Title: Stone Mattress
Author: Margaret Atwood
First published August 28, 2014
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Rating: 3.89
Overview
Margaret Atwood’s Stone Mattress is a remarkable collection of nine stories, each one bursting with the author’s trademark wit and sharp insight into human nature. From the surprising twist in “Freeze-Dried Bridegroom” to the eerie encounter in “Lusus Naturae,” Atwood’s stories will keep you captivated until the very end.
Fans of The Robber Bride will relish the return of beloved characters in “I Dream of Zenia with the Bright Red Teeth,” while “Torching the Dusties” is a poignant exploration of aging and the fear of the unknown. And in the titular story, “Stone Mattress,” a long-ago crime in the Arctic is revisited with chilling consequences.
Atwood is at the height of her powers in this thought-provoking and deeply satisfying collection.
About the Author
Margaret Atwood, a renowned author, was born in 1939 in Ottawa and spent her childhood in northern Ontario, Quebec, and Toronto. She attended Victoria College at the University of Toronto for her undergraduate degree and Radcliffe College for her master’s degree.
Throughout her career, Margaret Atwood has received numerous awards and honorary degrees. She has authored over thirty-five volumes of poetry, children’s literature, fiction, and non-fiction.
Margaret Atwood is best known for her novels, including The Edible Woman, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Robber Bride, Alias Grace, and The Blind Assassin, which won the prestigious Booker Prize in 2000. In 2003, Atwood’s dystopic novel Oryx and Crake was published, followed by The Tent (mini-fictions) and Moral Disorder (short stories) in 2006.
Her most recent volume of poetry, The Door, was published in 2007, and her non-fiction book, Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth, in 2008. In the autumn of 2009, she released her most recent novel, The Year of the Flood.
Margaret Atwood’s work has been published in more than forty languages, including Farsi, Japanese, Turkish, Finnish, Korean, Icelandic, and Estonian. Additionally, in 2004 she co-invented the Long Pen TM.
Margaret Atwood currently resides in Toronto with her partner, writer Graeme Gibson. She has held numerous positions of influence throughout her career, including President of the Writers’ Union of Canada and President of International P.E.N., Canadian Centre (English Speaking) from 1984-1986.
She and Graeme Gibson are the Joint Honorary Presidents of the Rare Bird Society within BirdLife International, and she is also a current Vice-President of PEN International.
Editoral Review
Margaret Atwood has created yet another masterpiece with her book, Stone Mattress. Atwood is a well-established Canadian author, known for her works including The Handmaid’s Tale, Alias Grace, and Oryx and Crake.
Stone Mattress was published on August 28th, 2014, and has garnered positive critical acclaim since then. The book is a collection of nine stories, each with their own unique characters, settings, and conflicts.
Atwood explores a range of themes in her work, such as revenge, love, betrayal, and aging, some of which resonate with readers of all ages. The writing style is sharp and witty, and the stories are intricately woven to keep readers hooked throughout.
The first story, Alphinland, follows a retired author named Constance who is dealing with the loss of her husband. Constance is also imagining a fantastical world set in a mythical landscape.
This story is a perfect example of Atwood’s ability to bring together various themes – both real and imaginary – to create a captivating narrative. Another notable story is Lusus Naturae, in which a young girl with an unusual condition is forced to flee her village to protect herself from persecution.
The themes and style of storytelling in Stone Mattress are reminiscent of Atwood’s other works. She brings the same level of detail, nuance, and depth to her characters, immersing readers into their world.
With each story, Atwood manages to captivate the reader, creating a story that is both thrilling and thought-provoking. One of the book’s core strengths is the way in which it ultimately connects each of the stories to create a larger narrative, drawing readers in further.
Atwood has been praised for her skillful character development, which remains a defining feature of Stone Mattress as well. Despite the changing focus of each story, each character is given the same level of attention, and they are all crafted with breathtaking detail.
The pacing is superb, and each narrative is delivered with just the right amount and timing of suspense, leaving readers eagerly anticipating the next turn of events. One downside of the book is that the interconnectedness of the stories may sometimes feel a little forced.
While they all take place in the same universe, there are times when the connection between them feels a bit tenuous. In conclusion, Stone Mattress is a magnificent collection of stories that showcases Atwood’s exceptional writing skills.
While it may be different in form from her other works, it remains a significant contribution to her oeuvre. The book is recommended for readers who enjoy complex, thought-provoking stories that are masterfully crafted.
Fans of Magic Realism will have a field day with this book, as it is a stunning example of the genre. Stone Mattress earns a rating of 4.2/5, thanks to its excellent character development, pacing, and masterful storytelling.
