Burning Questions — Margaret Atwood

Paperback | Vintage | September 5, 2023

The Gist

One of the literary GOATS puts together a collection of essays about books and authors, women’s writes, climate change, and politics and shows off why she is a GOAT.

Read if you like

• The Handmaid’s Tale also by Margret Atwood

• Alias Grace also by Margret Atwood

• Letters from a Stoic by Seneca

Verdict: If You’re a Writer, Buy It

With over fifty books of fiction, poetry, essays, and graphic novels under her belt, it’s safe to say that Margaret Atwood is a literary titan. The essays in Burning Questions span from 2004 to 2022, focusing on major events. Atwood’s work revolves around literature, the climate crisis, the state of democracy, and women’s rights. These are massive topics that Atwood continues to come back to again and again. Like she states in her introduction, an essay is an attempt and through each Atwood is attempting to work through her thoughts and opinions on the rollercoaster chain of events that have unfolded over the last 18 years. The underlying question this collection is asking: Is how does one lead a literary life and what is the role of the writer during times like these? Not every attempt is perfect, but Atwood’s writing is always sharp and her thoughtfulness is always apparent. It’s this thoughtfulness that makes you want to keep reading.