The assortment of short fiction in STONE MATTRESS by the
incomparable Margaret Atwood, deserves to be called an
anthology of tales and not just short stories. The highly
imaginative and finely crafted storylines are intriguing
and unpredictable like fairy or wonder tales. And while
the "tales" are highly unlikely, they tell some truths
about human nature—some ugly and some beautiful.
The collection begins with three interrelated tales:
Alphinland, Revenant, and Dark Lady. This trio of tales of
Constance, Gavin, and Marjorie are closely intertwined and
are based on some misunderstandings of many years. The
truth is not always as it seems—as some of the characters
find out.
In Alphinland, Constance is a widow (who still talks to
her
dead husband) who channels her crazy into the highly
successful Alphinland fantasy novels. She has "locked
away"
her first love, Gavin, and Marjorie, the woman who stole
him away, into the fabric of her creation. It is how she
deals with their treachery.
In Revenant, Gavin, the previously successful poet, is
approached by a young woman who is writing a thesis and
wants to interview him. He assumes that she wants to talk
about his poetry and is shocked when she wants to know
about Constance so she can write her thesis about
Alphinland. The snobby poet has always spurned the fantasy
concoctions of his former girlfriend.
In Dark Lady, Gavin's funeral is being held and Constance
and Marjorie (Jorie) have a confrontation that surprises
both of them
The other six selections in this anthology delve into many
of the darker aspects of human behavior, but told in
quirky, devious ways. Every offering is entertaining and
there are no boring selections. Characters often act out
of
character. Plots take unexpected turns. STONE MATTRESS is
enjoyable and shocking—from the first sentence to the
last.
Margaret Attwood never disappoints.
A collection of highly imaginative short pieces that speak to our times with deadly accuracy. Vintage Atwood creativity, intelligence, and humor: think Alias Grace.
Margaret Atwood turns to short fiction for the first time since her 2006 collection, Moral Disorder, with nine tales of acute psychological insight and turbulent relationships bringing to mind her award-winning 1996 novel, Alias Grace. A recently widowed fantasy writer is guided through a stormy winter evening by the voice of her late husband in "Alphinland," the first of three loosely linked stories about the romantic geometries of a group of writers and artists. In "The Freeze-Dried Bridegroom," a man who bids on an auctioned storage space has a surprise. In "Lusus Naturae," a woman born with a genetic abnormality is mistaken for a vampire. In "Torching the Dusties," an elderly lady with Charles Bonnet syndrome comes to terms with the little people she keeps seeing, while a newly formed populist group gathers to burn down her retirement residence. And in "Stone Mattress," a long-ago crime is avenged in the Arctic via a 1.9 billion-year-old stromatolite. In these nine tales, Margaret Atwood is at the top of her darkly humorous and seriously playful game.
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