A review by sandrinepal
Cut & Thirst: A Short Story by Margaret Atwood

dark funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 Not prime Atwood, for my money. The story fails to live up to the promise of its opening line:

"We could just push them out of windows," says Leonie.

No one gets defenestrated, in fact nothing much happens beyond a bad case of the runs (offset, one hopes, by the weed thrown in). It's a little funny, a little endearing, a little refreshing in the way it shows that 'cancel culture' is a storied, man-led tradition in academia when it comes to female scholars. But a little feels like too little on all counts here.