In her first story collection since 2006's Moral Disorder, Margaret Atwood brings readers nine narratives that concentrate on relationships, revenge and the gradual decline of the human body and mind in old age. In classic Atwood style, each piece is full of succinct, descriptive prose that nails an image to a tee. In the opening lines from the first story, "Alphinland," we learn that Constance is old, alone and faced with the prospect of venturing out in an ice storm; Atwood describes the freezing rain as "handfuls of shining rice thrown by some unseen celebrant. Whenever it hits, it crystallizes into a granulated coating of ice. In the streetlight, it looks so beautiful: like fairy silver...." As Constance watches the weather, she resents the high-definition television that shows "the pores, the wrinkles, the nose hairs, the impossibly whitened teeth shoved right up in front of your eyes so you can't ignore them the way you would in real life."
"Alphinland" is connected to the next two stories via a tangled love story among several characters; the remaining tales stand alone. Atwood delves into the intricacies of retaliation for a heinous crime committed in high school in "Stone Mattress" and analyzes the way a windfall can bring out intense jealousy and/or adoration among friends in "The Dead Hand Loves You." In "Torching the Dusties," Atwood heads toward a more futuristic scenario in which the elderly protagonist suffers from Charles Bonnet syndrome and envisions tiny people clambering on the furniture while unknown protestors converge at the gates of the nursing home. Regardless of the setting, in each, Atwood illustrates the kindness or viciousness of human beings.
Although the themes and topics Atwood addresses are not new--alcohol, sex, love, money, fame, drugs, death, obituaries, extramarital affairs and even a possible vampire--as always, her perspective is bright and energetic. Her prose is full of new takes on old sayings; she describes a series of Victorian row houses by clarifying, "That was before those houses turned into restored Heritage Buildings worth an arm and a bladder...." Atwood firmly grasps the human condition in all its ragged, aging splendor and delivers yet another exceptional addition to her already extensive collection of classics to be read and cherished. --Lee E. Cart, freelance writer and book reviewer
Shelf Talker: The numerous layers of the human psyche and the body's physical condition are revealed in definitive Atwood style.