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Burning Questions

Essays and Occasional Pieces, 2004-2022

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Burning Questions

Written by: Margaret Atwood
Narrated by: Margaret Atwood, Omar El Akkad, Naomi Alderman, Stephanie Belding, Amanda Cordner, Lorna Crozier, Tess Degenstein, Ann Dowd, Esi Edugyan, Kaniehtiio Horn, Ann Marie Macdonald, Amelia Sargisson
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About this listen

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

From cultural icon Margaret Atwood comes a brilliant collection of essays—funny, erudite, endlessly curious, uncannily prescient—which seek answers to Burning Questions such as:

Why do people everywhere, in all cultures, tell stories?

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 over 50 pieces Atwood aims her prodigious intellect and impish humour 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 debt to tech, the climate crisis to freedom; from when to dispense advice to the young (answer: only when asked) to how to define granola, we have no better guide to the many and varied mysteries of our universe.

©2022 Margaret Atwood (P)2022 McClelland & Stewart
Art & Literature Essays Literature & Fiction Nonfiction Funny
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What the critics say

"[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

Featured Article: 15 Top Canadian Audiobooks of 2022 for Captivating Listens

There have been plenty of top Canadian books released in 2022, but even in a sea of excellence these listens stand out from the pack. The best of the best? Look no further.

What listeners say about Burning Questions

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Worth a listen

Definitely ebbs and flows but overall worth the time it required and thoughts it provokes.

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Well worth the listen

I really enjoyed this audio book. It’s as if the various stories were being delivered especially to me. The various topics and warnings are still relevant today. I recommend this book to anyone.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Witty, touching, thought provoking.

Atwood never ceases to make me laugh with her witty turns of phrase. I never come away without things to ponder either. This is a smart collection of writings with a healthy handful of sarcasm and humour. Even her very touching tribute to her late partner Graeme had some chuckles tucked in for good measure.

I am always enchanted by how deftly she folds the main idea of her work in and out of literature and the real world making it ever clear that the line between the two is tenuous at best.

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4 people found this helpful

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Impeccable

Simply, impeccable. This audiobook sets the standard for great writing and faultless production. My burning question though is how can we tell which narrator performs each chapter? Maybe someone at the publishing house can upgrade the metadata, please?

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3 people found this helpful