Moral Disorder

3 stars

This was actually a book I didn't read, but rather listened to it on my ipod while doing housework. Kind of the same thing, as I heard the book, but didn't actually "read" it. I find that listening to books while hanging up clothes, doing dishes, etc. breaks up the monotony of housework and sometimes, if the book is really good, I make up stuff to do so I may continue "reading". So anyway, just wanted to clear that up.
First I am going to talk a little about Margaret Atwood, she is a fairly well acclaimed author, the only books I am at all familiar with are: The Handmaid's Tale, Cat's Eye and I believe Amy and Mom read "The Tent" in book club a while back? This is my first book of hers I have actually read (but didn't: see above). Anyway, all I have to say is that it was interesting stories to do housework to. I didn't find in particularly enlightening, nor did I get a big "wow" at the end. In fact, more then anything it got a big HUH?
It is cited as being a collection of stories which is true, as they all stand on their own, but it is stories of the same lady as a young girl, a teenager, a college age girl and an adult, then a (fairly) old lady.
Here is what the back had to say:

Margaret Atwood’s latest brilliant collection of short stories follows the life of a single character, seen as a girl growing up the 1930s, a young woman in the 50s and 60s, and, in the present day, half of a couple, no longer young, reflecting on the new state of the world. Each story focuses on the ways relationships transform a character’s life: a woman’s complex love for a married man, the grief upon the death of parents and the joy with the birth of children, the realization of what growing old with someone you love really means. By turns funny, lyrical, incisive, earthy, shocking, and deeply personal, Moral Disorder displays Atwood’s celebrated storytelling gifts and unmistakable style to their best advantage.

I've got to say, it was well written, she does seem to have a knack for storytelling, I suppose you could call it "earthy" but I gotta say, I certainly was never "shocked". To sum up: I liked it ok, I wouldn't call it a waste of time (how could you when you were able to put away 6 loads of laundry, clean 3 bathrooms including floors and tubs and showers, do countless amounts of dishes all while reading?) Although it certainly wasn't what I would describe as "memorable", but well written. Read this book if you are looking for something easy, relaxing, and good old fashioned storytelling, but don't expect to be totally wowed (or shocked).