What I’ve Been Reading: Old Babes in the Wood
Old Babes in the Wood: Stories by Margaret Atwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Margaret Atwood is having fun in this collection of short stories. A half dozen involve a long-married couple, Tig and Nell, and the rest include a Grimm’s fairy tale retold by an extraterrestrial, a story of reincarnation from the point of view of a snail, a gin-soaked reunion of old (female) friends, and others. Atwood is a fine writer, which is gratifyingly evident in the first few sentences of the first story. (I’ve been reading too many not-so-fine writers lately; Atwood was like settling into a first-class seat on the 20th Century limited after traveling miles on potholed roads).
The last of the Nell and Tig stories follow Nell’s grieving after Tig’s death. She is one of the few writers who can write about feelings without becoming sentimental. Highly recommend.
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Allyson Johnson 