Stone Mattress: Nine Tales in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Jul 16, 2015 alana rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook

Short stories aren't usually my jam, but I do love some Margaret Atwood. Bonus: she reads some of the stories in the audiobook!

Stone Mattress presents several characters in the later years of their life dealing with the mistakes of their youth, the deterioration of their bodies and minds, and the fears of frustrations of aging. Many characters also present feelings of anger, desire, or cunning that I don't usually associate with seniors (in my life or in books). Consequently, this collection re ...more

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Sep 28, 2015 Ruth rated it really liked it

Shelves: bookclub

Funny, sharp, original - full of saucy older characters and interesting, semi-fantastical twists.

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Jan 25, 2016 Melle rated it liked it

Shelves: adult, read-in-2016, fiction, short-stories, relationships, short-pieces, writing, short-fiction, copyright-2014, wentworth-bookends

This is the January 2015 Wentworth Bookends book group selection. Nine stories -- some connected, some stand-alones, all vivid and layered and interesting -- with recurring themes of identity (especially self-identity), power, imagination and memory. Lush, gorgeous writing with a smart, wry, bitterly sympathetic voice. Will be interested to hear what others think.

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Sep 04, 2014 Deb rated it it was ok · review of another edition

4 stars because, in my opinion, writing a good short story is incredibly difficult. And these are some good short stories... but as much as I want to, I'm just not a short story fan. I like committing to characters for awhile, getting the chance to know them and truly care about them. Short stories are just not my gig... but if they were, I'm sure would have enjoyed these.

I take it back... I have just started reading another collection of short stories (the author's story intrigued me) and I am ...more

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