Margaret Eleanor Atwood

Dancing Girls and Other Stories

Margaret Atwood

Students and journalists, farmers and birdwatchers, ex-wives, adolescent lovers - and dancing girls. All ordinary people - or are they? In this splendid collection of short stories, Margaret Atwood maps the human motivation we scarcely know we have in a startlingly original voice, full of rare intensity and exceptional intelligence. With brilliant flashes of fantasy, humour and unexpected violence, these stories reveal the complexities of human relationships and bring to life characters who evoke laughter, compassion, terror and recognition and dramatically demonstrate why Atwood is one of the most important writers in English today.

Erin 

The War in the Bathroom: 4 stars - I originally had this as three stars, but I'm still thinking about it months later, so an upped rating it gets.
The Man From Mars: 3 stars - This one made me uncomfortable and can't pinpoint why
Polarities: 2.5 stars
Under Glass: 2 stars - I wrote that I will be forgetting this one and wouldn't you know, I was right.
The Grave of the Famous Poet: 4 stars
Hair Jewellery: 3.5 stars
When it Happens: 4 stars
A Travel Piece: 4 stars
The Resplendent Quetzal: 3 stars
Training: 4.5 stars - A shame I can't remember this one, but clearly I liked it.
The Lives of Poets: 3.5 stars
Dancing Girls: 4.5 stars
Giving Birth: 3 stars

This was my first Margaret Atwood book, and it is a bit of a shame that I haven't read anything else of hers, but here we are. I liked her writing a lot, and it's clear why she has such a long and illustrious career. It's totally deserving. Her writing felt eerily familiar, much like a lot of the Canadian writers that I've found myself picking up lately. That being said, this wasn't my favourite collection, and I can tell that it's not one of her stronger books. Which only means there's so much more to look forward to, and for that I am very excited.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Handmaid's Tale This splendid volume of short fiction testifies to Margaret Atwood's bracing honesty and startlingly original voice. In her hands, ordinary people--farmers, birdwatchers, adolescent lovers, elderly neighbors, pregnant women--are anything but ordinary. A poet waylaid by an epic nosebleed; an awkward student trailed by an obtuse stalker; a jaded travel writer stranded on a life raft, finally facing a situation she can't trivialize: these characters touch us deeply, evoking laughter, terror, and compassion. Punctuated by brilliant flashes of fantasy, humor, and occasional violence, Dancing Girls pays tribute to the sheer variety and complexity of human relationships.

shelby mosel

Kelly Cotton

Kathy Rodger 

From the international bestselling author of The Handmaid's Tale, Dancing Girls and Other Stories showcases Margaret Atwood's masterly skill for storytelling. Students, journalists, farmers, birdwatchers, ex-wives, adolescent lovers - and dancing girls. All ordinary people. Or are they? In brilliant flashes of fantasy, humour and unexpected violence, Margaret Atwood reveals the complexities of human relationships and maps the motivations we scarcely know we have within us. Populated with characters who evoke laughter, compassion, terror and recognition, Atwood’s stories show why she remains one of our greatest, most original storytellers. 'A remarkable collection' Sunday Times

Dancing Girls and Other Stories

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