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Cut and Thirst
Three women scheme to avenge an old friend in a darkly witty short story about loyalty, ambition, and delicious retribution by Margaret Atwood, the #1 bestselling author of The Handmaid’s Tale.
Myrna, Leonie, and Chrissy meet every Thursday to sample fine cheeses, to reminisce about their former lives as professors, and lately, to muse about murder. Decades ago, a vicious cabal of male poets contrived—quite publicly and successfully—to undermine the writing career, confidence, and health of their dear friend Fern. Now, after Fern has taken a turn for the worse, her three old friends decide that it’s finally time to strike back—in secret, of course, since Fern is far too gentle to approve of a vendetta. All they need is a plan with suitably Shakespearean drama. But as sweet and satisfying as revenge can be, it’s not always so cut and dried.
Myrna, Leonie, and Chrissy meet every Thursday to sample fine cheeses, to reminisce about their former lives as professors, and lately, to muse about murder. Decades ago, a vicious cabal of male poets contrived—quite publicly and successfully—to undermine the writing career, confidence, and health of their dear friend Fern. Now, after Fern has taken a turn for the worse, her three old friends decide that it’s finally time to strike back—in secret, of course, since Fern is far too gentle to approve of a vendetta. All they need is a plan with suitably Shakespearean drama. But as sweet and satisfying as revenge can be, it’s not always so cut and dried.
35 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2024
About the author
Margaret Atwood
355 books83.6k followersMargaret Atwood was born in 1939 in Ottawa and grew up in northern Ontario, Quebec, and Toronto. She received her undergraduate degree from Victoria College at the University of Toronto and her master's degree from Radcliffe College.
Throughout her writing career, Margaret Atwood has received numerous awards and honourary degrees. She is the author of more than thirty-five volumes of poetry, children’s literature, fiction, and non-fiction and is perhaps best known for her novels, which include The Edible Woman (1970), The Handmaid's Tale (1983), The Robber Bride (1994), Alias Grace (1996), and The Blind Assassin, which won the prestigious Booker Prize in 2000. Atwood's dystopic novel, Oryx and Crake, was published in 2003. The Tent (mini-fictions) and Moral Disorder (short stories) both appeared in 2006. Her most recent volume of poetry, The Door, was published in 2007. Her non-fiction book, Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth in the Massey series, appeared in 2008, and her most recent novel, The Year of the Flood, in the autumn of 2009. Ms. Atwood's work has been published in more than forty languages, including Farsi, Japanese, Turkish, Finnish, Korean, Icelandic and Estonian. In 2004 she co-invented the Long Pen TM.
Margaret Atwood currently lives in Toronto with writer Graeme Gibson.
Associations: Margaret Atwood was President of the Writers' Union of Canada from May 1981 to May 1982, and was President of International P.E.N., Canadian Centre (English Speaking) from 1984-1986. She and Graeme Gibson are the Joint Honourary Presidents of the Rare Bird Society within BirdLife International. Ms. Atwood is also a current Vice-President of PEN International.
Throughout her writing career, Margaret Atwood has received numerous awards and honourary degrees. She is the author of more than thirty-five volumes of poetry, children’s literature, fiction, and non-fiction and is perhaps best known for her novels, which include The Edible Woman (1970), The Handmaid's Tale (1983), The Robber Bride (1994), Alias Grace (1996), and The Blind Assassin, which won the prestigious Booker Prize in 2000. Atwood's dystopic novel, Oryx and Crake, was published in 2003. The Tent (mini-fictions) and Moral Disorder (short stories) both appeared in 2006. Her most recent volume of poetry, The Door, was published in 2007. Her non-fiction book, Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth in the Massey series, appeared in 2008, and her most recent novel, The Year of the Flood, in the autumn of 2009. Ms. Atwood's work has been published in more than forty languages, including Farsi, Japanese, Turkish, Finnish, Korean, Icelandic and Estonian. In 2004 she co-invented the Long Pen TM.
Margaret Atwood currently lives in Toronto with writer Graeme Gibson.
Associations: Margaret Atwood was President of the Writers' Union of Canada from May 1981 to May 1982, and was President of International P.E.N., Canadian Centre (English Speaking) from 1984-1986. She and Graeme Gibson are the Joint Honourary Presidents of the Rare Bird Society within BirdLife International. Ms. Atwood is also a current Vice-President of PEN International.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,686 reviews
April 9, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this short story featuring three retired professors who meet weekly to reminisce about their lives and careers over cheese and their beverage of choice. Their discussions turn to the topic of one of their common friends, Fern, a writer who was targeted in a coordinated effort instigated by a fellow writer to ruin her literary career years ago. The friends believe that this incident created a situation that exacerbated her declining health. We follow them as they go about devising a plan to avenge their friend (who is unaware of their intentions). As they weigh their options with meticulous precision, it soon becomes evident that framing and executing a foolproof plan might prove to be a tad more complicated than they had anticipated.
Touching upon themes of aging, friendship, loyalty, revenge and professional jealousy Cut and Thirst by Margaret Atwood, is a quick entertaining read. I loved the banter between the friends (strong Golden Girls vibes!). With sharp dialogue, more than a few laugh-out-loud moments and interesting characters, this short story is perfect if you’re looking for a palate cleanser or just a good laugh in between more serious reading. Don’t overthink this one and just enjoy the ride!
This short story was my Amazon First Reads choice for April 2024.
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph
Touching upon themes of aging, friendship, loyalty, revenge and professional jealousy Cut and Thirst by Margaret Atwood, is a quick entertaining read. I loved the banter between the friends (strong Golden Girls vibes!). With sharp dialogue, more than a few laugh-out-loud moments and interesting characters, this short story is perfect if you’re looking for a palate cleanser or just a good laugh in between more serious reading. Don’t overthink this one and just enjoy the ride!
This short story was my Amazon First Reads choice for April 2024.
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph
May 8, 2024
“'Revenge is a dish best eaten cold,' says Myrna.
'Fern would say it's a dish best not eaten at all,' says Chrissy, a little sadly.”
“Cut and Thirst” is an amusing and clever short story about three old(er) women plotting revenge. Myrna, Leonie, and Chrissy blame a group of men for their friend Fern's declining health and are keen on the idea of some vigilante justice. But who knew it'd be so difficult to come up with the plans to murder nine people without getting caught?
This isn't a particularly deep story, but it's humorous and witty and I kind of loved the characters. I mean, you've got to admire their loyalty to their friend, even if they perhaps take it a bit too far (or do they?). Chrissy's “adventure” is delightful and something I could totally see happening to me … well, provided I ever worked up the nerve to exact revenge on someone in such a manner, anyway.
While this story does end rather abruptly, the lead up to the ending is just about perfect. Their final attempt at revenge against Humphrey is ridiculous in the best possible way. I just wish it had been longer – I'd happily read an entire novel about Myrna, Leonie, Chrissy, and their vengeful hijinks.
My overall rating: 3.85 stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for providing me with a copy of this story to review. Its publication date was May 1, 2024.
'Fern would say it's a dish best not eaten at all,' says Chrissy, a little sadly.”
“Cut and Thirst” is an amusing and clever short story about three old(er) women plotting revenge. Myrna, Leonie, and Chrissy blame a group of men for their friend Fern's declining health and are keen on the idea of some vigilante justice. But who knew it'd be so difficult to come up with the plans to murder nine people without getting caught?
This isn't a particularly deep story, but it's humorous and witty and I kind of loved the characters. I mean, you've got to admire their loyalty to their friend, even if they perhaps take it a bit too far (or do they?). Chrissy's “adventure” is delightful and something I could totally see happening to me … well, provided I ever worked up the nerve to exact revenge on someone in such a manner, anyway.
While this story does end rather abruptly, the lead up to the ending is just about perfect. Their final attempt at revenge against Humphrey is ridiculous in the best possible way. I just wish it had been longer – I'd happily read an entire novel about Myrna, Leonie, Chrissy, and their vengeful hijinks.
My overall rating: 3.85 stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for providing me with a copy of this story to review. Its publication date was May 1, 2024.
April 1, 2024
This was just really odd of a story… I think it could have been better if it didn’t start in such an abrupt and confusing way.
I liked their plan of what they were plotting to do to revenge their friend, I just didn’t really like the way it was written. I actually liked it more at the very end and it got less confusing, but overall this was just an odd little story..
Read for free from Amazon First Reads.
I liked their plan of what they were plotting to do to revenge their friend, I just didn’t really like the way it was written. I actually liked it more at the very end and it got less confusing, but overall this was just an odd little story..
Read for free from Amazon First Reads.
May 17, 2024
Time takes vengeance upon the living in Margaret Atwood’s brief and sardonically satirical story Cut & Thirst, where the best laid plans of revenge amongst a group of friends finds that aging has already undercut their efforts. Witty and whimsical, Atwood weaves a story of low-level academia scandal writ large around an author’s omission from an anthology and the misogynist rebuttal against the woman who edited it, capturing an age-old discussion on gender inequality and the suppression of women’s voices. Told primarily through comical dialogue as the women plot their revenge on behalf of their friend—amidst drinking gin and tonics and eating a lot of cheese—their advancing age continuously overshadows their thoughts and actions. With her signature fiery wit aimed at patriarchy, which lands better than the fairly uncharitable treatment of social justice expressions of the younger generations, Cut & Thirst is a quick but enjoyable story.
‘Once a revenge got wound up and let loose, it had to be seen through to the end. Revenges could be inherited, they could be passed along, and this revenge had been passed along from Fern to the three of them.’
I rather liked the way this reminded me a bit of the set-up to many of Roberto Bolaño’s short stories which usually involve minor poets with a long simmering distaste for each other’s work. Though here we have a man with a more inflated sense of literary value than perhaps warranted being propped up by the ‘poetlings’ in his circle who all happen to be able to use their voice in literary journals to shout over the efforts of women in the field and this man has seen his omission from an anthology as a slight worth ruining a woman’s career over. The aspect of these men ‘denouncing Fern as an encapsulation of everything that was wrong with fiction writing today’ and critiquing her books as ‘vapid’ as a form of revenge certainly strikes a chord even today where men will decry the death of the novel when they usually just mean a woman has written a popular and critically acclaimable work and it reminded me a bit of the frustrating misogyny and racism of the short-lived (and failed) Sad Puppies movement to elbow women—especially women of color—out of sci-fi and awards. So it is easy to root for these friends of Fern as they comically plot their revenge while also starting to realize it will be a dish served so cold that it might already be moldy and forgotten.
‘Their respect for murderers is increasing: not so easy, this murdering business.’
The aspects on aging show Atwood at her best as she is able to blend the topic with humor and sadness all at once. One certainly feels for these characters feeling their bodies failing them or characters with dialogue tinged with ‘constant allusions to her impending mortality,’ and Atwood presents it rather wryly in a way that builds a sense of effective foreshadowing. Yet it is still tragic in a way that feels heartfelt and Atwood grappling with issues she is likely facing amongst her own peers, such as a husband slipping away to Alzheimer's. ‘He asks me what I’ve done with Lonnie,’ Lonnie admits about her husband, ‘sometimes I wonder that myself.’ The sands of time eroding everyone is omnipresent and tragic even in its satirical presentation, and one must reflect on how knowing that our enemies are facing the erosion of time is heartbreaking.
Though with the passage of time one starts to feel some of Atwood’s once-edgy attacks on patriarchy starting to feel a bit out of date as well. Atwood, who has been criticized in recent years for her own criticisms of modern social movements or being labeled as enacting passive transphobia, takes a few shots at youth culture that is likely to raise more than a few eyebrows. While it can be seen as aging, privileged characters perspectives and perhaps not Atwood’s own opinions, there are frequent jabs at ideas like women having traditionally masculine hobbies or a character saying they can’t teach anymore because students will only read books with ‘everyone behaving perfectly all the time’ that feels a bit uncharitable even if intended as satire.
While yes there is push back against behaviors being presented in books, there is also the knowledge that representation does not equate condoning and this seems to paint Millennials and Gen Z as lacking the media literacy to handle that which just…doesn’t really help the conversation on pushing back against the misogyny or racism that have long been normalized in the arts. It sort of reeks of tone policing and as the vast majority of book challenges are attempting to remove LGBTQ+, Black, or stories about processing and dealing with sexual violence, so trying to "both sides" the issue feels disingenuous. Yes it’s satire and yes social media lacks nuance and leads to weird pile-ons but it just felt like unnecessary punching down and scolding at youth. 'You’re merely getting less young,’ a character thinks late in the story, ‘why shouldn’t things change?’ The line is directed towards the changing of seasons and time eroding the landscape of the past, but it can also be true of the ways people argue for social equity.
That aside, Cut & Thirst feels like classic Atwood and is a reminder that she can be just as charming and engaging in short form as she is with novels. A quick read that will probably leave some readers wanting, but one that hits some high notes on topics of aging.
2.5/5
‘Once a revenge got wound up and let loose, it had to be seen through to the end. Revenges could be inherited, they could be passed along, and this revenge had been passed along from Fern to the three of them.’
I rather liked the way this reminded me a bit of the set-up to many of Roberto Bolaño’s short stories which usually involve minor poets with a long simmering distaste for each other’s work. Though here we have a man with a more inflated sense of literary value than perhaps warranted being propped up by the ‘poetlings’ in his circle who all happen to be able to use their voice in literary journals to shout over the efforts of women in the field and this man has seen his omission from an anthology as a slight worth ruining a woman’s career over. The aspect of these men ‘denouncing Fern as an encapsulation of everything that was wrong with fiction writing today’ and critiquing her books as ‘vapid’ as a form of revenge certainly strikes a chord even today where men will decry the death of the novel when they usually just mean a woman has written a popular and critically acclaimable work and it reminded me a bit of the frustrating misogyny and racism of the short-lived (and failed) Sad Puppies movement to elbow women—especially women of color—out of sci-fi and awards. So it is easy to root for these friends of Fern as they comically plot their revenge while also starting to realize it will be a dish served so cold that it might already be moldy and forgotten.
‘Their respect for murderers is increasing: not so easy, this murdering business.’
The aspects on aging show Atwood at her best as she is able to blend the topic with humor and sadness all at once. One certainly feels for these characters feeling their bodies failing them or characters with dialogue tinged with ‘constant allusions to her impending mortality,’ and Atwood presents it rather wryly in a way that builds a sense of effective foreshadowing. Yet it is still tragic in a way that feels heartfelt and Atwood grappling with issues she is likely facing amongst her own peers, such as a husband slipping away to Alzheimer's. ‘He asks me what I’ve done with Lonnie,’ Lonnie admits about her husband, ‘sometimes I wonder that myself.’ The sands of time eroding everyone is omnipresent and tragic even in its satirical presentation, and one must reflect on how knowing that our enemies are facing the erosion of time is heartbreaking.
Though with the passage of time one starts to feel some of Atwood’s once-edgy attacks on patriarchy starting to feel a bit out of date as well. Atwood, who has been criticized in recent years for her own criticisms of modern social movements or being labeled as enacting passive transphobia, takes a few shots at youth culture that is likely to raise more than a few eyebrows. While it can be seen as aging, privileged characters perspectives and perhaps not Atwood’s own opinions, there are frequent jabs at ideas like women having traditionally masculine hobbies or a character saying they can’t teach anymore because students will only read books with ‘everyone behaving perfectly all the time’ that feels a bit uncharitable even if intended as satire.
‘It’s an old debate. Should art be good art, or art that’s good for you? Once the question gets raised, next thing you know they are banning books in libraries.’
While yes there is push back against behaviors being presented in books, there is also the knowledge that representation does not equate condoning and this seems to paint Millennials and Gen Z as lacking the media literacy to handle that which just…doesn’t really help the conversation on pushing back against the misogyny or racism that have long been normalized in the arts. It sort of reeks of tone policing and as the vast majority of book challenges are attempting to remove LGBTQ+, Black, or stories about processing and dealing with sexual violence, so trying to "both sides" the issue feels disingenuous. Yes it’s satire and yes social media lacks nuance and leads to weird pile-ons but it just felt like unnecessary punching down and scolding at youth. 'You’re merely getting less young,’ a character thinks late in the story, ‘why shouldn’t things change?’ The line is directed towards the changing of seasons and time eroding the landscape of the past, but it can also be true of the ways people argue for social equity.
That aside, Cut & Thirst feels like classic Atwood and is a reminder that she can be just as charming and engaging in short form as she is with novels. A quick read that will probably leave some readers wanting, but one that hits some high notes on topics of aging.
2.5/5
April 17, 2024
Myrna, Leonie, and Chrissy meet every Thursday to muse about planning a murder that would avenge their dear friend Fern.
Decades ago, a group of male colleagues publicly undermined her confidence, her writing career, and her health and now that she has taken a turn for the worse-the plan seems long overdue!
WHY MUST A SIMPLE MURDER BE SO COMPLICATED?
This 35 page, SHORT story, free for Amazon Prime members in April, didn’t quite resonate with me, but I did highlight one favorite passage…”Karma’s a bitch, except sometimes it gets the wrong address”.
Oops!
Decades ago, a group of male colleagues publicly undermined her confidence, her writing career, and her health and now that she has taken a turn for the worse-the plan seems long overdue!
WHY MUST A SIMPLE MURDER BE SO COMPLICATED?
This 35 page, SHORT story, free for Amazon Prime members in April, didn’t quite resonate with me, but I did highlight one favorite passage…”Karma’s a bitch, except sometimes it gets the wrong address”.
Oops!
April 6, 2024
Clever, witty and funny. Made me chuckle on more than one occasion
Amazon Prime First Read April 2024.
Amazon Prime First Read April 2024.
May 27, 2024
Retribution
What is it about Thursdays that elderly people meet to discuss a murder? In Margaret Atwood’s short story Cut and Thirst, Chrissy, Myrna and Leonie meet weekly to avenge the ridicule and damage caused to their close friend Fern by eight men decades previously. They publicly humiliated Fern and ruined her writing career - revenge is long overdue
Cut and Thirst is a short story, free for Amazon Prime members in April, and I would have difficulty recommending it. The good news is that it is only 35 pages if it’s not your cup of tea.
What is it about Thursdays that elderly people meet to discuss a murder? In Margaret Atwood’s short story Cut and Thirst, Chrissy, Myrna and Leonie meet weekly to avenge the ridicule and damage caused to their close friend Fern by eight men decades previously. They publicly humiliated Fern and ruined her writing career - revenge is long overdue
“Are we going to murder them one-on-one, or all of us together, like the cauldron scene in Macbeth?”The freedom older people have in creating a unique perspective is fascinating, and parts of the story are funny. The story, however, never pursued any great threads, and in the end, the story just fizzled out.
Cut and Thirst is a short story, free for Amazon Prime members in April, and I would have difficulty recommending it. The good news is that it is only 35 pages if it’s not your cup of tea.
May 1, 2024
{Good}
Mindspinning and humourous. 3 old ladies plotting revenge talking so much it felt like a ping pong game. Odd little story but still enjoyable.
Mindspinning and humourous. 3 old ladies plotting revenge talking so much it felt like a ping pong game. Odd little story but still enjoyable.
September 14, 2024
One sit read and a great change of pace when I’m trying to break up my longer novels.
The story itself was ok, I was hoping for Thursday Murder Club vibes by Richard Osman. I throughly enjoyed all 4 of the novels in that series! This wasn’t what I expected in that sense, and it may have been a bigger let down because I read the other series first and it was so well done.
It can be a little difficult sometimes to pull a whole story together to feel complete when it’s so short, but I’ve read many that have gotten the job done. This short story left me feeling disconnected from the characters and I never was able to really get into the story unfortunately.
It was a ok filler, but beyond that, I would rather read something else of this authors!
The story itself was ok, I was hoping for Thursday Murder Club vibes by Richard Osman. I throughly enjoyed all 4 of the novels in that series! This wasn’t what I expected in that sense, and it may have been a bigger let down because I read the other series first and it was so well done.
It can be a little difficult sometimes to pull a whole story together to feel complete when it’s so short, but I’ve read many that have gotten the job done. This short story left me feeling disconnected from the characters and I never was able to really get into the story unfortunately.
It was a ok filler, but beyond that, I would rather read something else of this authors!
May 1, 2024
2.8 "ummm well....ummm well" stars !!
Thanx to Netgalley, the author and Amazon Original Stories for an ecopy. This is released today May 1st 2024. I am providing an honest review.
Well written. A bit funny. Old privileged white ladies planning revenge on some old white privileged men (mostly white anyway). A mildly pleasant diversion with a fair bit of eye rolling. I was grateful that it was so short so I can't quite rate it a full three....
Far from the best of Maggie but also far from her worst....
Thanx to Netgalley, the author and Amazon Original Stories for an ecopy. This is released today May 1st 2024. I am providing an honest review.
Well written. A bit funny. Old privileged white ladies planning revenge on some old white privileged men (mostly white anyway). A mildly pleasant diversion with a fair bit of eye rolling. I was grateful that it was so short so I can't quite rate it a full three....
Far from the best of Maggie but also far from her worst....
May 11, 2024
A short story written in this author's usual beautiful style and well worth reading even though it ends rather weakly.
The story tells of three retired women professors planning revenge on behalf of a friend who is far too nice to do such a thing herself. Many years earlier a group of men worked together to attack Fern's published work and now her friends believe it is payback time. Strangely enough it appears that Fern has had the last laugh anyway.
Clever and entertaining. Four stars.
Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Originals for the opportunity to read and review this book
The story tells of three retired women professors planning revenge on behalf of a friend who is far too nice to do such a thing herself. Many years earlier a group of men worked together to attack Fern's published work and now her friends believe it is payback time. Strangely enough it appears that Fern has had the last laugh anyway.
Clever and entertaining. Four stars.
Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Originals for the opportunity to read and review this book
May 10, 2024
3 stars, pretty "meh" - I think perhaps this one suffered from the format & might have been better if it was a little longer & more fleshed out???
May 25, 2024
3.5
Dark and witty
Karma’s a bitch, except sometimes it gets the wrong address.
In this short story, three respectable elderly women plan to murder nine has-been writers as an act of vengeance.
Once a revenge got wound up and let loose, it had to be seen through to the end. Revenges could be inherited, they could be passed along...
Dark and witty
Karma’s a bitch, except sometimes it gets the wrong address.
In this short story, three respectable elderly women plan to murder nine has-been writers as an act of vengeance.
Once a revenge got wound up and let loose, it had to be seen through to the end. Revenges could be inherited, they could be passed along...
April 1, 2024
This was a DNF and it’s only 35 pages long
September 7, 2024
“I really enjoyed that fight! The cut and thirst!”
“Cut and thirst?” says Myrna.
“I like that,” says Leonie. “First you murder someone and then you need a drink. I’m having another, join me?”
“Just half,” says Chrissy. “I meant cut and thrust. Of course.”
A sharp quick tale on a quest for vengeance planned by these ladies for their friend Fern, the story turns out to be less vindictive at the end, but hey, turns out Karma is on their side!
I enjoyed the easy camaraderie between the characters, surely coming from long familiarity and loyalty. I would have liked a longer story, but can't complain with how much Margaret Atwood fits in just 35 pages. A definite recommendation to fans of Atwood or those on the lookout for a witty ironic short story!
🌟🌟🌟🌟
[One star for the premise and the whole book; One star for the characters; One star for the writing; Half a star for the story arc; Half a star for the world-building - Four stars in total.]
“Cut and thirst?” says Myrna.
“I like that,” says Leonie. “First you murder someone and then you need a drink. I’m having another, join me?”
“Just half,” says Chrissy. “I meant cut and thrust. Of course.”
A sharp quick tale on a quest for vengeance planned by these ladies for their friend Fern, the story turns out to be less vindictive at the end, but hey, turns out Karma is on their side!
I enjoyed the easy camaraderie between the characters, surely coming from long familiarity and loyalty. I would have liked a longer story, but can't complain with how much Margaret Atwood fits in just 35 pages. A definite recommendation to fans of Atwood or those on the lookout for a witty ironic short story!
🌟🌟🌟🌟
[One star for the premise and the whole book; One star for the characters; One star for the writing; Half a star for the story arc; Half a star for the world-building - Four stars in total.]
April 12, 2024
Cut and Thirst is a dialogue-heavy, short, story, which in parts is cleverly written and witty. It just somehow felt as though it was a bit of a slog, even though it was only 34 pages long. It’s one of those stories that will either click with you or it won’t.
It follows a group of three women - Myrna, Leonie, and Chrissy, who meet every Thursday to swap stories about their old lives as professors. And as of late, to muse about murder. A viciously nasty group of male poets undermined the writing, career, confidence, and now health, of their dear friend, Fern. So they are plotting revenge on her behalf as Fern is far too gentle and has also taken a turn for the worst with her health.
Cut and Thirst does feel as though you can plainly tell this is written by an older, jaded(?), writer. Not necessarily a bad thing but I’m certain I wouldn’t agree with some of Margaret Atwood’s views. Even though the writing here is solid, with tinges of Shakespearean drama.
This was one of the April picks for Amazon First Reads. 3 stars
It follows a group of three women - Myrna, Leonie, and Chrissy, who meet every Thursday to swap stories about their old lives as professors. And as of late, to muse about murder. A viciously nasty group of male poets undermined the writing, career, confidence, and now health, of their dear friend, Fern. So they are plotting revenge on her behalf as Fern is far too gentle and has also taken a turn for the worst with her health.
Cut and Thirst does feel as though you can plainly tell this is written by an older, jaded(?), writer. Not necessarily a bad thing but I’m certain I wouldn’t agree with some of Margaret Atwood’s views. Even though the writing here is solid, with tinges of Shakespearean drama.
This was one of the April picks for Amazon First Reads. 3 stars
September 13, 2024
Fun short story of a group of old friends who try to take revenge, but who are superseded in their plans by the passage of time. The adventure one of them undertakes, involving spiked brownies, is hilarious.
But a lifetime of playing a blonde has taken its toll
There is no one who does witches like Margaret Atwood, even if here the old ladies who decide on murder are just over enthusiastic. The treacherous tendencies of men are awakened when women are succeeding, but in the end the passage of time acts most as a karmic equalizer.
This is no Hag-Seed but still the dry narration and brownies gone wrong made Cut and Thirst enjoyable enough.
But a lifetime of playing a blonde has taken its toll
There is no one who does witches like Margaret Atwood, even if here the old ladies who decide on murder are just over enthusiastic. The treacherous tendencies of men are awakened when women are succeeding, but in the end the passage of time acts most as a karmic equalizer.
This is no Hag-Seed but still the dry narration and brownies gone wrong made Cut and Thirst enjoyable enough.
May 18, 2024
“Cut & Thirst”, a short story by Margaret Atwood (an Amazon Original Story)
This is a short story of about 35 pages.
A copy was available from Kindle (at no additional cost for Prime subscribers), so I decided to download a copy, after all it’s by a renowned writer.
Well, it took me longer than expected to finish reading. Which should have been a one sitting session it took me 4 attempts. Still I wasn’t hooked on the writing and story, so I purchased the audiobook for $1.79 (it was on sale).
The audiobook was very pleasant and help me finish the book (I read and listened at the same time), but the whole thing was an underwhelming experience.
It failed to entertain me.
This is a short story of about 35 pages.
A copy was available from Kindle (at no additional cost for Prime subscribers), so I decided to download a copy, after all it’s by a renowned writer.
Well, it took me longer than expected to finish reading. Which should have been a one sitting session it took me 4 attempts. Still I wasn’t hooked on the writing and story, so I purchased the audiobook for $1.79 (it was on sale).
The audiobook was very pleasant and help me finish the book (I read and listened at the same time), but the whole thing was an underwhelming experience.
It failed to entertain me.
April 1, 2024
This story starts with dialogue of multiple characters, but with little to no context. I was immediately confused. I never have to read a synopsis to understand a book before reading, books usually introduce the story to the reader, but this was not the case. I understand this is just a short story, but I just needed a minor breakdown of what is going on really, or maybe I just didn’t read this right. I enjoyed the personality of the narrator and characters, but with the first 10 pages filled with dialogue and banter, it was too confusing.
I rate this short story 2 stars solely for its confusion, because I like the authors writing and I feel like with better context I could enjoy this story. Even though I rated fairly low, this still encourages me to read The Handmaid’s Tale because I do enjoy the authors writing.
I rate this short story 2 stars solely for its confusion, because I like the authors writing and I feel like with better context I could enjoy this story. Even though I rated fairly low, this still encourages me to read The Handmaid’s Tale because I do enjoy the authors writing.
August 14, 2024
"No wonder people were afraid of old women, back in the witch-barbecue days," says Myrna. "The've spent a lifetime of festering." Pg. 9
These ladies are the ultimate girl's girls! Such a fun and quick read, I enjoy everything by Attwood ❤️
July 29, 2024
Yeah, this is Atwood and it's a short story so how could I not read it? But I didn't love it. I could have, were it longer.
It's a revenge tale and basically the whole problem for me was that it was simply to short. The plot was riveting but because it was only a short story, everything flew by. Certain things were not lingered on and other things that I didn't care about WERE.
It was to the point where my E Reader showed I only had 20 percent left and I knew that it had to wrap up quickly and it did but not in a satisfactory way.
She is SUCH a great writer. I wanted this SO SO MUCH to be a full length novel. I really did. Instead it was so teeny-tiny short that it was almost bewildering. To great a plot to finish so quickly.
It's a revenge tale and basically the whole problem for me was that it was simply to short. The plot was riveting but because it was only a short story, everything flew by. Certain things were not lingered on and other things that I didn't care about WERE.
It was to the point where my E Reader showed I only had 20 percent left and I knew that it had to wrap up quickly and it did but not in a satisfactory way.
She is SUCH a great writer. I wanted this SO SO MUCH to be a full length novel. I really did. Instead it was so teeny-tiny short that it was almost bewildering. To great a plot to finish so quickly.
May 18, 2024
35 pages too long.
April 5, 2024
At only 30 pages of actual text, CUT AND THIRST is an extremely tiny tale by Margaret Atwood. It’s also incredibly well done.
Writing good, short form fiction is a difficult task. Atwood’s last offering was underwhelming, IMHO. When I saw another short story being offered free to Prime members, I wasn’t sure if it was worth the time but I’m happy to say it was 15 minutes well spent. Actually, I enjoyed the story so much, I reread it immediately!
Most of the negative reviews I perused have complained about the book starting with a dialogue between unidentified characters. Hey - the story is 30 pages long. Put in a little effort and pay attention. There are only three women; it’s not that hard!
The three women are long time, seasoned, professor friends who are trying to attain justice for a fourth friend that was wronged by group of male poets. She is failing rapidly and they are seeking revenge with erudite, yet comedic, descriptive determination: “no sooner had she more or less recovered from one Humph-instigated salvo of verbal offal then along would come another, and all of this described as thoughtful literary criticism.”
I’ve been laughing about that ‘salvo of verbal offal’ for the last 24 hours! THIS is how authors should use their voice to comment. Bravo📚
Writing good, short form fiction is a difficult task. Atwood’s last offering was underwhelming, IMHO. When I saw another short story being offered free to Prime members, I wasn’t sure if it was worth the time but I’m happy to say it was 15 minutes well spent. Actually, I enjoyed the story so much, I reread it immediately!
Most of the negative reviews I perused have complained about the book starting with a dialogue between unidentified characters. Hey - the story is 30 pages long. Put in a little effort and pay attention. There are only three women; it’s not that hard!
The three women are long time, seasoned, professor friends who are trying to attain justice for a fourth friend that was wronged by group of male poets. She is failing rapidly and they are seeking revenge with erudite, yet comedic, descriptive determination: “no sooner had she more or less recovered from one Humph-instigated salvo of verbal offal then along would come another, and all of this described as thoughtful literary criticism.”
I’ve been laughing about that ‘salvo of verbal offal’ for the last 24 hours! THIS is how authors should use their voice to comment. Bravo📚
April 3, 2024
G & Ts & Revenge Plots
Review of the Amazon First Reads Kindle eBook edition (April 1, 2024), released in advance of the official publication by Amazon Original Stories in eBook format & by Audible Originals in audio format (May 1, 2024)
I've found the secret to choosing from the Amazon First Reads selection of ARCs each month. Look for the veteran author who has a proven track record. I previously enjoyed Atwood's My Evil Mother which premiered as an Amazon Original Story back in 2022. It was later collected in Old Babes in the Wood: Stories (2023). So I snapped up Cut & Thirst immediately.
This new story has a trio of female academia retirees who meet weekly over drinks and cheese & crackers. They begin to formulate a revenge plot against a group of men who demeaned their writer friend Fern decades ago, which wounded, but did not end her career. Perhaps due to the level of alcohol intake, they decide it is time for pay back, whether through actual murders, planned accidents or just plain annoyance.
This was an enjoyable light read with somewhat of a twist towards the end. I do have a bias here as the story is set in my home town of Toronto with various locations and streets being mentioned.
Trivia and Links
Nancy's Cheese, which is mentioned in the story, is an actual cheese shop in Toronto, Canada and its website is here.
Amazon Prime First Reads advance reading copies (ARCs) are available to Amazon Prime subscribers. They offer advance reads of books in Kindle eBook format one month before the date of official release. The current month's selection is available here (Link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
Review of the Amazon First Reads Kindle eBook edition (April 1, 2024), released in advance of the official publication by Amazon Original Stories in eBook format & by Audible Originals in audio format (May 1, 2024)
They’re eating olives, and thin crackers made out of pecans, with a new kind of cheese—bright orange, and really yummy—that Leonie sourced at Nancy’s Cheese Shop. Nancy is always reliable, in their opinion. If you say, “Not too bland, but not too smelly,” she knows what you mean. If only you could preselect your social acquaintances that way, thinks Myrna.
I've found the secret to choosing from the Amazon First Reads selection of ARCs each month. Look for the veteran author who has a proven track record. I previously enjoyed Atwood's My Evil Mother which premiered as an Amazon Original Story back in 2022. It was later collected in Old Babes in the Wood: Stories (2023). So I snapped up Cut & Thirst immediately.
This new story has a trio of female academia retirees who meet weekly over drinks and cheese & crackers. They begin to formulate a revenge plot against a group of men who demeaned their writer friend Fern decades ago, which wounded, but did not end her career. Perhaps due to the level of alcohol intake, they decide it is time for pay back, whether through actual murders, planned accidents or just plain annoyance.
This was an enjoyable light read with somewhat of a twist towards the end. I do have a bias here as the story is set in my home town of Toronto with various locations and streets being mentioned.
Trivia and Links
Nancy's Cheese, which is mentioned in the story, is an actual cheese shop in Toronto, Canada and its website is here.
Amazon Prime First Reads advance reading copies (ARCs) are available to Amazon Prime subscribers. They offer advance reads of books in Kindle eBook format one month before the date of official release. The current month's selection is available here (Link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
June 4, 2024
Ehhhhhh……not for me. It needed some more details and a more definite ending.
April 5, 2024
Short stories have to hit the ground running to provide a complete picture. Atwood’s talent for writing dialogue had me grinning and nodding while I read. Yes! My interest was piqued. The characters popped off the page and seemed realistic.
Three former female professors meet weekly to sample delicious cheese, beverages, and plot revenge. Their dear friend found success as a novelist, only to be publicly smeared by jealous male poets. Their friend’s health is now declining, so the ladies decide there’s no time like the present to right this wrong.
The energetic banter was whip-smart. Humor being interspersed with commentary on aging gave the piece a grounded quality. There was a believable atmosphere surrounding the friendship of these intelligent women. The fact that it came across for me in short story form was an unexpected surprise. There wasn’t a single wasted word. Fantastic.
Great short stories prove it doesn’t take a long time to have a good time.
Three former female professors meet weekly to sample delicious cheese, beverages, and plot revenge. Their dear friend found success as a novelist, only to be publicly smeared by jealous male poets. Their friend’s health is now declining, so the ladies decide there’s no time like the present to right this wrong.
The energetic banter was whip-smart. Humor being interspersed with commentary on aging gave the piece a grounded quality. There was a believable atmosphere surrounding the friendship of these intelligent women. The fact that it came across for me in short story form was an unexpected surprise. There wasn’t a single wasted word. Fantastic.
Great short stories prove it doesn’t take a long time to have a good time.
April 19, 2024
"Cut and thurst" or maybe "Cut and thirst"? It doesn't matter for 3 retired college professors ladies who are meeting for a drink and for planning to murder eight or maybe nine their age guys who deserve it. Revenge is served cold, of corse, but in this case, it seems too cold already.
This short story has a charm in it and I enjoyed it.
This short story has a charm in it and I enjoyed it.
May 3, 2024
Three older ladies plan revenge from old history...
And I think
They forgot
Time itself is the biggest revenge...
Chrissy, Myrna and Leonie seek to avenge their dear friend Fern from eight men, or nine...
The story is too short and I can't say much without spoiling it.
What can I say, except likable quick read?
This very much reminds me of Atwood's The Robber Bride, but there is no complaint, I am a very longtime her reader...
Thank you Amazon Original Stories via NetGalley for ARC. I have given my honest review.
And I think
They forgot
Time itself is the biggest revenge...
Chrissy, Myrna and Leonie seek to avenge their dear friend Fern from eight men, or nine...
The story is too short and I can't say much without spoiling it.
What can I say, except likable quick read?
This very much reminds me of Atwood's The Robber Bride, but there is no complaint, I am a very longtime her reader...
Thank you Amazon Original Stories via NetGalley for ARC. I have given my honest review.
April 2, 2024
This book was not for me. It was so boring. I feel awful saying that but it just didn’t hit the mark for me. It was weird and half the time I was confused about what was even happening. Granted, I do enjoy the concept of a bunch of old ladies sitting around eating cheese and plotting murder, but it was just so weird. I wanted to scream every time I read “It was eight men, or was it nine?” I’m sorry but I just did NOT enjoy this. Sure, I could have stopped reading it at any time, but I wanted to give it a chance.
July 3, 2024
I dislike short stories and I often can’t even stand them. But I needed an easy light read today and this came up. Good writing, of course, and fun story. Would be a 2.5, but gave it a 3, because it’s Atwood and I’m biased (drops the mic and leaves the scene).
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