It is difficult to describe this book as each story doesn't really fit neatly into place with the others. Where some collections of short stories have overarching themes in common, repeated motifs and even recurring characters, reading from story to story seemed more like a broken stream of consciousness. Atwood wrote them at different stages of her life and career, and I think we should consider this book by its parts rather than its whole effect. Recently, I have realised that the reason why everyone seems to remember or like different stories from a collection like this is because they are so personal. I found I could relate to some with such an intensity that I don't think I'll ever forget them and others seemed alien to me; like looking through someone else's eyes and realising you are a different height, distracted by the differences rather than the story itself. 

Nevertheless, I will note down the short stories that I found the most memorable (this is my review after all).

My favourite was Giving Birth, the last short story as it had an interesting commentary on language we have assigned to the act of 'giving birth'. Here Atwood questions what it is to give birth, who is giving, who is receiving... and I loved it. I thought it was very clever, particularly by posing these questions through the slightly defracted lens of the main character and the shadow women that follows her during her birth. 

Some stories I found strange like ' Polarities ' while others I found brilliantly weird ('Hair Jewellery'). It really is subjective but if you, reader, are planning on reading this. I would advise you to go in with an open mind, forget the negative reviews around this one and make up your own mind. 

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this collection of stories. My favorite was probably “A Travel Piece.”