprise. In "Lusus Naturae," a woman born with a genetic abnormality is mistaken for a vampire. In "Torching the Dusties," an elderly lady with Charles Bonnet syndrome comes to terms with the little people she keeps seeing, while a newly formed populist group gathers to burn down her retirement residence. And in "Stone Mattress," a long-ago crime is avenged in the Arctic via a 1.9 billion-year-old stromatolite. In these nine tales, Margaret Atwood is at the top of her darkly humorous and seriously playful game.
List of Stories and Narrators:


"Alphinland" and "Torching the Dusties" read by Lorna Raver
"Revenant" read by Mark Bramhall
"Dark Lady" and "The Dead Hand Loves You" read by Arthur Morey
"Lusus Naturae" read by Emily Rankin
"The Freeze-Dried Groom" read by Rob Delaney
"I Dream of Zenia with the Bright Red Teeth" read by Bernadette Dunne
"Stone Mattress" read by Margaret Atwood
©2014 Margaret Atwood (P)2014 Random House Audio
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Critic Reviews

"Stunning…Atwood brings her biting wit to bear on the battle of the sexes." ( Publishers Weekly, starred review)
"Shrewdly brilliant, gleefully mischievous, and acerbically hilarious…Atwood has the raptor's penetrating gaze, speed, and agility and never misses her mark." ( Booklist, starred review)
"Clever tales about writers and lovers…Atwood is a playful, sharp-edged, and politically alert author." ( Kirkus Reviews)
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful
4 out of 5 stars
By Vered on 02-12-15

Includes 3 great short stories

I am a big fan of Margaret Atwood's work, and appreciate everything she writes, but in my opinion this is not her best work.
I didn't enjoy the entire collection, but it had its moments, thanks to the connection between the stories (revnge, looking back, connection between fantasy writers and their inspiration or themes).

There are also two exceptional stories included in this collection +one enjoyable nostalgic story for M. Atwood's fans.

I Dream of Zenia... - a retrospect/ revisit of the book The Robber Bride (funny and very well written)

The Dead Hand Loves you - a very amusing story, about a glorified horror writer, looking back at his inspiration and planning to take revenge on his past flat mates.

Torching the Dusties - best story included in this collection, and deserves entery to Atwood's hall of fame work. smart and disturbing story including a distopian view of old age.
brilliantly told and memorable.



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4 of 4 people found this review helpful

5 out of 5 stars
By Percy on 01-31-15

Another amazing book

Growing old with empathy. An extraordinary set of stories.
Having different narrators was great. The stone mattress story was brilliant.

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4 of 4 people found this review helpful

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