This was a fun short story about three old women planning revenge for previous critiques of their ailing best friend’s writing. The beginning few pages were a little confusing though.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC (in audiobook format).

I have been a Margaret Atwood fan for decades, and I was surprised and amazed at her range when I heard this audiobook, which is a charming departure from her standard fare.

I literally laughed out loud numerous times while listening to this short story when I was outside doing lawn work (which caused some quizzical glances from neighbors).

An enthusiastic 5 stars from this fan, even in short story format this award-winning author manages to make us fall in love with her characters (which she introduced us to in relative depth on a short timeframe).

I would LOVE to encounter this group of friends in a longer novel version. Perfect for fans of Molly the Maid and yes, the Golden Girls. Thanks for this great listen, it lightened my day! 😘

A quirky and witty short story with an intriguing premise. I really enjoyed the writing style and characters but with key details and context being introduced towards the end, I felt like I missed out on some of the enjoyment as the reader which was disappointing. I would have loved for this to have been a longer story.

Many thanks to Amazon, Tandem and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this short story to read and review.

Raccontino scombinato, che ha come unico valore alcune frasi memorabili e un ritratto impietoso del mondo della letteratura e delle sue faide.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

In CUT & THIRST, three former professors scheme on the best way to exact revenge over drinks and cheese. Every Thursday, Myrna, Leonie, and Chrissy reminisce on the years of their youth– but the most popular topic is the best way to avenge their dear friend, Fern, and the unprovoked attack on her writing career years ago. Murder is thrown around, as well a hit-and-runs, tire slashing, and the classic poison mushroom usage– however, revenge isn’t always straightforward.

As many other reviewers have mentioned, this short story felt like a small part of a larger story. Important and contextual details were introduced late in the text, which made enjoying the scheming a little difficult as the reader. This was a fun short story, but unfortunately not my favorite by the beloved Margaret Atwood.

Margaret Atwood’s writing is sharp and witty! This short story about three old – “older” – women wanting to seek revenge against old men for the harm they did to one of their other friends years and years ago is charming. The three friends, Myrna, Chrissy, and Leonie are plotting the murders of men who criticized their other friend, Fern, for snubbing one of them. (Fern has no idea this scheming is happening). I adored this short story (only 35 pages), the dialogue, the commentary on loyalty, friendship, and aging, and the ultimate and hilarious ending. This gave major Golden Girls vibes, and I was here for it.

Much thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Karma's a bitch, except sometimes it gets the wrong address"

Myrna, Leoniw, and Chrissy are three retired professors who meet every Thursday over fancy cheese and drinks to plot the murders of their friend's (Fern) targeted literary takedown from years ago. With her health declining, the three take it upon themselves to leave Fern out of the loop. As the three quickly find out, plotting the perfect murder is hard to do, so they aim slightly lower than murder. While they may be thirsty for this revenge, it's not always cut and dried.

Things I liked
- Short story
- Schemes to murder
- The karma flip
- Sharp dialogue
- Friendship/loyalty

Thanks, NetGalley, for a copy in exchange for an honest review!

So I was pretty excited for this book since the handmaid's tale was so good. I was not disappointed. This book was so well done and each character had different but not forced different, personalities.

“'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.

Cut and Thirst by Margaret Atwood is about 3 older women, former academics, contemplating murdering 8 or 9 men to avenge the good name of a friend of theirs.

I have actually never read anything by Margaret Atwood before, although of course I've been intending to. I like to read short stories by authors I'm interested in to get a feel for their writing style and decide how much more to read from them. I would definitely be interested in reading more Margaret Atwood now, as the writing style was very easy to read and painted an easy to imagine picture in my mind as I read.

It was a well-written, quick little read about old women behaving badly and about friendship and loyalty.

This was an average read about revenge and all the forms it takes. I found it to be a lighthearted at times funny short story.

I loved the premise of this short story - I'm a huge fan of old ladies behaving badly! The characters were fun and the tone was wryly funny, but I felt like the payoff didn't quite match the build-up and I was taken by surprise at the abruptness of the ending!

I was intrigued with the concept but it was hard to grasp my attention or resonate with me. I did not connect with the characters either.

First off this is a short story that is a part of Amazon's Original Stories. It follows three, or is it four, older but not old, women who plot revenge on their professional nemeses. A group of nine men who went on a smear campaign to discredit their friend's writing.

This was a fun story with the kind of commentary about being a woman in a male career field that you would expect from Margaret Atwood. The backdrop of this story is academia and publishing so you do need to know the nuance and politics of those industries to get the complete picture.

Cut and Thirst 🍷Margaret Atwood

Cut and Thirst is a story about a group of older women who are planning the murder of a group of men that hurt their friend. It was a quick, engrossing read, and I really enjoyed reading about retired academics.

I would love to read a novel about these characters as they were really interesting, had a lot of personality, and I would like to know more about their lives.

This is a great, quick read that kept me interested the whole way through. I also enjoyed the themes of female friendship, academia, and revenge.

#bookreview #bookstagramuk #bookstagramnewbie #Netgalley #CutandThirst

Look I love Margaret Atwood but I really didn't get the point of this and honestly it kinda just gave me the ick.

darkly witty and compelling short story that I found to be a remarkable read. Atwood’s mastery of language and her sharp insight into human nature shine through in this tale of loyalty, ambition, and retribution. The story of three women plotting to avenge their friend is not only engaging but also thought-provoking, leaving me to ponder the complexities of friendship and the lengths we go to for those we care about. It’s a testament to Atwood’s storytelling prowess that she can pack such a punch in a short format. A must-read for any Atwood fan or anyone who appreciates literary fiction with an edge!

The only previous Margaret Atwood book I've read is The Handmaid's Tale, so I wasn't sure what to expect with this new short story. But I was pleasantly surprised by this and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. What starts as an amusing story of 3 retirees plotting the murders (maybe) of the men who were cruel to their friend turns into a deeper, somewhat morose, but reflective story on life and how the idea of revenge changes towards life's end. I would recommend it for those looking for a short, thought-provoking read.

Thank you to Amazon First Reads, Netgalley, and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
Golden Girls meets The Thursday Murder Club for a short little dialogue-heavy snippet with publishing industry and cancel culture commentary.

Pre-reading:
I just read Thirst, so let’s read Cut and Thirst. It is probably a crime that I haven’t read The Handmaid‘s Tale yet. I have not seen good things about this short story on socials.

Thick of it:
It immediately gives Golden Girls

Myrna’s a cunt lol

Hello princeling

It’s reminding me of The Thursday Murder Club.

I could be happy with coffee and reading the slush pile. I love the slush pile.

confreres

Is this just an old bitch laments cancel culture because I’ll have thoughts. (It’s not, but I saw so many negative reviews that I was prepping for the worst.)

salvo

This is getting bad reviews, but I’m live, laugh, loving.

They are such complete and distinct characters so quickly. AND it’s gossipy about the publishing world, and I’m always into that.

Title drop

Post-reading:
This was so cute! It’s a quick little wet-your-whistle of a story. The characters are immediately familiar and have distinct voices. They’re flawed and charming. It’s got enough kick with its gossipy bits about the publishing industry, academia, and cancel culture. The dialogue was zippy and believable. Just a fabulous little snippet.

I don’t think there’s enough plot for it to get into four-star territory, but it’s a solid little piece. It’s nothing I would go out of my way to read, but if you’re getting it for free anyway, it’s worth your 20 minutes.

Who should read this:
Character Study fans
Old People are cute readers
Bookish industry commentary fans
Fredrik Backman fans

Do I want to reread this:
No, but would def read more by the author

Similar books:
* The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman-ensemble cast, old people are cute schtick, cozy thriller
* A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman-ensemble cast, old people are cute schtick, contemporary
* Anxious People by Fredrik Backman-ensemble cast, bouncy narrative voice, contemporary
* We Are Too Many by Hannah Pittard-contemporary, story told only through dialogue
* The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Caine-wannabe Ove
* Book Lovers by Emily Henry-cozy romance, publishing industry commentary

Loved it. Margaret Atwood at her finest with a tale of revenge gone wrong! Reminded me why I love her work.