I love love Margaret Atwood, but I found this story, while short, to just be ok. I thought it would feel like her earlier books like Handmaid's Tale and Cat's Eye, but it didnt. The story felt rushed. Because it is Margaret Atwood I would recommend it however.

Cut and Thirst is a short story about a group of elderly friends meeting weekly to discuss getting revenge on the people that have wronged them. This book is perfect for those looking for a laugh out loud, mysterious story all about friendship and female empowerment. The story is fast paced and keeps you engaged with keeping the real reason for getting revenge a secret until they enact their revenge! Had me laughing aloud on multiple occasion and I would love to see more from these cheese obsessed ladies!

An absolute treat! Three old friends gather in a back garden, and plot revenge against a group of men who wronged their absent friend, Fern. I adore Margaret Atwood, and every piece of writing that she comes up with. I particularly loved the dialogue and chemistry between the women, and how each are mischievous in their own way. I howled with laughter when there was a case of mistaken identity, and could happily have read a far longer novel about their antics. Highly recommended.

3 stars

Thank you Netgalley for letting me review this short story.

This was a bizarre short story and it felt longer than 34 pages.
The plot idea was great and the ending was my favourite, overall I think this one could have been a longer story.

The beginning confused me a lot and towards the end, I didn’t want the story to end.

Overall enjoyable read.

I really hope that knock on the door is not an old lady offering up some Alice B Tokla Ex-Lax laced brownies, because I did not enjoy her story. In fact, I had no problem skimming each page to get past the affected dialogs between the old lady misandrists, bent on taking revenge on eight misogynist male counterparts. The story provides some well-written prose in a vacuum with no substance, that may be enough for greater hi-brows than me (maybe I missed the point/s?).

But for me, this story hit all the wrong boxes and in particular my petty grouses re the plethora of mediocre stories/books about old ladies who are about to take on the world and show-off their superhuman powers (and here I stand with my piccolo) – plotting old ladies is not synonymous with plot. Next on my long list of complaints (I sure am a curmudgeon today!), is my standard complaint about the (for the most part) poor fare offered up in the Amazon Original Short Stories*. Amazon’s repertoire of short stories boast an all-star cast of excellent authors who should first familiarize themselves with this Amazon niche, before agreeing to participate. I hope these authors are at least getting paid a lot of money for these stories and not doing it merely for the “honor” (sorry about that for those of you who know the joke). Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon for a copy of this story for my honest review.

<i>*although I have not read every Amazon Original Story/Series, I have read a few dozen, and with the exception of a recent story by Angie Kim and an older one by Anthony Marra, none have been so excellent as to leave a lasting impression.</i>

Not my favourite of Margaret Atwood's literature. Much of what got me through it were the allusions (especially Shakespeare), but I didn't feel drawn close to any of the characters particularly. Maybe it was the length of the story (obviously a short one), but I wasn't quite so immersed in their lives as I thought I would be. The characters fell flat, and it ended up spelling out much of the point rather than providing it through plot points or character development. It goes without saying that this was well written, but it was just missing that factor to pull me in.

This book was very cute in a “Golden Girls get murdery” sort of way. Three retired female professors are plotting revenge against a group of men who led a smear campaign against their very successful writer friend, Fern, many years ago. It greatly amused me how it went from “we’re going to kill them all!” to, “…or maybe just give the wrong person diarrhea for a day.”

The ladies are the worst at getting revenge, but I love that Fern still came out victorious in her own way at the end.

I liked the idea of this one but it was really strange for me. I think it would have benefited from being a full novel with more context and details. Otherwise it felt just too fractured to connect with

Three older ladies plot the murder of eight -or is it nine?- has-been writers

Youth and age coexist in the scheming of a revenge that feels so alive, but, is it really? Time passes but, does it really? This was a witty, cheeky and funny short story, but also thoughful and deliberate, with a clear, aimed voice. A 5-star short-story for me.

P.s.: oh, if only there were horsewomen of the apocalypse that met weekly for cheese tastings!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC

As a Margaret Atwood fan, I was a bit disappointed by this short story. I felt as though as a reader, I was dropped into the story mid-scene without any warning. It took me quite a while to figure out what was going on and felt like I had to play catch up. Atwood does paint vivid scenes, but it was very much a whirlwind,

We also don’t figure out until later into the short story who their friend Fern is and what was done to her, aka the entire point of the short story. Similar to above, it felt like there was so much information lacking that a lot of the story didn’t make sense for me.

That being said, there are a few good points to highlight. Firstly, all of the characters are of an older generation and Atwood does a great job of giving the reader a glimpse into what aging with friends is really like. Whether it’s illness, loss of loved ones, etc., it really gives you a good perspective. Secondly, there is a question asked about midway through the story about if art should be good art or if the art should be good for you. It really made me think about whether or not art should push you and challenge you, or just be something happy to enjoy. I think there is space for both types.

Cut & Thirst is by THE Margaret Atwood so you know it’s going to be well-written. AND this story’s only 35 pages, making it a fast and fresh read for your lunch break.

Chrissy, Leonie and Myrna are three retired professors that are plotting the murder of eight (or nine, they can’t remember) men that they feel have wronged one of their colleagues Fern. I really liked how the story features “older” women wanting to get revenge on the misogynist pigs that groped them and blacklisted their colleague when they were younger, but unfortunately too many years have passed and the trio discovers that murder is too difficult to actually attempt in real life. Normally I like the realistic approach, but I think this story would have been A LOT more interesting if they’d gone w a less realistic approach. The writing was good but I failed to connect with the characters. The ending was satisfying on some level, but I still think it would’ve been funnier if they got to commit some actual murders. I still read the whole story and fully intend to read more of Margaret Atwood’s writing, even if this story wasn’t my cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun short story. I really enjoyed the characters in their plottings because they were hilarious in their attempts to plot murder. I had a great time devouring this short story.

ARC provided by #netgalley. Thanks!

Having read The Handmaid's Tale, and knowing what it is like reading Margaret Atwood's distinctive writing style, this short story will not disappoint fan's of the author.

However, much to my dismay, the story fell a bit flat in the end.

We follow this short story about 3 "older" women, who are plotting revenge for their 4th friend.

In essence, the plot seems it would make for a page turning thrilling full length novel. I was only disappointed in the anti climactic ending.

That isn't to say Margaret Atwood is not a skilled author. Her language and writing style is to my liking. But the plot itself, I believe could have been fleshed out a bit further.

"Cut and Thirst" is a 35-page long *short* story. A group of girlfriends basically plot out a murder to avenge another girlfriend who was publicly shamed by a group of male colleagues. The story dragged a bit and didn't resonate with me the way her other stories have. However, I would recommend it for fans of Atwood and readers who love stories about revenge. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
#CutAndThirst
#NetGalley

I love these old women. For such a short story, I got to care for the characters. I loved their little hang outs every week. I also loved how the revenge part turned out. I would have enjoyed this story even more if it was a longer book. But I am happy I got to read it.

Hilarious! What a relief to read about people I might actually know - having revenge as my friends and I might do it. More like this, please, Margaret.

Cut And Thirst is a short story about three friends plotting murder to revenge their friend Fern. I enjoyed the witty banter of the ladies and would love to know if they went through with their plans of revenge.

Stars: 3/5

Thank you to Margaret Atwood, Amazon Original Stories, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an
honest review.

anything by margaret atwood writes, i will read. this is a short story about retired professors who meet up to relive their pasts. overall a great short story!!!!

Just ok for me. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was a little longer with more depth just about all parts of it.

Short story published by ‎ Amazon Original Stories on May 1, 2024

Fern has MS, for which her three old (pardon me, “older”) friends blame eight men — or is it nine? — who caused her so much stress that they put her in “a wheelchair rolling downhill to the morgue.” The women plot revenge and since they are well educated, they quote Macbeth. The women all taught at universities at some point, but Myra wonders why anyone would want to teach these days, with students so eager to “rat the professors out for the slightest verbal misstep.” Look at Chrissy, who was mobbed on social media as being anti-woman for teaching ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore. Never mind that she chose it as an example of misogyny. In Myra’s view, kids today only want to study literary works in which everyone behaves perfectly all the time. “How French Revolution of them,” says Leonie. The story makes clear the difficulty of walking the line between sensitivity to the feelings of others and the excessive demands of expressive conformity on college campuses.

Amusing digressions to comment upon the state of the world (and the new cheeses they try during their weekly meetings) occupy more of the story than the plot to murder eight men (or is it nine?). The women all began their careers in the literary world (mostly as proofreaders), writing for each other in the hope that their work might reach a larger audience before opting for academia and steady paychecks. They still have connections in that world, mostly to the authors with whom they slept, but Fern is the only one who earns a living writing books.

Back to the plot. The eight or nine men savaged an anthology that Fern edited because she decided not to include a story by Humphrey Vacher, an affluent and conceited author who owns a few small press publications, the only publications that will consider their work. Because they owe Vacher, they trashed Fern’s work on the ground that it appealed to “the sloppy middle-age women and easily duped teenage girls” who are the reading public. They even condemned it as “girly,” a term they wouldn’t be allowed to use today.

Coming up with a successful assassination plan proves to be challenging. “Their respect for murderers is increasing: not so easy, this murdering business.” Ultimately they settle upon a workable revenge scheme that, naturally enough, does not go as planned.

The women learn that revenge, when served cold, might no longer have a purpose by the time it is executed. Which leads to the lesson that revenge is better left unserved. That’s always a lesson worthy of illustration, and Margaret Atwood does so in an enjoyable story that mixes amusing characters, pointed insights, and a few laugh-out-loud moments.

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