Moral Disorder : Book Review



Book Review

 

Title: Moral Disorder and other stories

Author: Margaret Atwood

Genre: Fiction/Short Story Collection

 

Moral Disorder is a collection of short stories that follows the life of one woman character named Nell. The author chronicles Nell’s life from a young girl entrusted with responsibilities towards her family, wanting to lead an independent life, grappling with changes in societal values, dealing with complexity in relationships until her twilight years. 

 

Some of the stories are written in first person narrative and gradually shifts to third person in the second half of the book. The author chalks out the life of a character in a manner which makes the reader wonder if this could have possibly ended up as a novella instead of a short story collection.  There is a certain element of morbidity in every story showcasing the vulnerabilities of the character. She touches upon themes of change, fear, anxiety, loneliness and also illnesses like Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia.  The writing is lyrical, vivid and moving. The stories are spread over a time period in different locales ranging from cities, suburbs to the countryside. 

 

Moral Disorder is a complex read examining family life and relationships. It’s a book which leaves you with several thoughts. 






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