PAPER BOAT New and Selected Poems: 1961-2023

Although her novels overshadow her other works, Margaret Atwood's poetry has won the Governor General's Award--roughly equivalent to the Pulitzer. Her latest collection, which she delivers in this audio edition, includes selections from her entire career and involves subjects that range from the Canadian experience to life as an aging woman alone. Perhaps as a way of refraining from imposing interpretations on the listener, Atwood uses a truncated spectrum of volume, tone, and emotion in her narration. This does invite the listener into the poems but also leaves them sounding rather the same, which does them a disservice. They are rich in variety, imagery, and language, and it would be interesting--and useful--to learn more about what they mean to the author. D.M.H. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2024]