Some great stories. Some not so great stories. A short read worth the short time it requires. ( )

A tiny book of new short pieces by Atwood, published for the 2004 Hay festival (sadly I bought it online and wasn't actually there!). Much more towards the fantastical than the realist end of her oeuvre, the stories read almost like parables or thought experiments. By that I mean she takes an idea (a modern Helen of Troy, for instance) and works it through, then concentrates it down until there's a short, sharp allegory with the immediate emotional punch of a poem. However, even though the subjects come from myth and sci-fi there is a strong thread of satire running through all the stories, even more obvious than the satirical humour in her full-length books.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend it if you're new to Atwood as there are much more meaty starting points (Dancing Girls, Cats Eye or the Robber Bride maybe, but she's written so much you can almost choose based on your personality or current mood), and be warned it is a very, very short book. But whilst it couldn't stand up against her best it's still very much worth reading.