Burning Questions

Essays and Occasional Pieces, 2004 to 2021

By: Margaret Atwood

Narrated by: Margaret Atwood, full cast

In this brilliant selection of essays, the award-winning, best-selling author of The Handmaid's Tale and The Testaments offers her funny, erudite, endlessly curious, and uncannily prescient take on everything from whether or not The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopia to the importance of how to define granola—and seeks answers to Burning Questions such as...

• Why do people everywhere, in all cultures, tell stories? Including thoughts on the writing of The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments, Oryx & Crake, and Atwood's other beloved works.
• How much of yourself can you give away without evaporating?
• How can we live on our planet?
• Is it true? And is it fair?
• What do zombies have to do with authoritarianism?

In more than fifty pieces, Atwood aims her prodigious intellect and impish humor at the world, and reports back to us on what she finds. This roller-coaster period brought the end of history, a financial crash, the rise of Trump, and a pandemic. From when to dispense advice to the young (answer: only when asked) to Atwood’s views on the climate crisis, we have no better guide to the many and varied mysteries of our universe.

©2022 Margaret Atwood (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"[Burning Questions] reflects both the urgency of the issues dear to her—literature, feminism, the environment, human rights—and their combustibility...The book’s scope and the perspicacity of her writing evince the reading and thinking of a long life well lived."—Washington Post

"Inspiring...Always in demand for her keen perception and bewitching storytelling, Atwood presents witty, parrying, and complexly illuminating tales about her long, ever-vital writing life."—Booklist

"This collection is marked both by her ongoing concern with the ethical and moral issues her fiction raises and an appealing flexibility in terms of subject matter...Smart and concerned essays and arguments from an author whose global concerns haven’t flagged."—Kirkus

Margaret Atwood’s genius and humor

This is a fine collection, although I wished sometimes for a nature voice more like hers in intonation.

Atwood is the greatest source of joy in our times

Atwood is the greatest source of joy in our times. In this compilation she unearths for us not only the treasures of her writing, but those of many other authors as well.

Right on target.

A Great read. She nails so many issues spot on. Love her use of language.

Loved hearing Ms.Atwood’s voice..

After reading Old Babes in the Woods, I needed to hear more of Ms. Atwood’s voice( sometimes, literally) and views.

Essential

We are lucky she tells us the scary and troubling things she does, in my humble opinion. Thank goodness she makes me laugh too. I especially enjoy hearing her thoughts and/ or research on nature, the lives and history of human beings (especially us women), her own fiction, and the works of other writers.

A Collection for the Mind and Soul

This collection of essays by Margaret Atwood are intriguing, humorous, and relevant in our turbulent times.

After reading/listening to these stories you may have burning questions of your own.

The narrators were great.

Margaret,My Margaret

A long time fan of Atwood’s writings, I was curious about these essays written 2004-2019 and thoroughly enjoyed these various topics. Her wide interest and knowledge on so many topics were not disappointing and recommended for those who would like to read her thoughts on various subjects.

A delicious box of chocolates

Loved this collection. Prefer the author reads but a great experience. Thank you, the genius of your work so appreciated

Atwood rules

If every feminist and environmentalist were as sensible as Ms. Atwood, we would be a lot farther ahead

Excellent!!!

Excellent essays! I gave 4 for performance because I only loved essays that Margaret read herself. I wished she read entire book herself. Margaret is incredibly smart and witty. Fantastic book.