I will read anything Margaret Atwood writes, with such an extensive backlist of books its proving quite the feat but as this is a short story, its a good place for those wanting to read her work to start. Though I will always recommend My Evil Mother as a great starting place for her writings.

“I would someday relate their lives for them. Why did they want this? Why does anyone? We resist the notion that we’ll become mere handfuls of dust, so we wish to become words instead. Breath in the mouths of others.”

An emotional short story described from the perspective of an unnamed narrator the friendship of two men after the war and how their lives have changed.

I have enjoyed many of Margaret Atwood's books so I was looking forward to settling down with this one. It's nicely written, but not exceptional. A short story about two WWII veterans, it's entertaining but is too short to go very deeply into anything. An enjoyable read but not one that will stay with me for a long time after I finished it.

I feel like Margaret Atwood has evolved to the stage where she could write a grocery list and people would still rate is five stars.
Although very touching, this was too short to really be the level of amazing people are claiming it is.
A nice quick read for like a road trip or something though.

This is a short novella by highly acclaimed author Margaret Atwood. I have loved many of her novels. This story is quite different - following two men who were in WWII together, until they are in their 70’s. It’s a different style and pacing than I am used to, but it’s an interesting novella.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this!

I very much enjoyed this story from the renowned Margaret Atwood. She is always so inventive and descriptive, and this one was no exception.

While I am a fan of Margaret Atwood (Alias Grace bring my favorite) I was not a fan of Two Scorched Men. While I appreciate that it’s a short story, I think it needed more. I think the story & characters would have benefited from a novel format, as I think too much meaning was packed into too small of a book. Because there was so much packed into this short story I think a lot of it went over my head. Overall it was not as enjoyable as Atwood’s other works in my opinion.

Margaret Atwood is an incredible writer, and this short story was on different. It was not my cup of tea, I felt lost for most of the story and had a hard time staying engaged. However, it is a journey and I am glad I stayed until the end. Will always read Atwood's work!

Hum, I was not convinced by this book. I don't know what I was expecting but more than that. The plot was not it for me and the characters were so flat. I don't understand what Margaret Atwood was trying to do here.

A short story about the long-last impact of war on the lives of veterans and how it can unconsciously dictate the terms and conditions in which they live the rest of their lives. This is a short yet compelling story about friendship, melancholy that fills life as a result of the aftermath of war, and the emotional and psychological consequences that certain decisions taken by the leaders in a pursuit to win a meaningless battle has on the lives of common men.

Overall a good read. I would give it a 3 on 5.

I don't know what I was expecting from this short novella but I was hoping for more than I got. I can't find a lot to say about this one,Im not even sure I understood the angle of it. The story didn't go anywhere for me and the characters were all one dimensional. This one wasn't for me.

Interesting short story! Taut and gripping, Atwood is always great to read. One of the characters seems to be her subtle send-up of Mad Men. There are some interesting perspectives provided on the activities of the French Resistance. The titular two scorched men have been scorched, literally from the war, but life's added a few burn marks as well! They survived, and continue to make a fist of it, however.

Having loved Margaret Attwood's other books I expected the same brilliance in this book, however, i didn't get it. Story follows two war veterans rejoining society after the wars being changed dramatically. It was confusing jumping back and forth. Not Attwood's usual way of writing and this was not her finest piece of work.

I would like to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Two scorched men tells the story of two men after the world war and their views on the world after the war.
I found this book a bit confusing but the more you read it. You view the world through these men's eye before and after the war.

'Two Scorched Men": 3⭐

(Unpaid Review: thank you to @margaretatwood, @netgalley and @scribd for allowing me to read this eArc copy in exchange for a review.)

I adore this woman's writing, flawless and untamed and always alluring. Always clinging to the realness in literature, she can always bring a new perspective into fiction as well.
This story is set in WWII, with two men the author once knew and how gorgeous and appalling was to read about love and sacrifice and painfully, death. It was a story that will cling in our hearts!

Margaret Atwood is such a great writer that even short stories captivate you.
I enjoyed this one, though sometimes I felt too lost, specially in the beginning.
I'm not a superman of short stories, I gave a chance to this one because of the author, so I would recommend this one to someone who enjoys short stories, but if you're like me, I would recommend reading a novel written by her instead of this one.

Although not a typical Atwood tale, this emotional story involving two men who have experienced so much in life, felt profound. The way this short work is able to pull you into the lives of the main characters will leave the reader feeling a bit overwhelmed emotionally, but satisfied at the end because of a life well-lived.

Book Review: Two Scorched Men by Margaret Atwood


Rating: ★★★★

In Summary 

Genre: fiction; semi-autobiographical tale

Publication Date: 4th August 2021 via Scribd

No. Of Pages: 29

Keywords: history; friendship; life experiences; death; PTSD; war

Content Warnings: death; injury; discussion of war and trauma

Format: e-book and audiobook, both via Scribd Originals

Image courtesy of NetGalley

Review

Margaret Atwood enjoys a level of notoriety that most authors, especially those still with us, can only dream of. Her books have been turned into films and TV series, all with success. She even has the presence to serve viewers a cameo appearance in some of these adaptations; in the style of Alfred Hitchcock and Stan Lee. 


They are studied on educational curricula at all levels and used as political and social allegories; providing commentaries on our greatest achievements and failures, as well as insight into our deepest dystopian nightmares. 


So when I heard she had written a short story, I was keen to get my hands on a copy. When I found out this short story was semi-autobiographical, I was nothing short of ravenous for it. 

 

"Two Scorched Men" follows the friendship between two very different men whose lives have been unalterably changed by the effects of World War Two and the tragedies they have seen. 


Our two protagonists; John and Francois; could not be more different. Short-tempered and hot-headed, John is a former Royal Navy soldier who now lives in France and owns the house rented by the narrator. Friendly Frenchman Francois has a humorous wit, but also a history with the French Resistance. Much the calm to John's storm, Francois was part of the Resistance and his personal life is littered with tragedies that are juxtaposed with his jovial nature.

The friendship is recounted by a narrator;unnamed and almost omnipresent, the narrator weaves their experiences of the men with an outsider’s view of their friendship and details of each man's past which have been shared candidly with the narrator and their partner. 


Atwood has said the book is a semi-autobiographical account of a year she spent living with her husband and daughter in Provence. Francois and John are real people, who recounted their stories to Atwood during her time there. This makes the story all the more poignant; these friends existed, they lived through the tragedies we read about and the reader feels all the more in tune with the story because of this. 


As a short story, it's hard to give too many details without spoiling the events of the book. However, I will say this: I devoured this book in half an hour and during that time I laughed and cried without exaggeration. John and Francois are realistic, endearing and sometimes irritating characters. You become embroiled in their story and your emotions are exhausted by the end of it. Margaret Atwood has managed to condense the emotions and details that make her novels so enthralling into a short story that will not disappoint her fans.

The Round Up

Standout Quote or Moment: “I would someday relate their lives for them. Why did they want this? Why does anyone? We resist the notion that we’ll become mere handfuls of dust, so we wish to become words instead. Breath in the mouths of others.” 


Read If: You're an Atwood fan; you enjoy short stories; you like an emotional read. 


Similar Books: All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr; Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls; They Both Die At The End by Anthony Silvera; Things We Never Said by Nick Alexander


Last Impressions: Emotional and poignant, whilst still being an easy and quick read, this is a must for both long-time fans of Atwood and those that are new to her writing. I think this book would be a great introduction to Atwood's writing style.



Written by Jenna Tomlinson

This book was gripping. I was sucked in and could not put it down! The concept was so unique, I loved this book.

An interesting short story that discusses friendship, trauma, finding purpose in life and accepting death.

Normally I love Margaret Atwood’s works (The Handmaids Tale and Oryx and Crake are my two favourite novels) but I didn’t love this one. It was good but I wasn’t sucked into the story like I was with the above two. I also found the beginning a little confusing as I wasn’t sure what was going on.

I really enjoyed the few sections on WWII and the horrors both François and John endured. The reader could really understand how these moments affected their personality and changed them, usually for the worst by making them pessimistic.

Thank you to Scribd and NetGalley for the ARC.