If stone mattresss persistent boomer nostalgia might begin to seem a bit much, one of atwoods great gifts is to anticipate potential criticisms and undermine them, and the collections final. Stone mattress, margaret atwoods first collection since moral disorder in 2006, begins with three linked stories about women who have been romantically involved with a middling poet. Metaphorically, that is exactly how stone mattress works each tale, told with atwoods exquisite economy of style, cuts deep vogue realism and ridiculousness, play and deadly seriousness, are held in fine balance throughout. Stone mattress, nine wicked tales by margaret atwood. In fact, the only two things ive read of hers have been the handmaids tale and cats eye years ago. In stone mattress, margaret atwood is at the top of her darkly humorous and seriously playful game. Stone mattress is a short fiction collection by the canadian author margaret atwood, published in 2014. Booktopia has stone mattress, nine wicked tales by margaret atwood. The word comes from the greek stroma, a mattress, coupled with the root word for stone.
Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of nonfiction, nine collections of short fiction, eight childrens books, and two graphic novels, as well as a number of small press editions of both poetry. A stone mattress in the titular tale of this short story collection serves as a painful reminder of past events. With stone mattress, atwood brilliantly returns to her literary roots as a deliciously funny observer of the human comedy. What makes a tale alluring to stone mattress author margaret atwood. Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. Stone mattress, from her collection of the same name is witty, grotesque, and utterly hilariousan exemplar of atwoods tremendous capacity for capturing our darkest impulses on the page. Title details for stone mattress by margaret atwood available. Alphinland, the first of three loosely linked tales, introduces us to a fantasy writer who is guided through a stormy winter evening by the voice of her late husband. An obsession with aging and dying unites much of stone mattress, and atwood, more than 40 books into her career. Stone mattress nine tales margaret atwood 2014 hbwdj signed. Stone mattress ebook by margaret atwood 97803855395. Stone mattress national library board singapore overdrive.
Make offer stone mattress nine tales margaret atwood 2014 hbwdj signed. Margaret atwood is a writer who draws the reader in. Margaret atwoods stone mattress is wise, sharp, timely. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Best of all, they are entirely free to find, use and download, so there is. Margaret atwood, whose work has been published in more than fortyfive countries, is the author of more than fifty books of fiction, poetry, critical essays, and graphic novels. A story kindle single a vintage short kindle edition by atwood, margaret. Verna, aging widow, boards a cruise ship bound for the arctic in search of her next husband. The only other book ive read by her is the canadian classic the handmaids tale, which i. In the beginning of margaret atwoods short story, stone mattress, verna sets out on an arctic cruise after the death of her fourth husband. If youve yet to dip your toe into the world of short stories, you could do a lot worse than starting with either of these collections.
Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. Feeling out of practice and bored, she wonders if she still has her. Stone mattress by margaret atwood the boston globe. Choose among free epub and kindle ebooks, download them or read them online. The bookerwinning author discusses the darkness in stone mattress, nine tales that are her latest offering. Margaret eleanor atwood cc oont ch frsc born november 18, 1939 is a canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, inventor, teacher, and environmental activist. Dark and witty tales from the gleefully inventive margaret atwood witty verve, imaginative inventiveness and verbal sizzle vivify every page peter kemp.
Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. Learn more about stone mattress in the national library board singapore digital collection. Margaret atwoods a handmaids tale appears often on lists of the ten books that have influenced your life. Stone mattress, by margaret atwood in her latest collection, margaret atwood takes on death, dreadfulness and the use of fantasy. Stone mattress is a delight to read engaging, entertaining and wickedly witty. Fun to learn in the endnote that atwood and her husband, graeme gibson, started this story as a way to entertain their fellow passengers on an adventure canada yacht. Even as atwood takes a vacation from publishing a new novel, the effects are pure, simple and stunning. In addition to the handmaids tale, now an awardwinning tv series, h. According to atwood 2011, she hated sex but knew how to use it to revenge against the men she disliked. Though for sheer originality, id recommend stone mattress in a heartbeat stylist.
The book is titled, stone mattress and booker prizewinning author, margaret atwood joins me in the studio. However, my interest was piqued by her new story collection, stone mattress. Stromatolites from the greek stroma mattresslayer and lithos. The revenge theme continues in stone mattress, in which a woman meets her erstwhile date rapist on an alaskan cruise and he doesnt even recognize her. Nine wicked tales kindle edition by margaret atwood. Over the years, many have noted the way her fiction deals with. But beware, the stone mattress will make groupies of old and new readers alike. Reading stone mattress was like gossiping with your super intelligent and insightful confidante. It is also margaret atwoods nickname for fascinating geological formations called stromatolites. Margaret atwood, author of stone mattress her new collection, stone mattress, features characters still shaped by events in their youth.
Stone mattress is a collection of nine short tales containing, as atwoods opening words hint, a delicious myriad of flawed characters. Nine wicked tales is a collection of nine short stories by margaret atwood. What makes a tale alluring to stone mattress author. Short stories, fiction, cultural, canada, fantasy, literary fiction, adult fiction, literature, contemporary, adult, anthologies. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading stone mattress. Buy the paperback book stone mattress by margaret atwood at indigo. An obsession with aging and dying unites much of stone mattress, and atwood, more than 40 books into her career, has arrived here preoccupied not just with the churn of generations but also with legacy and reputation, with getting straight the story of ones lifethe tale about the taleand with surviving what happens once no one is paying. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. Fans of margaret atwood will certainly delight in this collection. Atwood describes the pieces in the collection as tales rather than short stories, as they draw from the mythical and fantastical aspects associated with fables. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. Nine tales by atwood, margaret from amazons fiction books store. Similar to how she wrote about bees in the year of the flood, atwood took stone mattress from a scientific term for a really old fossilized creature and wove an intriguing story about high school acquaintances and their meeting again.
That much is clear from the outset of stone mattress, her first collection for eight years. Nine tales, so i decided to remedy my long atwood drought. Praise for stone mattress dark and witty tales from the gleefully inventive margaret atwood. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Margaret atwood does not so much write short stories as tell tales. I was recently lucky enough to get my hands on margaret atwoods newest collection of short stories, stone mattress. It has been a long, long while since ive read anything by margaret atwood. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read stone mattress. Nine wicked tales ebook written by margaret atwood. Stone mattress book by margaret atwood thriftbooks. Nine wicked tales kindle edition by atwood, margaret.
Witty verve, imaginative inventiveness and verbal sizzle vivify every page sunday times. Read stone mattress nine wicked tales by margaret atwood available from rakuten kobo. The new yorker though it does deal with old age, memories of youth, latelife fame and faded glories, stone mattress is charged with a delightful cheekiness, as well as a full awareness of the subjectivity of notions of justice and value. The stories nearly all occur in the contemporary world, and all have many themes in common with one another, including aging, death, horror, the past, and the duality of fantasy and reality. Im ashamed to say i havent read very many margaret atwood books embarrassing, i know. From the fantasy land of alphinland to the harsh landscape of the arctic, atwoods engrossing prose leads her readers through a variety of dark scenarios.