serc's Full Review: Margaret Atwood - The Handmaid's Tale
I have to admit, I have a weird addiction to this book. I picked it off a bookshelf at random in 1990 (I remember the date clearly, as it was during my one miserable year at an all-women's private Catholic college), and couldn't put it down - even when a cute guy wanted to talk to me on my train ride home! Since that time, I've read it twice more, and seen the movie twice (although I really don't recommend seeing the movie even once). What is so compelling about this book?
The story, brilliantly woven by the inimitable Margaret Atwood, is told in the first person by a woman we know only by the name "Offred." Her real name is never revealed: in this futuristic society (i.e. post 1980's America, a.k.a. "The Republic of Gilead"), women are valued only for their reproductive capacities. Offred has been forced to become a "Handmaid;" a woman whose duty in life it is to attempt to bear a child for a powerful family unable to do so themselves. Environmental problems have made this a necessity. A misogynist theocracy has been established and single women and women who have committed some kind of a crime (such as having been divorced, having had an abortion - even when it was legal, etc.) are the ultimate victims.
Atwood describes a disturbingly believable world in which the government has literally taken over the lives of all women. The main character, Offred, offers a perspective of a possible world that is a utopia for some and a nightmare for others. Atwood's style may not appeal to some readers, as she does use a stream of consciousness technique for Offred. However, I felt that this gave the story an extra believability, as it is Offred's recollections that we are purported to be reading. Offred is not a novelist, but just a person writing her experiences - and based on my own past journaling experiences, I think sometimes wandering off-topic or free-associating a bit makes the story more believable.
This novel is one of my favorite books, but it does have graphic and disturbing content. Again, I felt that this was integral to the plot, but as a book it is probably best read by mature readers. I have enjoyed reading this kind of dystopian novel for years - if you like this, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World should also be on your reading list. For a younger reader interested in dystopian novels, Lois Lowry's The Giver is excellent. Margaret Atwood's other books are pretty different from The Handmaid's Tale, but if you enjoy her writing style, The Robber Bride and Alias Grace are also wonderful reading.
In the world of the near future, who will control women's bodies? Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Comman...More at Barnes & Noble.com
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