Product Description

A leathery bog-man transforms an old love affair; a sweet, gruesome gift is sent by the wife of an ex-lover; landscape paintings are haunted by the ghost of a young girl. This dazzling collection of ten short stories takes us into familiar Atwood territory to reveal the logic of irrational behaviour and the many textures lying beneath ordinay life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #247550 in Books
• Published on: 1994-07-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Review
'Margaret Atwood...deserves an adjective - Atwoodian - in recognition of her virtuous wit and unmistakable style' CHICAGO TRIBUNE 'Everything she forms in words has substance and weight' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Vintage, gleaming, catch-your-breath Atwood' SCOTSMAN

About the Author
Margaret Atwood is the author of more than thirty books of fiction, poetry and critical essays. The Handmaid's Tale, Cat's Eye, Alias Grace and this have all been shortlisted for the Booker Prize and she has won many other literary prizes in other countries.

Customer Reviews

Eclectic and real; a must for any Atwood fan
'Wilderness Tips' is a wander through various perspectives on life at large. It is a collection of short stories which looks at the way in which a random selection of people make sense of the lives around them, always addressing the basic human emotions which affect almost every member of the human race. This collection of stories includes 'The Bog Man', the tale of a leathery ancestor who becomes the metaphorical embodiment of a love affair gone cold; 'True Trash', about a summer camp infatuation which results in a pregnancy where the real surprise is in the paternity; and 'Uncles' which tells of a young girl's progress from childhood to a glittering career, with the guardian angel-like presence of her magnanimous uncles always in evidence, despite the malign attempts by some to sabotage her success. This is a typically unpretentious, yet beautiful piece of work by Atwood which will be enjoyed by anyone who appreciates the distinctive writing style of this author. Although I prefer her novels, this book appealed to me because of the many different layers of life it uncovers, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Short Stories
I find I have a place for short stories in my reading portfolio and they are becoming more and more difficult to find. Proven authors like Margaret Atwood still bring out anthologies but the short stories magazines seem to be no longer on the newsagents stands. Magazines that used to have two or three shorts a copy now seem to be made up of human interest articles. The theme that runs through the stories in this book is relationships. Atwood also explores, in depth, a great deal about her characters. Apart from being witty and revealing the stories are often disturbing. There is bound to be a situation or character in this book that reminds readers of themselves or someone they thought they knew well.

Another interesting collection...
...but not as interesting or funny as "Good Bones", another collection of Atwood perspectives.

Still worth buying if you're an Atwood fan though!