Moral Disorder, Margaret Atwood
Moral Disorder, Margaret Atwood
2 Rating(s)
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Moral Disorder

Author: Margaret Atwood

Narrator: Susan Denaker

Unabridged: 7 hr 41 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/19/2006


Synopsis

Atwood triumphs with these dazzling, personal stories in her first collection since Wilderness Tips.

In these ten interrelated stories Atwood traces the course of a life and also the lives intertwined with it, while evoking the drama and the humour that colour common experiences — the birth of a baby, divorce and remarriage, old age and death. With settings ranging from Toronto, northern Quebec, and rural Ontario, the stories begin in the present, as a couple no longer young situate themselves in a larger world no longer safe. Then the narrative goes back in time to the forties and moves chronologically forward toward the present.

In “The Art of Cooking and Serving,” the twelve-year-old narrator does her best to accommodate the arrival of a baby sister. After she boldly declares her independence, we follow the narrator into young adulthood and then through a complex relationship. In “The Entities,” the story of two women haunted by the past unfolds. The magnificent last two stories reveal the heartbreaking old age of parents but circle back again to childhood, to complete the cycle.

By turns funny, lyrical, incisive, tragic, earthy, shocking, and deeply personal, Moral Disorder displays Atwood’s celebrated storytelling gifts and unmistakable style to their best advantage. This is vintage Atwood, writing at the height of her powers.

About Margaret Atwood

It seems as though some people carry out their interests in many ways. Such has been the life of Canadian born Margaret Atwood. For someone who did not begin school until the age of 12, Atwood became an avid reader, which probably encouraged her development of varied interests. She identifies as a poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, inventor, teacher, and environmental activist. I doubt that spare time is in her agenda.

Beginning in 1961, Atwood has published 18 poetry collections, 18 novels, 11 non-fiction books, short fiction writings, two graphic novels, and various other smaller writings, both fiction and non-fiction. She has received several awards for her writings, with some of her works having been adapted for television and film. Those works increased her public exposure even more.

Atwood was married twice, divorced from one husband, and lost her second husband in 2019, after his unfortunate struggle with dimentia. The family, Atwood and her daughter, Eleanor Jess Atwood Gibson, had moved to a farm near Alliston, Ontario. Atwood has sister, Ruth, and a brother, Harold.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Baba on December 15, 2021

I'm not quite sure what to think about this collection of 11 connected short stories about the hidden pain and suffering within a family and the protagonist's life. It's wonderfully written as per; the characterisation of the main character is superbly crafted. I honestly could very easily put this d......more

Goodreads review by Ashley on October 13, 2019

I think if anyone but Atwood had written this it would have been a bit boring. But Atwood has such a way with words that she makes even the most ordinary tale absolutely fascinating! That’s what I love about her writing, she could write a grocery list and it would be beautiful. This is definitely no......more

Goodreads review by Jennifer on March 20, 2011

I chose to read Moral Disorder for my next Atwood book because it was a book of short stories. I thought it would be a good decision as it would be easy to read during my sporadic down time. I will not go so far as to say that Atwood deceived me, however after the third story I realized how truly mi......more

Goodreads review by Stephen on April 01, 2009

Does anyone write crisper, cleaner English than Margaret Atwood? A few hundred of her sentences per day might help all of us write better. So, on the level of language, no complaints! In other ways, though, this is an uneven collection. It begins brilliantly and ends well, but the middle sections ab......more

Goodreads review by Briar's Reviews on April 21, 2024

I have a lot of reading goals, and one of them is to read all of the books written by Margaret Atwood. She's an excellent Canadian literary icon and I enjoy her writing style. I stumbled upon Moral Disorder and Other Stories at a local used book sale and I scooped it up! This is essentially a collec......more


Quotes

“Her stories are sophisticated, reticent, ornate, stark, supple, stiff, savage or forgiving; they are exactly what she wants them to be. They are stories from the prime of life.”
Times Literary Supplement