Margaret Atwood
1985
Around 310 pages
Damn, I really wish this novel didn't resonant so much. Margaret Atwood brilliantly takes women's fears to the extreme and brings them to their logical conclusion. I was so disturbed by this that I have never been able to watch the Hulu series, even though I hear good things.
Set in the not so distant future, the story takes place in Gilead, a patriarchal, white supremacist, totalitarian state, which has overthrown the United States government. Our narrator Offred (Of Fred, geddit?) is one of the "Handmaids," who are women forcibly assigned to produce children for the "Commanders," the ruling class. We get a glimpse of Offred's life before the takeover, which was honestly the most chilling part. Those early signs that something was wrong, like suddenly not being able to access your bank account, were so well done.
Atwood says that all of the scenarios offered in The Handmaid's Tale have actually occurred in real life, and would bring newspaper articles to interviews to prove it. Outside of the obvious relevance to the United States in particular, Atwood is a wonderful storyteller and is a master at pacing and world-building.
There are so many memorable moments from this novel and I am happy to report that the sequel provides an equally compelling follow up. What an ending too. Perfect from start to finish.
RATING: *****
Interesting Facts:
Interesting Facts:
The American Library Association lists The Handmaid's Tale as number 37 on the "100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–2000"
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1 comment:
This was a great book. The sequel was perfectly done. She is a masterful storyteller. I too, am unable to watch the series as the book was upsetting enough. Unfortunately, people in the U.S. are using it as a manual.
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