A series of short stories, all featuring the same main character, so reading it has the quality of a novel, too.The cover blurb by Ursula K. Le Guin is much better than any review I'd come up with myself, 'Atwood at her slyest and sweetest. There really is nobody like her.' ( )

Enjoyed some more than others, would have liked stronger links between some of the stories. ( )

The Bad News
An older couple go about their morning rituals.

The Art of Cooking and Serving
An eleven-year-old becomes responsible for the care of her expecting mother, then much of the baby's care when it's born.

The Headless Horseman
While driving to visit their ailing mother, two adult sisters reminisce about a Halloween costume the older sister made during their childhood.

My Last Duchess
A high school couple analyze the poem, The Last Duchess, in preparation for a final exam.

The Other Place
A female adult travels from job to job and place to place. Eventually she settles down and marries Tig.

Monopoly
Tig and Oona decide to live in an open-marriage.

Moral Disorder
Tig and Nell move to another farm. They are excited to grow vegetables and raise animals.

White Horse
Nell's friend gives her and Tig a horse. Lizzie (Nell's sister) comes for a visit when she's not feeling very encouraged about life.

The Entities
When they decide to sell the farm and move back to the city, Nell and Tig befriend their real-estate Agent, Lillie.

The Labrador Fiasco
Nell goes to her parents' home for a visit.

The Boys at the Lab
An adult woman is taking care of her 90-year-old, bedridden mother. They reminisce while looking at old pictures.

Being that all these short stories were related, I don't understand why they weren't considered a novel. Adding some dates onto the titles would have made it an easier read, because on occasion I had difficulty figuring out exactly what characters were being portrayed. A new scenario was developed for each story and some of them were interesting, but others I wondered why it was chosen as an important piece to the puzzle. Throughout the book, I did experience a range of enjoyment; however, I didn't find anything spectacular. I did discover that I prefer short stories to be just that - short stories, not chapters in disguise. (3/5)

Originally posted on: "Thoughts of Joy..." ( )

A cycle of stories that move between Toronto and Georgian Bay, youth, adolescence, middle age, old age.

I love Margaret Atwood. I can really only read short stories that she's authored. ( )