ATWOOD

The only writer I know to take the Triple Crown - amazing poetry, short fiction and novels.  Plus, she has a few collections of in-between work, could be essays, could be prose poetry, could be micro-fiction, who's to say?


For poetry, it's all good, but SELECTED POEMS  and SELECTED POEMS II sum up her early stuff quite nicely.  Since then, she's only had MORNING IN THE BURNED HOUSE and THE DOOR, but they're both amazing.


DANCING GIRLS, BLUEBEARD'S EGG and WILDERNESS TIPS show an amazing range for her short stories.  All three collections flat out rock.  MORAL DISORDER is one of my favorite Atwood works, and it has a unique approach where all of the short stories connect and form a sort of impressionistic novel.  STONE MATTRESS, her latest, didn't overwhelm me.  Had some good stuff, but a few "eh" pieces, too.


For novels, it's a cornucopia of excellence.  In no particular order, the 10 best are:


- THE ROBBER BRIDE
- THE BLIND ASSASSIN
- CAT'S EYE (a sentimental fave, as it was the novel that got me into Atwood)
- THE HANDMAID'S TALE
- MADDADDAM TRILOGY (ORYX & CRAKE, THE YEAR     
               OF THE FLOOD, MADDADDAM)
- SURFACING
- ALIAS GRACE
- MORAL DISORDER (again, I consider it a novel)


Her latest one, THE HEART GOES LAST, was underwhelming after my first read.  I'll give it a 2nd shot this fall to see what I missed the first time through.  Maybe it'll get better.   Started off strong, like the best of her speculative fiction, but then turned into more of a sexual farce.  Had some good scathing social commentary, but overall it seemed to be lacking in depth after the MADDADDAM trilogy, which was just balls-to-the-wall stunning.  Whatever that means.


I've had people tell me that Bukowski was also awesome in all three creative fields, but Bukowski was a wanker.  Seriously.  Go back and read those novels & short stories from an unbiased perspective (if that's possible).  the phrase "ham-fisted" comes to mind.  Tedious?  Hell yeah.  Narcissistic?  Most definitely.


Oh well.


You can always read some Raymond Carver to cleanse your palate......