🧀 Book Review: Cut and Thirst by Margaret Atwood (Kindle Edition)
A darkly witty tale of revenge, loyalty, and literary justice—Margaret Atwood delivers a sharp, satirical short story that blends cheese, murder plots, and feminist fury in just 35 pages.
🧠 Overview
Published on May 1, 2024, Cut and Thirst is part of the Amazon Original Stories collection. This short fiction centers on three retired professors—Myrna, Leonie, and Chrissy—who meet weekly to reminisce, sample fine cheeses, and, lately, to plot revenge. Their target? A group of aging male poets who decades ago publicly sabotaged the career and health of their dear friend Fern.
Now that Fern’s condition has worsened, the trio decides it’s time to act. But Fern is too gentle to approve of a vendetta, so the women must strike in secret. What unfolds is a humorous yet biting exploration of justice, aging, and the absurdity of vengeance when cataracts and arthritis get in the way.
💬 Reader Reception
- ⭐ Goodreads rating: 3.13/5 from over 28,000 ratings
- 📖 Readers praise Atwood’s signature wit, quirky characters, and playful tone
- 💬 “Three respectable elderly women really sitting in a pastel garden planning the murders of nine has-been writers—it’s upmarket farce with a feminist twist.”
- 🧾 Some found the plot confusing or the ending abrupt, but many enjoyed the blend of humor and dark themes
🔍 Key Themes & Highlights
- 🧀 Cheese-fueled revenge: Weekly cheese tastings become the backdrop for plotting poetic justice
- 👩🏫 Female solidarity: The trio’s loyalty to Fern drives the emotional core of the story
- ✍️ Literary satire: Atwood skewers the pretensions of academia and the literary elite
- 🧠 Aging and agency: The women’s physical limitations add both humor and poignancy to their schemes
- 🎭 Shakespearean flair: Their plan aims for theatrical drama, though reality proves less cooperative
⚠️ Considerations
- 📄 Short format: At just 35 pages, it’s a quick read—more of a character vignette than a full narrative arc
- 🧠 Subtle satire: Best appreciated by readers familiar with literary culture and Atwood’s dry humor
- 📚 Standalone: Not part of a series, but thematically aligned with Atwood’s other feminist and satirical works
🏁 Final Verdict
Cut and Thirst is a clever, compact revenge tale that showcases Margaret Atwood’s ability to blend humor, social critique, and emotional nuance. It’s perfect for fans of literary fiction who enjoy stories about aging women reclaiming power—with a side of brie and a dash of murder.
