Margaret Atwood’s short story, Stone Mattress, is about to get the Hollywood treatment. Find out more and read my book review.
In 2014, I stumbled across a book by Margaret Atwood called Stone Mattress: Nine Tales. Admittedly, I wasn’t a fan of short story books at the time for reasons I can’t remember, but Atwood’s book changed everything. I flew through each short story, some more interesting than the rest. Admittedly, when combining my ratings on all the stories, I only gave the book three out of five stars, but some of the stories are worth five stars on their own! The titular short story, “Stone Mattress,” is about to become a major movie starring Julianne Moore. Find out more about the movie and the book, and read my book review.
Movie adaptation:
The movie adaptation of the short story “Stone Mattress” is finally moving forward. Directed by Lynne Ramsay, it is set to star Julianne Moore (May December), Sandra Oh (Killing Eve), and Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights). Filming will start in the second half of 2024. Not much more is known at this time, but I can’t wait to see how it all turns out!
Verna (Moore) embarks on a luxurious cruise in the Arctic Northwest Passage. It’s on this cruise ship that she meets two characters, friendly and charming Grace (Oh), and the shy but mysterious Bob, an unaccompanied man in his mid-sixties who inherited a family business.
Lynne Ramsay’s ‘Stone Mattress’ to Shoot in Late 2024 — World of Reel
What is the book about?
A collection of highly imaginative short pieces that speak to our times with deadly accuracy.
A recently widowed fantasy writer is guided through a stormy winter evening by the voice of her late husband. An elderly lady with Charles Bonnet syndrome comes to terms with the little people she keeps seeing, while a newly formed populist group gathers to burn down her retirement residence. A woman born with a genetic abnormality is mistaken for a vampire, and a crime committed long ago is revenged in the Arctic via a 1.9 billion-year-old stromatolite.
In these nine tales, Margaret Atwood ventures into the shadowland earlier explored by fabulists and concoctors of dark yarns such as Robert Louis Stevenson, Daphne du Maurier and Arthur Conan Doyle – and also by herself, in her award-winning novel Alias Grace. In Stone Mattress, Margaret Atwood is at the top of her darkly humorous and seriously playful game. [GoodReads.com]
My (2014) review:
I purchased Stone Mattress: Nine Tales by Margaret Atwood this past October after seeing a review online. Stone Mattress is a collection of nine short stories, all balancing on the edge of weird or creepy but never falling into true horror, which is great for me since I’m not always the biggest fan of scary books (I’m a coward; go ahead and laugh).
Margaret Atwood’s work is hit or miss for me; fortunately, Stone Mattress is a success. Each story in this collection showcases Atwood’s talent for blending bizarre stories with everyday characters. The stories are filled with her genuine wit and observations about human nature, and she often explores themes of aging, memory, and the past’s influence on the present.
The titular story, “Stone Mattress,” is a standout, both for its dark humor and unexpected twists. It’s a tale of revenge that feels fantastical yet totally plausible. Other stories, like “Torching the Dusties,” offer a more sobering look at society and the way we treat the elderly.
Stone Mattress: Nine Tales proves Margaret Atwood is a master of the short story format. It’s perfect for those who enjoy fiction with a touch of the unusual. Whether you’re a long-time fan of Atwood or a newcomer to her work, this collection is worth your time.
