Found it hard to get into - it's a really short book and each story/"fictional essay" averages about 3-4 pages but I just didn't really get it? Some stories had some good imagery but a lot just left me thinking "what". Almost all of them have a really obvious "point" but often the story itself doesn't really support it well - it just feels messy. Sometimes the imagery just makes no sense at all. The tone is kind of weird - most feel almost like they're lecturing at you and in the way where it's like "ha ha this absurd bad scenario is bad, therefore the opposite is good". It's hard to explain but it feels kind of patronising and the stories are the worse for it. It's not like I disagree with any of her points, but the points seem like mostly stuff hardly anyone would disagree with? There's some stories where the point isn't obvious and the story just... ends on a confusing note. It's probably me being ignorant but I just don't get it at all.

That all sounds pretty negative yet I've rated it 3 stars. I don't think it's *bad*, it's just very few of the stories are entirely good and as a compilation it doesn't really work. There's lots of paragraphs and ideas and concepts that are cool and interesting to read. It just doesn't all flow together to make a great book.

It's worth pointing out multiple of the stories just casually mention rape, which might be pretty unpleasant to read. ( )

Not usually a huge fan of short story books, but this one was superb. I really liked it, and fell in love with Margaret Atwood. It was clever, witty, sad, funny, and amusing at the same time. I like her writing style and I will definitely read a novel of hers soon, still haven't decided yet. If you have suggestions, leave them in the comments. ( )

Although this volume is supposed to be humorous it bored me. I love Margaret Atwood but this is not her best. ( )

This is Atwood at her best, reflective, with a touch of acerbic humour, and a little cynical in places. Not actually stories, more like ideas, vignettes, all of them clever and thought-provoking. As expected some sparkled, some merely glowed but there are no duds. It's a slim book yet not to be read in one or two sessions, but rather to be dipped into and savoured in individual bites. I started noting favourites but the list got too long. These were at the top of the list: Encouraging the Young; Gateway; Our Cat Enters Heaven; Chicken Little Goes Too Far; and best of all, The Tent. ( )

Some very interesting and lovely mini-essays, and some a little tedious, even at their small size. A nice break and worth the time. ( )