A solid collection of (very) short stories/prose poems split into five sections along various themes. Atwood uses rhythm, allusion, and the careful portioning out of information to excellent effect throughout, but especially in the first and last sections. Her work connected most when it was dealing with the issues in these two sections: cruelty, age and youthful expectations, sex, and gender, all treated with, by turn, detached interest and deep sympathy. The power of the prose diminished a bit in the second section, the only section to contain just one story, and one which came across as somewhat unfocused. Otherwise, thoroughly recommended.