Cut and Thirst by Margaret Atwood is a witty, darkly humorous exploration of aging, friendship, and the complexities of revenge. Myrna, Leonie, and Chrissy, former professors with a shared past, embark on a cleverly plotted scheme to right the wrongs done to their friend Fern by a group of male poets. Atwood’s sharp prose and keen insight into human nature elevate this tale of redemption and retribution, blending moments of lighthearted camaraderie with a deeper reflection on the costs of vengeance. The novel’s sharp wit and Shakespearean undertones make it a thought-provoking read, balancing humor with poignant observations on justice, loyalty, and the passage of time.

Such a fun and quick read!

The relationship and dynamic between the women were hilarious and lovely to read.

I really enjoyed this one and would highly recommend!

Cut and Thirst by Margaret Atwood is a haunting exploration of survival, power, and humanity's fragility. With vivid prose and deeply flawed characters, Atwood crafts a dystopian world that feels uncomfortably close to reality. Tense and thought-provoking, this novel is both a gripping story and a stark reflection on societal choices—a must-read for fans of literary dystopia.

this was so confusing and then when it started to make sense, was super anticlimatic. It was basically just 3 old ladies all talking over each other, about different topics, and repeating themselves to where it just becomes dissonant squabble

This was not as great as other Atwood. I feel I would have loved it better in long format. It needed more character details and depth for me to connect with them

nice short story about older characters and their typical days and life happenings.
it’s well enough done and a good quick read but i personally enjoyed other short stories by this author more -for example “my evil mother” was a much better done story in my opinion.

but as this is, it’s a good story especially as a palette cleanser and something quick and easy.

This book was disappointing, in the sense that I was looking for something deeper, more stimulating. The millennial speech did not translate well on paper, but might be enjoyable as an audiobook

Amusing short story about a group of older ladies plotting revenge on behalf of their friend. I enjoyed the witty dialogue and the references to locations in my hometown Toronto made me feel right in the middle of the story.

It was an entertaining read, but it's too short to really get to know the characters. When I was really getting invested in the story, it ended. Still it is worth the try, cause it won't take a lot of your time anyway.

It's hard to rate this as it was quite short, and it's hard to not use her other work as the marker of expectation, but being that it;s a short story I tried my best to rate it according to what I know of short stories, which is not much.

This was a fun, short, quick little read. I have no real complaints for what it was, but it didn't knock my socks off either, very middle of the road, but I will of course continue reading Atwood's work.

I have really enjoyed the longer books I’ve read by this author but this one just didn’t hit the mark for me. It had some good humor but I just couldn’t stay engaged with the story. However, I like this author enough that it won’t turn me off from trying her next book!

I absolutely love this author, however this story fell a bit short for me. The idea of revenge with the past professors for one of their own was comical as I am picturing them as older and not as capable. The revenge itself ended up being laughable after all the plotting. I got where it was going, but wish the journey would have been more satisfying. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley. This fell a bit flat for me.

It was a really interesting story that captured Atwood’s style well, but it was a little half finished for me. I just didn’t love it!

Good short story. Good story of friendship, love and support. Feel like it wasn’t long enough. I love Margaret Atwood and would read anything she writes!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this short story.
It's always a pleasure to read a Margaret Atwood story, and this one is no exception. It's short and sweet and full of her tell-tale wit.

This was quite a fun short story. I was initially sceptical that it would be any good because of just how short it is. It does however end a bit too abruptly in my opinion.

Once you sit drinking, reminiscing, and talking about murdering three people, your senses are already flooded with alcohol, which means you are wasted. This read was interesting, although it was not as exciting as I would have liked.

This short story gives a flavor of the academic and literary milieu that Margaret Atwood likely was a part of early in her career. The characters now find themselves in their later yeats trying to put the past in perspective. It was light but enjoyable..

Wow! A Margaret Atwood short story. Can it get better?! Absolutely enjoyed reading this quick short story. Her writing style is brilliant that brings out the various characters and their quirks. We start out with the action bang in the beginning, something which I loved.

The writing style is witty and wry that immediately caught me on. It focuses on friendship, revenge and retribution but with a twist. The theme and age group and characteristics of the leads is quite well created. Margaret Atwood at what she does best.

Thank you Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange of my unbiased review.

I love Margaret Attwood and have been reading her books for years. I was so excited to read this one but unfortunately it didn't work for me. It felt meandering and directionless. I didn't really feel like I got to know any of the characters and had to force myself to finish it.