Moral Disorder and Other Stories by Margaret Atwood

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was my first Atwood, and I already feel I've wasted time by not reading her before. The stories in this book can be read independently, but also add up to complex whole. Mostly they follow the life of a protagonist from childhood to adulthood, while also tracing the lives of her sister, parents, and others. Often the stories hinge on very particular elements, such as a Halloween costume made and worn just as our protagonist is outgrowing Halloween itself, or the life of a horse that she ends up taking care of during a spell as a farm holder along with her partner. Also interesting are the stories that aren't told, but which seem to happen between what is told - effectually suggesting the fullness of life and how hard it is to capture it. All of this is written in an admirably simple, effective, and beautiful prose. I now promise to mend my ways and start going through Atwood's impressive catalogue.



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