I honestly don’t have very much to say about this! I think the whole story is 35 pages long so obviously VERY short and sweet, I was impressed at how real the characters felt despite the story being so short, but I can’t say that I’ll ever think about this again. If you need a quick read to help your Goodreads goal though, this is the book for you 👀

3/5 stars
Three older women out to avenge a friend, decide to murder the friend's perceived enemies. Dark humor ensues.

Three retired professors devise a plan to murder eight (or is it nine) men, for reasons I wont spoil.
Atwood is able to show us the lives and personalities of these women despite the book being a quick 35 pages.
A very fast, but very fun and witty read.

Did not enjoy but read. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.

I felt a bit disoriented when starting this book just being dumped in the middle of it. I think there was a good story there but the writing really let it down

“Things are getting a little surreal. Are three respectable elderly women really sitting in a pastel garden planning the murders of nine has-been writers?”

This was a fun little read about three retired women who plan their revenge on nine men who back in the day almost completely ruined their friend’s career as an author of (as those said men refer to dismissively) “girly” books.

While we learn about the extent of the misogyny of the male writers, we get insights into the friendship dynamics of the women, some of the struggles and losses each of them has lived through — and the wonderful complexity of friendships. Once I finished the book I just thought “women are awesome” and I couldn’t ask for more of a short story by Margaret Atwood ☺️

This story was very short and slightly engaging. However, to me it seemed to fall a bit short as I got closer to the end. The premise was intriguing and might have been better executed had the book been a bit longer. Regardless, I enjoyed it! Thank you publishers for allowing me to read this early copy!

REVIEW
Cut and Thirst by Margret Atwood- 1/5
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DNF
As I begin to get caught up on reading the ARCs I’ve received from Netgalley (thanks btw) I thought that a short story by such a well renowned author as Margret Atwood. I remembered reading The Handmaids Tale back in grade school and really enjoying it, but I found myself quickly bored with this short story revolving around friendship, loyalty, and revenge.

A great funny short story by this queen of literature.
Karma really is a bitch that will get you in the butt sooner or later.

Despite being a short story I do wish it was slightly longer.

This was a quick short read and I wish it was a little longer. A group of women have gathered together to plot revenge for one of their friends who is now sick. They discuss various ways to get even. I liked the characters and the academic background. I was disappointed in the ending. The book was well written.

This story was so short. At just 35 pages it sizzled out for me and didn’t really seem satisfying. The premise was intriguing and maybe if it was longer could have been executed a bit better.

She never fails to entertain. I highly recommend this read. Her writing is superb! She keeps you wanting for more.

Dark, funny and classic Margaret Atwood! I enjoyed reading it. Cut and Thirst is a deliciously dark and witty short story and follows three retired female professors - Myrna, Leonie, and Chrissy - who meet weekly to sample fine cheeses and reminisce about their former lives. However, their gatherings have taken a sinister turn, as the trio plots to avenge their dear friend Fern, whose writing career was sabotaged decades ago by a cabal of spiteful male poets. With Fern's health now failing, the women hatch an elaborate, Shakespearean-inspired scheme for retribution, grappling with the complexities and consequences of revenge. Atwood's signature blend of sharp humor and incisive social commentary shines through in this compact yet impactful tale about loyalty, ambition, and the power of female friendship.

A very funny & subversive tales of old friends scheming to get revenge on some of the toxic men from their past. Highly recommend if you want an entertaining short story!

Karma is what happens when best friends seek vengeance on your behalf, but what kind of revenge is served when left just a tad too long? This was a witty short story that had a fun premise that most readers could relate to, that of getting revenge on those who have wronged us.

This is an Amazon origin stories. It's about 35 pages short story of a revenge planned by 3 friends for their common friend who was wronged.

I'm a huge Margaret Atwood fan so I didn't even blink when I saw the author and requested it without hesitation. But I'm quite disappointed. Now to say that, Atwood is a terrific author and I expected nothing less but a mind-blowing read. Oddly enough cut and thirst falls short in making my mind blow.

Nevertheless it was good to read Atwood after such a long time.

Thank you Netgally and Amazon original stories for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

You know when you imagine what your life will be like with your best friends when you’re old? Yeah… that’s what this short story is. It was so casual in its settings, but so complex and intellectually witty in its conversations between lifelong friends. These women, while quite ridiculous, are loyal and loving towards their people. As one grows ill, the others plot revenge and “attempt” murder in their friend’s name.
This poorly planned vengeance falls apart in quite a deliciously hilarious way that you can’t help but laugh in the end. Nothing could stop the educated cleverness of these women in their banter and schemes, except maybe a batch of brownies.

In diving into themes of age and friendship, Margaret Atwood, writer of The Handmaid’s Tale, touches on mental health and misogyny. Seeing the will of youth in these older women as they face their past and current situation, you can’t help but wonder, is everyone doomed to eventually be stuck in the past once our bodies can no longer keep up with our minds? What will we let go and what will we hold on to?

While extremely satirical, the short story makes it known that in the end, you get what you deserve and you make what you want of it. In other words, “karmas a bitch.”

The Handmaid's Tale/Oryx and Crake has been on my wishlist for ages now and I haven't gotten around to reading either of them so was thrilled to be chosen to take part in the readalong for Tandem collective.

The story sees us meet a group of female friends looking to avenge their writer friend Fern's mistreatment by a group of male poets.

I appreciated the societal commentary and the idea behind the story but in just 35 pages the story wasn't able to progress quite as I'd hoped it would.

It's definitely made me keen to pick up more of Atwood's work though!

I enjoyed this fun and interesting story of three friends plotting their vengeance against several men that had wronged them in the past.

The writing was clever but did leave you wanting more as it was a short story however I feel that this could have represented the short time Fern had left due to her illness.

I would definitely read this again and highly recommend it.

I understand that this is a short story, so there's not a lot of time to really get into things, but there was no point to this and no resolution. This would be a pass from me.