Atwood April 2015

Yes, it's that time of year already. This will be the 3rd (or is this the 4th?) annual Maggiefest. Hard to believe, that 4 short years ago, I had not read Atwood. The Handmaid's Tale changed all that. Now, I have read 8 and looking forward to adding more.

^And she always has the coolest covers! Has anyone read her poetry?

My library has a Kindle version of The Door which is a book of her poetry. I might take a look.

I think I'm going to read Cat's Eye this month.

Hi Mark, thanks for setting this up!!

I've changed my mind. Maybe. I'm considering The Blind Assassin or Alias Grace.

>4 lindapanzo: - Alias Grace is really good, Linda. It was my first Atwood, and I read it when I was a teenager. Excellent historical fiction, and, I think, a lot more accessible than some of her other stuff.

I will be reading Stone Mattress: Nine Tales and possibly a second...we will see. Busy month.

>3 katiekrug: I liked Cat's Eye but it was not my favorite. I hope you enjoy it more.

>4 lindapanzo: I liked The Blind Assassin but I think Alias Grace would be a better fit.

I have Alias Grace and The Blind Assassin. I'm not sure which one I will read. I have only read The Handmaid's Tale before.

>2 msf59: I've read Morning in the Burned House and this book of poems is one of my favorites.

Karen O.

Also planning on The Stone Mattress. I wish I had time to also re-read Alias Grace. I really liked that one when I read it before.

ETA: Great pic of a young Margaret Atwood for the topper!

I remember many years ago I read The Robber Bride. It was so good, I immediately went right back to page 1 and read it again. My first Atwood was back in the 1970s when I read Surfacing. I have a few early ones I haven't read, which I may pick up this month--either The Edible Woman, Bodily Harm or Lady Oracle. Any collection of her short stories are always good, too.

Not sure what I'll be reading - I have read Oryx and Crake, The Handmaid's Tale, and Stone Mattress. I liked all of them.

Mark, the Atwood photo up there scared me a bit - I was expecting the smiling older version of her, and so it surprised me. There might have been spillage. Anyway, thanks for setting this up.

>11 Crazymamie: I like to keep folks on their toes, Mamie! Sorry, about the spillage.

The Year of the Flood! The Year of the Flood!

If I can get my hands on a copy of The Penelopiad, I may join Atwood April this year. I've read Alias Grace and Negotiating With the Dead. I'm not a fan of dystopian tales, most of the time, but Atwood's writing is so amazing I will probably eventually give one of those a try as well.

I've requested Stone Mattress through ILL. I haven't read any of her short stories, so this will be new.

I've read three of her books of poetry. I agree with Karen >8 klobrien2: that Morning in the Burned House is wonderful. I've also read The Window which was good, but I didn't like as much as MITBH and The Journals of Susanna Moodie, which is Atwood's poetic retelling of Roughing It In the Bush.

A friend gave me Selected Poems: 1965-1975 for my birthday last year and I've been working through it very slowing. I'll aim to finish it up this month. I'm not sure what novel I'll pick up.....

I don't know if I will be able to join this year. I had planned on reading Alias Grace but my reading time is not my own. It is owned by the two university courses I am taking this spring and since it is close to the end of the semester I am having to really buckle down and read for the courses.

I have read several of Atwood's books and Blind Assassin remains my favorite. I simply loved that book. Cat's Eye is another one that has stayed with me, but not as much as Blind Assassin. The worst book I read by her is Oryx and Crake. Simply did not like that one.

If anyone is interested in one of her earlier novels, I thought Lady Oracle was great fun. Very layered with issues of gender and identity. I know I didn't "get" everyting, but I enjoyed it a lot, and it's laugh-out-loud funny in parts.

I'm in for Cat's eye this month :) I've loved everything I've read of hers, but my favourite is still The Handmaid's Tale. Closely followed by Alias Grace.

I should have read A LOT more Atwood by now, considering I started reading her at 18 and promised myself I'd read everything she wrote back then. So far I've read The Robber Bride (loved it, want to reread it), The Handmaid's Tale (3 times, one of my all-time favourites), The Blind Assassin (twice), Alias Grace, her Positron: Episodes 1-3 and Stone Mattress. Maybe if I didn't keep rereading her books I'd make more headway...

On the tbr: Cat's Eye, Lady Oracle and The Edible Woman have been there as far back as I can remember. Then, The Penelopiad and finally, the MaddAddam Trilogy.

I'll be starting with Oryx and Crake this month. I was finally able to get my hands on an unabridged audio version narrated by Campbell Scott recently. If I can fit in anything else from the tbr, that'll be a fine bonus.

I'm undecided between Oryx and Crake and The Penelopiad, but probably leaning towards the latter since I'm hesitant to start another series...
I read and loved The Handmaid's Tale.

The Blind Assassin will advance my personal Booker winner challenge so I think I'll try to get to that one this month.

I just started The Stone Mattress and LOVE it so far. It seems like the short stories are interconnected.

THanks, Mark, for Atwood April.

Glad you are enjoying it, Rhonda. I plan on starting it, as soon as I finish Epitaph.

I've just ordered an Atwood children's book, so I may actually - and sort of accidentally - participate here. Ha!

About a third of the way thru The Handmaid's Tale, thoroughly enjoying it.

I'm over half way through The Penelopiad and it's a treasure. Penelope and her maids speak from the Underworld...the tone is so absolutely perfect.

Finished Handmaid on the plane home. Loved it. Very interestingly scary book (somethings were potentially all too real). More later...

I've been reading and listening to The Year of the Flood. At this point all I can say is it's different and sometimes funny.

>27 mahsdad: I am so glad you loved The Handmaid's Tale, Jeff. It was also my first, remains my favorite and earned a hefty 5 stars. Now, you should read Oryx and Crake. LOL.

>28 Carmenere: Did you read Oryx and Crake first, Lynda? Inquiring minds.

I finished The Stone Mattress. It was awesome! Twisted and funny; lots of takes on gender roles and intimacy. All of the stories are about aging, which is nice, refreshing. Definitely recommended.

>30 banjo123: That is great news, Rhonda. It is up next for me. Swoons...

I finished and gave Atwood's Penelopiad 4 stars. The book is funnier than I would have expected. Penelope is a hoot. I don't think Atwood can disappoint with her lyrical writing and her ability to create characters that defy stereotypes. A fun and short read. My full review can be found here.

I just finished Stone Mattress. Wow. Whenever you try to categorize Atwood's writing she pops out somewhere else. I thought it was an amazing collection.

I found the last story, "Torching the Dusties" absolutely chilling. But then, my mom lives in an independent living apartment. I won't be forgetting this one very quickly

On the back of the book, there is a quote from a review by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Piercingly intelligent and piquantly witty, highly imaginative and unfailingly compassionate, she is a spoonful-of-sugar storyteller, concealing the strong and necessary medicine of her stinging social commentary with the balm o dazzlingly complicated and compelling characters and intricate and involving predicaments."

Yup.

>33 streamsong: Agree with you on "Torching the Dusties."

Loving all the goodness about Stone mattress will get to it myself but maybe not this month .......

Just finished The Robber Bride. Really enjoyed it, although it took me a while to get through. It had something akin to Cat's eye, but even darker.

I might give Stone Mattress a go before the month is out. I see on Amazon that she has a new work published in September. It's called The Heart Goes Last. I think it's her Positron series collected in one volume. Can't wait.

How timely, Thug Notes gives us their weird wonderful take on The Handmaid's Tale. Pretty cool, check it out...

https://youtu.be/01VOISj8Fq0

>37 mahsdad: Ha! I'll have to watch more of his reviews.

#38
you and me both. I would go to Audible and get the free book, but then they would have my name and e-mail and I would get bombed by the demands for my money. But I liked the review.

Wow. I had no idea that there was a new Atwood in the pipeline. I'm looking forward to that now!
I've read almost all of her work but still have to read Stone Mattress, Bluebeard's Egg and Wilderness Tips.

I just finished Cat's Eye and loved this reread. Almost counts as a first-time read, since I read it so long ago, but the book has stayed with me quite a bit. I've got Stone Mattress as a library ebook, and plan to have an "Atwood May" as well!

Thanks, Mark, for hosting Atwood April.

Karen O.

You are welcome, Karen.

Sadly, I only got to one Atwood this month. Very Bad Mark. I will try to read at least one more, sometime this year, but don't hold me to it.