Steen Christiansen reviewed Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)
Review of "Handmaid's Tale" on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Astonishingly good.
Epub
English language
Published Aug. 14, 1986 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
The Handmaid's Tale
4 stars
(419 reviews)
The Handmaid’s Tale is a novel of such power that the reader will be unable to forget its images and its forecast. Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States and is now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans. The regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for the women and men in its population.
The story is told through the eyes of Offred, one of the unfortunate Handmaids under the new social order. In condensed but eloquent prose, by turns cool-eyed, tender, despairing, passionate, and wry, she reveals to us the dark corners behind the establishment’s calm facade, as certain tendencies now in existence are carried to their logical conclusions. The …
The Handmaid’s Tale is a novel of such power that the reader will be unable to forget its images and its forecast. Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States and is now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans. The regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for the women and men in its population.
The story is told through the eyes of Offred, one of the unfortunate Handmaids under the new social order. In condensed but eloquent prose, by turns cool-eyed, tender, despairing, passionate, and wry, she reveals to us the dark corners behind the establishment’s calm facade, as certain tendencies now in existence are carried to their logical conclusions. The Handmaid’s Tale is funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing. It is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and a tour de force. It is Margaret Atwood at her best. source: www.hmhbooks.com/shop/books/The-Handmaids-Tale/9780547345666
Ika Makimaki reviewed Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)
Review of "Handmaid's Tale" on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I already knew I liked Margaret Atwood. The whole MaddAdam trilogy was brilliant, thought provoking and fun. So I went into the Handmaid's Tale ready to find more of her very strong, direct and raw storytelling.
I wasn't disappointed. The Handmaid's Tale paints a picture of a very distopian possible future, where (Chrsitian) religious zeal has taken over government, morality and politics. It centers on the situation women find themselves in as part of this overly puritanical and totalitarian regime. They are divided in what you could call "castes", and they fear and control each other.
Through this Tale, Atwood reflects about the realities of power, control, fear, and agency. The women are forbidden to access knowledge. The men are separated from them and the isolation and loneliness rules this world.
It felt a little bit like a woman-centric 1984 (and I think that's a good thing) and it really …
I already knew I liked Margaret Atwood. The whole MaddAdam trilogy was brilliant, thought provoking and fun. So I went into the Handmaid's Tale ready to find more of her very strong, direct and raw storytelling.
I wasn't disappointed. The Handmaid's Tale paints a picture of a very distopian possible future, where (Chrsitian) religious zeal has taken over government, morality and politics. It centers on the situation women find themselves in as part of this overly puritanical and totalitarian regime. They are divided in what you could call "castes", and they fear and control each other.
Through this Tale, Atwood reflects about the realities of power, control, fear, and agency. The women are forbidden to access knowledge. The men are separated from them and the isolation and loneliness rules this world.
It felt a little bit like a woman-centric 1984 (and I think that's a good thing) and it really brought home the impotence brought about by ignorance and disconnection from others. It is also mysterious in its own way, and, no spoilers, the epilogue makes a really important contribution to the context of the story.
It felt a very relevant read in these times of religious intolerance and huge discussions about human (and particularly women's) rights.
I also hear that a TV series is being cast and will be filmed soon, based on this book. I suspect it is going to become very popular soon. So join the cool kids and give it a read! :)
okenwillow reviewed La servante écarlate by Margaret Atwood
Review of 'La servante écarlate' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
La servante écarlate, c’est le Petit chaperon rouge sous l’Inquisition, plus ou moins. La narratrice ne nous explique pas grand-chose de ce qui a conduit à l’avènement d’une société patriarcale et totalitaire, dominée par la religion. Ses allusions, ses souvenirs sont les seuls indices dont le lecteur dispose.[...]
[La suite sur mon blog, merci :)]
Enno reviewed The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)
Review of "The Handmaid's Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)" on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
What an intense book. As dystopias go, this is one of the most oppressive, dark and inhumane ones in any book I have read.
Michael @ Knowledge Lost reviewed Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)
Review of "Handmaid's Tale" on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Most people would be familiar with Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale; a Christian totalitarian theocracy has overthrown the US government and are controlling reproduction. Set in the not so distant future, this dystopian society serves as a platform for Margaret Atwood to explore some real issues. Written in 1985, it is surprising to think that these themes and issues are still relevant thirty years later.
When I read this novel about four years ago, I think I missed the point, saying “I felt like Margaret Atwood spent too much time trying to explain the dystopian world in which The Handmaid’s Tale is set rather than the story itself.” I obviously was reading this book for its plot rather than trying to understand what Atwood wanted to say. To be fair I recognised this, citing “I understand she was trying to create a world that was a metaphor of a …
Most people would be familiar with Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale; a Christian totalitarian theocracy has overthrown the US government and are controlling reproduction. Set in the not so distant future, this dystopian society serves as a platform for Margaret Atwood to explore some real issues. Written in 1985, it is surprising to think that these themes and issues are still relevant thirty years later.
When I read this novel about four years ago, I think I missed the point, saying “I felt like Margaret Atwood spent too much time trying to explain the dystopian world in which The Handmaid’s Tale is set rather than the story itself.” I obviously was reading this book for its plot rather than trying to understand what Atwood wanted to say. To be fair I recognised this, citing “I understand she was trying to create a world that was a metaphor of a totalitarian society and explore the issue of women’s right” but even that makes me sound naive or stupid. One reason I like rereading books is for the fact that it shows me how much I have improved as a reader. I gave The Handmaid’s Tale three stars when I read it in 2011, but it is now clear to me that this is a brilliant novel and needs a much higher rating.
Looking at this dystopian society; the government wants control over reproduction. To do this, women become a political tool, rather than humans. This government was created due to a dramatic decrease in birth rates. Women become the property of their husband or the state. Women are not allowed to vote, have jobs, read or anything else that might make them have individual thoughts.
“There is no such thing as a sterile man anymore, not officially. There are only women who are fruitful and women who are barren, that’s the law.”
This one quote really summed up this novel for me; the whole idea that women are only useful for one thing. Women are considered subhuman and their only use involves their ovaries and womb. Even the main character, Offred reflects in one scene that her body was an instrument of passion and desire but now she has only one purpose; reproduction. She does not consider it rape, because she signed up to be a Handmaid; but what other choice did she have? In fact rape is severely punished and the government believes the women are protected. Yet would it not be considered rape if we take away the women’s rights, including their right to give consent?
There are many layers that could be explored within The Handmaid’s Tale, I would like to explore the novel deeper. I think looking at this book from a religious angle would be interesting as well, and I think I will need to give it a reread before considering that. I am glad to give this book another go; rereading this was eye opening and really highlighted just how much I have grown. One thing I found humorous was that Margaret Atwood set this book in the United States of America and references escaping to safety in Canada. This is an iconic novel and Atwood is an author well worth exploring; having said that, I have only read The Handmaid’s Tale and the MaddAddam trilogy. Lucky for me, I have so many more Margaret Atwood novels to explore.
This review originally appeared on my blog; www.knowledgelost.org/book-reviews/genre/classic/the-handmaids-tale-by-margaret-atwood/
LuisVilla reviewed Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)
Review of "Handmaid's Tale" on 'Goodreads'
Powerful, depressing. Too much of the latter for me to enjoy even if it did make me a more conscious person.
chadkoh reviewed Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)
Review of "Handmaid's Tale" on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Atwood's exploration of language, her use of symbolism and structuring of this book makes it a classic worth study, from a technical perspective. The issues she tackles might seem to be appropriate for 1985 — when the book was published — but the topics are truly enduring. Totalitarianism not only dominates politics and religion, but also gender. As Atwood shows, subjects lose of control of even their bodies.
This is my first Atwood and I want more.
The audiobook is narrated by Claire Danes, who does an EXCELLENT job. I look forward to listening to more of her work.
Daniel Norton reviewed Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)
Review of "Handmaid's Tale" on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
take two on this review because Marc objected to the original
This is a beautifully written book with a highly empathetic narrator in a world that I found a bit over dramatized. I would have appreciated the story more if it was a bit more nuanced.
franksbooks reviewed The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)
Review of "The Handmaid's Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)" on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Atwood truly has an interesting way of deriving ideas and presenting them with potentially intriguing characters. Bundle that with her erudite prose and it's not surprising she's had a successful career.
In this novel, Just as you reconcile yourself with the idea that the nature of the narrative might be to disguise it's true intentions - just like all the major protagonists do - it breaks down into the simplistic reacquaintance with referred characters. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that the (welcome) ending was spoiled by the superfluous historical note.
Chris Mayes reviewed The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)
Review of "The Handmaid's Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)" on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
It took forever for this book to get going, but it turned out to be a pretty gripping paranoid journey through a newly totalitarian state. The 1980s writing perspective adds a Cold War-era flavor to the cultural references.
Lowrain reviewed Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)
Review of "Handmaid's Tale" on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
I find myself often thinking we'll soon have this dystopian future, given the struggle to maintain women's access to reproductive health and self-determination.
Thomas Gaffney reviewed Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)
Review of "Handmaid's Tale" on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
I just don't have words to describe what a phenomenal book this is. Margaret Atwood is one of (if not THE) best living authors today. This book sucked me in from the beginning and pulled me along, voyeuristicly through Offred's story, to a conclusion that had me wanting more.
A scary look at a possibly future (especially in America) that everyone should read.
