The Handmaid's Tale
by Margaret Atwood
311 pages
McClelland and Stewart, 1985
dystopian/science fiction
Read in 5 days
Another Review
Another Review
My Rating: ★★★★
"We slept in what had once been the gymnasium."
Review: Written from the point of view of Offred we learn what can happen when a society begins to allow a government to tell them what to do, if it's said to be with good intentions. Now, I know a lot of people who've read this book either liked it or hated it. There really is no way to love a book that talks of women as mere vessels for pregnancy and nothing more.
This book reads like 1984 but the religious element is utilized more in this story. I must say I disagree that this is what would happen if Christianity were to become the master class and rule the world, as many critics and people who've read this book believe. In fact, I felt religion was used as a tool to force others to comply. There are many who've never read the Bible but in times of great fear and as a last hope would flock to God (or any other higher being) to pray and ask for assistance. This new form of global government preyed on those weaknesses and took certain portions of the Bible to justify the choices they were making. Certain men became the ruling class and women were seen as a means to ensure the population did not dwindle.
The first thing I noticed was Ms. Atwood's lack of quotation marks for the character conversations. They would show up every now and then. Being the over analytical person that I am I thought there was some reasoning behind this. But after further analysis I cannot see what that reason is. Either use quotation marks or don't but to jump around the way she did almost felt a bit lazy on her part? It wasn't confusing however, it's simple enough to tell when a person is talking out loud to someone else and when they aren't. It's just helpful to have quotation marks is all.
The ending was a disappointment. I would have liked something a bit more final, even if it turned out that Offred was ultimately sent to the point of no return? Perhaps there might be a sequel in the future? I doubt it. Unless there is really some underground group of people seeking to find a way to get back to normal, whatever normal is for them and if they remember it?
This is one of those books I'm glad I read but will probably never read again. Is it worth being considered a classic? Yes. Would I recommend it to everyone I meet who's looking for a good book to read? Probably not. It would depend on the person. This is not a book for just anyone to pick up and expect to be riveted and enjoy right away. I daresay some might even be unable to finish it. The plot is fairly simple: Offred is fighting to survive this world that changed so quickly and remember her husband, daughter and mother, whom she has not seen and may never see again. It's not the best storyline ever but it's what carried the story for over 300 pages nonetheless.
This book reads like 1984 but the religious element is utilized more in this story. I must say I disagree that this is what would happen if Christianity were to become the master class and rule the world, as many critics and people who've read this book believe. In fact, I felt religion was used as a tool to force others to comply. There are many who've never read the Bible but in times of great fear and as a last hope would flock to God (or any other higher being) to pray and ask for assistance. This new form of global government preyed on those weaknesses and took certain portions of the Bible to justify the choices they were making. Certain men became the ruling class and women were seen as a means to ensure the population did not dwindle.
The first thing I noticed was Ms. Atwood's lack of quotation marks for the character conversations. They would show up every now and then. Being the over analytical person that I am I thought there was some reasoning behind this. But after further analysis I cannot see what that reason is. Either use quotation marks or don't but to jump around the way she did almost felt a bit lazy on her part? It wasn't confusing however, it's simple enough to tell when a person is talking out loud to someone else and when they aren't. It's just helpful to have quotation marks is all.
The ending was a disappointment. I would have liked something a bit more final, even if it turned out that Offred was ultimately sent to the point of no return? Perhaps there might be a sequel in the future? I doubt it. Unless there is really some underground group of people seeking to find a way to get back to normal, whatever normal is for them and if they remember it?
This is one of those books I'm glad I read but will probably never read again. Is it worth being considered a classic? Yes. Would I recommend it to everyone I meet who's looking for a good book to read? Probably not. It would depend on the person. This is not a book for just anyone to pick up and expect to be riveted and enjoy right away. I daresay some might even be unable to finish it. The plot is fairly simple: Offred is fighting to survive this world that changed so quickly and remember her husband, daughter and mother, whom she has not seen and may never see again. It's not the best storyline ever but it's what carried the story for over 300 pages nonetheless.
Synopsis: It is the world of the near future, and Offred is a Handmaid in the home of the Commander and his wife. She is allowed out once a day to the food market, she is not permitted to read, and she is hoping the Commander makes her pregnant, because she is only valued if her ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she was an independent woman, had a job of her own, a husband and child. But all of that is gone now...everything has changed.
To learn more about Margaret Atwood, visit her site here.
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