Holiness is a form of monstrosity.

Old Babes in the Wood is a collection of short stories split into three parts. Like much of Atwood’s writing, this book took me a little all over the place.

Part 1, Tig & Nell, took me a while to get into. The three stories were solid and reflective, but they didn’t stand out to me. I wasn’t especially drawn to the characters. I wanted to like them more or feel a deeper connection, I just didn't.

Part 2, My Evil Mother, this is where I found my groove. This section contains eight stories, and four of them hit that perfect five-star mark for me:

My Evil Mother – If not for this collection being written by Margaret Atwood, this would be the reason I picked up the book. This was the story I wanted to read, and it did not disappoint. Fantastic. Nuts. Classic Atwood in the best way.

The Dead Interview – If you could interview any dead famous person, who would it be and what would you ask them? How would they respond? I was completely drawn in and didn’t want it to end.

Impatient Griselda – A super fun and creative take on aliens attempting to tell a human tale. This was funny, adorable, and weird.

Metempsychosis – The soul of a snail trapped in a human body. Weird. So, so good. Somehow touching, upsetting, and absurd all at once.

Part 3 returns us to the characters in Part 1, this time titled Nell & Tig. Unfortunately, this section slowed down for me again. I wasn’t any more invested in the couple than I had been in Part 1, and I found myself skimming the final four stories. They were sad, and meditative and forced the reader to consider mortality, grief, and the loneliness of the loss of a longtime partner. Maybe I could have been more invested, but I found myself not wanting to be.

Overall, Old Babes in the Wood is a mix of hits and misses, but the hits are so worth it.