Old Babes in the Wood by MargaretAtwood is a playful portrait of loss and ageing 📙 Review by _e_watkins
Reminding us of her skill in the short form, it is bookended by the ostensibly realist story of a long-term couple. We meet Tig and Nell in its opening section and again in its third, final part, which explores Nell’s pain in the aftermath of Tig’s death: “No stars, not for you, not ever, she mourns. And in the next breath: Don’t be so f***ing maudlin”.
Sandwiched between these sections is a miscellaneous, enjoyably eclectic collection of stories. Fantasy provides a convenient remove from which to tackle somewhat raw topics and Atwood capitalises on this. “Freeforall”, for instance, taps into our recent experience with contagion and quarantine: it is set in a world where a virulent STD has infused any physical contact with life-or-death levels of risk.
“Airborne”, meanwhile, injects the culture wars with nuance and empathy. Here, a committee of “old feminists” have assembled to write some kind of proposal together, but one of their number has fallen foul of the new generation of activists. “We’re in the middle of a regime change, like the French Revvie.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Apollo’s fourth takeover offer ‘continues to undervalue’ Wood Group\n\t\t\tExclusive scoops\n\t\t\tSmart data to help spot risk and opportunity\n\t\t\tAnalysis of broader trends in M&A\n\t\t\tLex, our agenda-setting business commentary (Premium only)\n\t\t\tDue Diligence, an exclusive M&A newsletter (Premium only)\n\t\t
Read more »
The whimsical spring walk in Scotland featuring a wood carved 'fairy trail'Those wanting to brace the cold to head out and enjoy the beauty of the Scottish countryside should consider the Balloch Park Fairy Trail if they're looking for something a bit different.
Read more »
Apollo’s fourth takeover offer ‘continues to undervalue’ Wood Group\n\t\t\tExclusive scoops\n\t\t\tSmart data to help spot risk and opportunity\n\t\t\tAnalysis of broader trends in M&A\n\t\t\tLex, our agenda-setting business commentary (Premium only)\n\t\t\tDue Diligence, an exclusive M&A newsletter (Premium only)\n\t\t
Read more »
First picture of 'beautiful' 16-year-old girl who tragically died in DundeeEmergency services raced to a property in the Dudhope Gardens area after receiving reports that a teenager had fallen ill at roughly 5am on Saturday, March 4.
Read more »
Boston Police Looking for Missing 15-Year-OldBoston police are looking for a missing 15-year-old girl who was last seen Saturday night. Cristina Esperansa Santos Rodriguez was reported missing around 8 p.m. Saturday after she left a residence on Marion Street in East Boston. The teen was wearing a red hat, black jacket with white sleeves, red pajama pants and white and red Nike sneakers, police said….
Read more »