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282nd out of 975 books
—
1,011 voters
The Tent
by
Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author)
One of the world's most celebrated authors, Margaret Atwood has penned a collection of smart and entertaining fictional essays, in the genre of her popular books Good Bones and Murder in the Dark, punctuated with wonderful illustrations by the author. Chilling and witty, prescient and personal, delectable and tart, these highly imaginative, vintage Atwoodian mini-fictions...more
Hardcover, 159 pages
Published
January 10th 2006
by Nan A. Talese
(first published January 1st 2006)
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The blurb by The Seattle Times on the back of this book said it best: "When Margaret Atwood is good, she's very good. And when she's barbed, she's better."
A collection of impossibly short stories (a few of them are less than a page long) written as only Margaret Atwood can write them, and accompanied by her own illustrations. This is a good quick read - since the stories are all so short, I was able to finish the whole collection in about half an hour. Here's a sample of some of the titles: "It'...more
A collection of impossibly short stories (a few of them are less than a page long) written as only Margaret Atwood can write them, and accompanied by her own illustrations. This is a good quick read - since the stories are all so short, I was able to finish the whole collection in about half an hour. Here's a sample of some of the titles: "It'...more
This was an absolutely phenomenal collection of short stories. Each of the stories was a gorgeous jewel of an outrageously witty tale, simultaneously a wicked indulgence and a subversive delight. This prose and these short stories are some of Atwood's crowing achievements.
All of the stories are short, but there was not a single one that did not have a sentence (or two, or three) that amazed me to the point where I had to put the book down for a moment, and simply drink in all of the clever, barb...more
All of the stories are short, but there was not a single one that did not have a sentence (or two, or three) that amazed me to the point where I had to put the book down for a moment, and simply drink in all of the clever, barb...more
Lots of VERY short but thought-provoking pieces. They are varied, though many involve common Atwood themes (relationships, environmental catastrophe, heaven and hell, women). Some are quite poetic and a few are actual poems; there is an allegorical riddle, or perhaps it's a riddling allegory. There are also a few faux-naive woodcut illustrations.
You could easily read the whole thing in an hour or two, but you'd probably feel sea-sick and you really wouldn't appreciate them. Because they are so b...more
You could easily read the whole thing in an hour or two, but you'd probably feel sea-sick and you really wouldn't appreciate them. Because they are so b...more
For the record, this is the first time I've actually finished a Margaret Atwood book. I've tried 3 times, 3 separate books, over the last 15 years to read her. I always find her books incredibly intriguing, but then I always for some reason lose interest (The Robber Bride, The Blind Assassin) or get frustrated with her writing style (The Handmaid's Tale). But I'm obviously in the minority here - many people I know whose opinions I respect and honor LOVE Margaret Atwood and probably think I'm nut...more
This book is blindingly good. I am actually blind now. I cannot see the words I am typing. I don't care, I will keep typing to extol the virtues of Margaret Atwood's prose. Let me count the ways. Uh...it's hard to describe. She just tells, in this book, these minute, compact stories that shatter appearances. She tells the truth, and she tells it with a thesaurus that could obliterate you if it fell from a height onto your body. You would be pulped, a red smear on the pavement, or salt flats, or...more
10 likes
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Oct 13, 2010
Amanda
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Atwood fans and people who like metaphor.
Shelves:
better-than-chick-lit,
2010
I want this book! Somebody buy it for me and I will repay you buy saying "thank you" one time.
I'm just kidding. Don't buy it for me. Don't! I'll buy it myself.
Anyway, I read about a quarter of it while sitting in Borders in NYC one morning. My god, it is everything I love about Margaret Atwood! I can't help myself. I just love her. She has a certain way of turning real life into eautiful poetic narrative.
And then... Two years later...
I finally own this book (thank you Ed McKay!) and am in readi...more
I'm just kidding. Don't buy it for me. Don't! I'll buy it myself.
Anyway, I read about a quarter of it while sitting in Borders in NYC one morning. My god, it is everything I love about Margaret Atwood! I can't help myself. I just love her. She has a certain way of turning real life into eautiful poetic narrative.
And then... Two years later...
I finally own this book (thank you Ed McKay!) and am in readi...more
2 likes
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like
· see review
I had a feeling that I could scoop this up at a significant discount if I just exercised patience. This has proven true. I need to go to the Strand more.
...
Despite being somewhat unhelpfully labeled as a collection of "fictional essays" on the dustjacket, this slim volume is perhaps somewhere between a book of short stories and poetry. Vignettes, perhaps. The pieces themselves are tiny, often a page or less, and the pages are quite small themselves. In favorable light, they could be said to be e...more
...
Despite being somewhat unhelpfully labeled as a collection of "fictional essays" on the dustjacket, this slim volume is perhaps somewhere between a book of short stories and poetry. Vignettes, perhaps. The pieces themselves are tiny, often a page or less, and the pages are quite small themselves. In favorable light, they could be said to be e...more
I have not been an Atwood devotee. I’ve forgotten the titles of the two books I read some time ago, but I found them and their characters dour and dreary and didn’t care to delve farther. Maybe I should have. The Tent, a collection of short pieces published in various periodicals over the years, is a unique and precious volume of, well, of what? The book jacket calls them literary essays, but no. Give me an “essay” word association prompt and I come up with “expository.” And these writings are...more
I've been reading a lot of "bite-sized" books lately, which is what I call slim volumes I could read in a single sitting, if I so chose. Most of them are to give me a good idea of whether I like an author's style enough to research further.
In this case, though, I already knew I liked Margaret Atwood's writing. I was looking for a small sample that could tide me over until I could brace myself for one of her deeper works.
I certainly got what I was looking for. This was an incredibly fast read, an...more
In this case, though, I already knew I liked Margaret Atwood's writing. I was looking for a small sample that could tide me over until I could brace myself for one of her deeper works.
I certainly got what I was looking for. This was an incredibly fast read, an...more
I shelved this as poetry - it is precious, poetical prose. Very short pieces with illustrations by the author. They are full of the elegant language that endears Atwood's works to me. They are indulgences that only a very successful writer could ever manage to assemble into a book. Some were published before in a variety of little magazines.
"No More Photos"
No more photos. Surely there are enough. No more shadows of myself
thrown by light onto pieces of paper, onto squares of plastic. No more
of my...more
"No More Photos"
No more photos. Surely there are enough. No more shadows of myself
thrown by light onto pieces of paper, onto squares of plastic. No more
of my...more
1 like
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like
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May 05, 2008
Felicity
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Atwoodoholics, people with short attention spans, people who like wicked laughs
This is a collection of microfictions, prose poems, and other oddities. In it Atwood ventriloquizes mythical beings, tells the other sides of stories, spins vast symbolic tales of ruin, and even seems to directly address the reader.
Basically, it's 155 pages of really good random stuff by Margaret Atwood. As if Atwood had a blog. And be honest. If Atwood had a blog, wouldn't you read it?
Basically, it's 155 pages of really good random stuff by Margaret Atwood. As if Atwood had a blog. And be honest. If Atwood had a blog, wouldn't you read it?
1 like
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like
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This is the first thing by Margaret Atwood I have ever read, and I think, perhaps, it's not a great place to start. Labeled as a 'collection of mini fictions', The Tent reads more like a combination of a 2nd person journal and a book of poetry, with a mythological tale stuffed in here and there. These 'mini fictions' are indeed mini, none is more than a few pages, and several are merely a paragraph.
The short length of these pieces has the book wavering between clever wit and undeveloped. In suc...more
The short length of these pieces has the book wavering between clever wit and undeveloped. In suc...more
This little book is not only a wonderful book to look at, with its beautiful cover and authors own simple pen and ink line drawings inside, but it is an amazingly powerful, simple and beautifully written series of very short stories.
Most of these are only a couple of pages long and as such I was astounded at how much of an impact they create, in the thoughts and effect they brought about in the avid reader (me). I haven't actually ever read any Margaret Atwood before but I will now have a great...more
Most of these are only a couple of pages long and as such I was astounded at how much of an impact they create, in the thoughts and effect they brought about in the avid reader (me). I haven't actually ever read any Margaret Atwood before but I will now have a great...more
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I started this book last year, but I wasn't sure I would ever get around to finishing it. It's actually a very quick little read, but it doesn't have an overall theme tying it together, so I had trouble turning the page to the next little essay each time.
The Tent is a collection of "fictional essays," according to the book cover, but I would be more inclined to call them prose poems. Atwood's subject and language both tend to be fantastical, and that comes across in these essays. So many of the...more
The Tent is a collection of "fictional essays," according to the book cover, but I would be more inclined to call them prose poems. Atwood's subject and language both tend to be fantastical, and that comes across in these essays. So many of the...more
I'm working on my life story. I don't mean I'm putting it together; no, I'm taking it apart. It's mostly a question of editing. (4)
______________
Fish are not the rival of stones. (17)
______________
No more photos. Surely there are enough. No more shadows of myself thrown by light onto pieces of paper, onto squares of plastic. No more of my eyes, mouths, noses, moods, bad angles. No more yawns, teeth, wrinkles. I suffer from my own multiplicity. Two or three images would have been enough, or four,...more
______________
Fish are not the rival of stones. (17)
______________
No more photos. Surely there are enough. No more shadows of myself thrown by light onto pieces of paper, onto squares of plastic. No more of my eyes, mouths, noses, moods, bad angles. No more yawns, teeth, wrinkles. I suffer from my own multiplicity. Two or three images would have been enough, or four,...more
I do love Margaret Atwood. She is profound and prolific! Atwood's writing is often terse. To the point. It is stripped-to-the-bone writing. It is prose from a poet. It is descriptive writing with few adjectives. It is emotive writing with little time for long drawn out emotions. It is often humorous. It is often filled with biting humor. It is loaded with sarcasm & satire ready to explode in the face of its intended target. Atwood writes with an incisive wit and sophistication that is bred o...more
Poetry. It imagines a conversation between Philomela and Procne in the afterlife, it speaks of writing as our last resort against chaos, the young hear horror stories of meat loaf and a vaccine-less world from a woman of the past, and a bear decides he's sick of being made into heroic symbols and rugs, thus ushering in the unraveling of the world humans have been creating since Adam held dominion and started his naming. If you read Atwood for her narrative stories, this may not be for you as it...more
Most of the pieces in this are too short to accurately be called short stories. Some are fiction, some are essays, but all are micro-sized. And that makes them read a bit like poetry. There's a lot crammed into every phrase. The variety of topics is huge, too. Many incorporate a fantasy element, some are full of satire, some are just silly or fun, and some I simply didn't "get" at all. "Post-Colonial" is a straightforward, incisive essay about "us" and "them". I read them all practially in one s...more
I was lucky enough to get a signed copy of this book of essays through my Canadian cousins.
Haven't seen it around the US but maybe I haven't been looking in the right places. It sat on the
shelf for many many months, but I adore Margaret Atwood and finally had a chance to read it
Intellect Bombs in each essay. I couldn't read more than three or four in any sitting even though
I wanted to...such richness, so much to absorb. Also found it very inspiring for my own writing,
which is often just short es...more
Haven't seen it around the US but maybe I haven't been looking in the right places. It sat on the
shelf for many many months, but I adore Margaret Atwood and finally had a chance to read it
Intellect Bombs in each essay. I couldn't read more than three or four in any sitting even though
I wanted to...such richness, so much to absorb. Also found it very inspiring for my own writing,
which is often just short es...more
Short stories and poetry in an intelligent and humorous mix. Margaret Atwood packs a good amount of sharpness and insight. (This is my second MA-book.)
Atwood make me feel smart. Her language is challenging, for me as a non-native english reader, but still very available. I find myself looking up words, and smiling when I get the double meanings or the wittyness Atwood puts in her winding story-binding :)
(This was my first e-book. I love the way I can quickly look up words as I read. And it's rea...more
Atwood make me feel smart. Her language is challenging, for me as a non-native english reader, but still very available. I find myself looking up words, and smiling when I get the double meanings or the wittyness Atwood puts in her winding story-binding :)
(This was my first e-book. I love the way I can quickly look up words as I read. And it's rea...more
Fabulous, fabulous read. I finished it in around three hours because I had too much trouble putting it down to stop. Each piece was so different from all the others that it kept my interest up right until the final one, "But It Could Still". The first sentence of every paragraph hooked me to the point where it would have been impossible to stop reading. So I didn't.
I've long been a fan of Margaret Atwood's poetry, but this book showcases her mastery of the English language and the ease with whic...more
I've long been a fan of Margaret Atwood's poetry, but this book showcases her mastery of the English language and the ease with whic...more
I am in love.
I don't know what I like more about this book - the sparse prose, the elegant sentences, or the fact that each and every one of those stories somehow resonated with me (or my life) in some way.
I realize that there is definitely more to say, but my complete ignorance of styllistical approach and literary critisism stop me from viewing this book in the light it deserves to be viewed. However, I will say this - I didn't need a Ph.D. in modern literature to feel these stories and to ge...more
I don't know what I like more about this book - the sparse prose, the elegant sentences, or the fact that each and every one of those stories somehow resonated with me (or my life) in some way.
I realize that there is definitely more to say, but my complete ignorance of styllistical approach and literary critisism stop me from viewing this book in the light it deserves to be viewed. However, I will say this - I didn't need a Ph.D. in modern literature to feel these stories and to ge...more
The copy of The Tent I read, which I checked out from a library, had exacto-knife cuts throughout the text. A large chunk of pages was missing. I did not mind. It made the end come quicker.
I kid.
This is a format I usually enjoy. A famous novelist decides to write/publish a collection of shorts/essays that vaguely connect and are vaguely autobiographical. A lot of the author's personality comes through. They tend to be very hunamistic, witty, and well written gems.
For example, Kurt Vonnegut's God...more
I kid.
This is a format I usually enjoy. A famous novelist decides to write/publish a collection of shorts/essays that vaguely connect and are vaguely autobiographical. A lot of the author's personality comes through. They tend to be very hunamistic, witty, and well written gems.
For example, Kurt Vonnegut's God...more
Usually I avoid collections of short stories. I find it hard to maintain interest when I know the story will be done in a few pages. I decided to give this a try because I absolutely love Atwood. I was not disappointed. She briefly dips you into worlds and scenarios, leaving you gasping for air as you're pulled out.
Beautiful amazing writing, the highlight I found to be "Bring Mom Back: An Invocation." It's also a very quick read, but I found myself re-reading some of the stories because I wante...more
Beautiful amazing writing, the highlight I found to be "Bring Mom Back: An Invocation." It's also a very quick read, but I found myself re-reading some of the stories because I wante...more
A game of two halves. One half of this book is full of stories, contemplations, poetry and metaphysics that veers between profound, terrifying and bloody hilarious. The other half of this book features similar stories...but I could only describe those as...turgid. That said, "turgid" Margaret Atwood is better than 90% of the best work of many other authors...but many of the storie simply didn't speak to me.
So, complete brilliance, half disappointment...we'll split the difference in the star rati...more
So, complete brilliance, half disappointment...we'll split the difference in the star rati...more
I had this book for years before I would call Margaret Atwood one of my favorite authors. In an interview, she once mentioned in response to a comment in her writing style that her father was an entomologist. In her youth she would go out into the woods with him while he gathered bugs to study while she would sit and observe them herself. I feel like this is cold distance of observation of human emotion is part of her writing. These stories display that side of her style and much more. It's a li...more
One of the world's most celebrated authors, Margaret Atwood has penned a collection of smart and entertaining fictional essays, in the genre of her popular books Good Bones and Murder in the Dark, punctuated with wonderful illustrations by the author. Chilling and witty, prescient and personal, delectable and tart, these highly imaginative, vintage Atwoodian mini-fictions speak on a broad range of subjects, reflecting the times we live in with deadly accuracy and knife-edge precision.
In pieces r...more
In pieces r...more
An enjoyable and diminutive book of wit and insight crafted by the venerable Margaret Atwood. Unaware of its existence, I was very pleased to find a first edition hardcover in wonderful condition at Recycle Bookstore. These are very, very short stories--flash fiction, essentially. Most of them are no longer than two pages, which makes the book incredibly easy to pick up and read whenever you have a moment.
Some stories particularly inspired or impressed me, while others left little impression at...more
Some stories particularly inspired or impressed me, while others left little impression at...more
'The Tent' is more than just a compilation of essays and poems that sprung out of Atwood's pen's nib at random occasions when she was possessed by the Genie of Creativity!
It's a bagful of fun, a storehouse of knowledge and food for poetic and philosophical minds! Her essays are not conventional or clichéd. They do not comment on the political state of things or on what was and what used to be. They are much deeper and much more closer to poetry and show by the means of their lucidity and expre...more
It's a bagful of fun, a storehouse of knowledge and food for poetic and philosophical minds! Her essays are not conventional or clichéd. They do not comment on the political state of things or on what was and what used to be. They are much deeper and much more closer to poetry and show by the means of their lucidity and expre...more
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Margaret Atwood was born in 1939 in Ottawa and grew up in northern Ontario, Quebec, and Toronto. She received her undergraduate degree from Victoria College at the University of Toronto and her master's degree from Radcliffe College.
Throughout her writing career, Margaret Atwood has received numerous awards and honourary degrees. She is the author of more than thirty-five volumes of poetry, childr...more
More about Margaret Atwood...
Throughout her writing career, Margaret Atwood has received numerous awards and honourary degrees. She is the author of more than thirty-five volumes of poetry, childr...more
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“A home filled with nothing but yourself. It's heavy, that lightness. It's crushing, that emptiness.”
—
121 people liked it
“Time folds you in its arms and gives you one last kiss, and then it flattens you out and folds you up and tucks you away until it's time for you to become someone else's past time, and then time folds again.”
—
76 people liked it
More quotes…
Jessica, I do feel her w...more
Dec 29, 2008 04:25am
*bows at Atwood's feet*
Dec 29, 2008 10:19am