Paperback, 522 pages
French language
Published July 6, 2017 by Pavillons Poche/Robert Laffont.
The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, published in 1985. It is set in a near-future New England, in a strongly patriarchal, totalitarian theonomic state, known as Republic of Gilead, that has overthrown the United States government. The central character and narrator is a woman named Offred, one of the group known as "handmaids", who are forcibly assigned to produce children for the "commanders" – the ruling class of men. The novel explores themes of subjugated women in a patriarchal society and the various means by which they resist and attempt to gain individuality and independence. The novel's title echoes the component parts of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, which is a series of connected stories (such as "The Merchant's Tale" and "The Parson's Tale").The Handmaid's Tale won the 1985 Governor General's Award and the first Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1987; it was also …
The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, published in 1985. It is set in a near-future New England, in a strongly patriarchal, totalitarian theonomic state, known as Republic of Gilead, that has overthrown the United States government. The central character and narrator is a woman named Offred, one of the group known as "handmaids", who are forcibly assigned to produce children for the "commanders" – the ruling class of men. The novel explores themes of subjugated women in a patriarchal society and the various means by which they resist and attempt to gain individuality and independence. The novel's title echoes the component parts of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, which is a series of connected stories (such as "The Merchant's Tale" and "The Parson's Tale").The Handmaid's Tale won the 1985 Governor General's Award and the first Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1987; it was also nominated for the 1986 Nebula Award, the 1986 Booker Prize, and the 1987 Prometheus Award. The book has been adapted into a 1990 film, a 2000 opera, a 2017 television series, and other media. The ebook version was published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.A sequel novel, The Testaments, was published in 2019.
The Handmaid’s Tale left me unsettled in the best way. Atwood’s world feels frighteningly plausible, and the quiet, controlled tone makes the oppression hit even harder. It’s not a fast read, but the slow burn is part of the point — you feel how the extraordinary becomes “normal.” A sharp, haunting book I’ll be thinking about for a long time.
I struggled a bit with the style of this novel. The fragmented approach and, to my mind, uneven pacing meant there were too many lulls in between the sections that I did enjoy.
It's one of the few dystopian novels I've read that isn't based on some far future or technological trope, and this made me want to find some more to read.
I enjoyed the historical lecture type section at the end of the book - I would perhaps have preferred more of that throughout for context.
I struggled a bit with the style of this novel. The fragmented approach and, to my mind, uneven pacing meant there were too many lulls in between the sections that I did enjoy.
It's one of the few dystopian novels I've read that isn't based on some far future or technological trope, and this made me want to find some more to read.
I enjoyed the historical lecture type section at the end of the book - I would perhaps have preferred more of that throughout for context.
Je ne savais rien de ce roman – je n'avais pas vu la série – si ce n'est que c'était une dystopie. Et j'ai été impressionné par la qualité et la profondeur de l'écriture. Ça confirme ma conviction qu'il vaut toujours mieux lire un livre avant d'en voir une adaptation.
Je ne savais rien de ce roman – je n'avais pas vu la série – si ce n'est que c'était une dystopie. Et j'ai été impressionné par la qualité et la profondeur de l'écriture. Ça confirme ma conviction qu'il vaut toujours mieux lire un livre avant d'en voir une adaptation.
I read the Handmaid's Tale yesterday, finally. I'm disappointed. I did not like the writing style at all, there was no real story, just descriptions. And then it just ended. No conclusion or anything.
My best guess it's because the TV show was so intense and well made (at least the earlier seasons), and the book was... Not? Episodes would stay with me for days, but I'm struggling to recall the book.
Maybe the book is supposed to be unsatisfying to go with the theme. Nothing much happened after Gilead was created, every day just kinda goes by. Sure there was some torture and death, but... Eh.
Maybe I was expecting too much after all the praise it got. It's my first Atwood book, and way way outside of my usual genre (fantasy, scifi, horror).
I read the Handmaid's Tale yesterday, finally. I'm disappointed. I did not like the writing style at all, there was no real story, just descriptions. And then it just ended. No conclusion or anything.
My best guess it's because the TV show was so intense and well made (at least the earlier seasons), and the book was... Not? Episodes would stay with me for days, but I'm struggling to recall the book.
Maybe the book is supposed to be unsatisfying to go with the theme. Nothing much happened after Gilead was created, every day just kinda goes by. Sure there was some torture and death, but... Eh.
Maybe I was expecting too much after all the praise it got. It's my first Atwood book, and way way outside of my usual genre (fantasy, scifi, horror).
A must read in the current political climate. I like the Hulu TV show better than the book though... the book is good, but I just don't care for: 1) the confusing, random flashbacks in time that don't seem to be triggered by anything in the book's present time; 2) some of the deep, detailed dives into things such as the appearance of a flower. While Hemingway had an excessively sparse writing style for me, Atwood had a bit of an excessively flowery, purple-prose style at times for my taste; 3) the sensation that from the start of the book to the end of the book, nothing progressed. There didn't seem to be a plot, rather just a description of how awful life in Gilead was. Perhaps you can piece together a plot from some of the pre-Gilead flashbacks, but I prefer more linear storylines.
A must read in the current political climate. I like the Hulu TV show better than the book though... the book is good, but I just don't care for: 1) the confusing, random flashbacks in time that don't seem to be triggered by anything in the book's present time; 2) some of the deep, detailed dives into things such as the appearance of a flower. While Hemingway had an excessively sparse writing style for me, Atwood had a bit of an excessively flowery, purple-prose style at times for my taste; 3) the sensation that from the start of the book to the end of the book, nothing progressed. There didn't seem to be a plot, rather just a description of how awful life in Gilead was. Perhaps you can piece together a plot from some of the pre-Gilead flashbacks, but I prefer more linear storylines.
Se me hizo extremadamente pesado y confusa en ocasiones.
Just finished reading The Handmaid's Tale for the second time, to prepare myself for reading The Testaments.
Just as years ago when I read it I still find it incredible and frightening but every page must be read !
Especially now in this day and age.
Just finished reading The Handmaid's Tale for the second time, to prepare myself for reading The Testaments.
Just as years ago when I read it I still find it incredible and frightening but every page must be read !
Especially now in this day and age.
Nederlands (English below)
In aanloop naar [b:De testamenten|53109182|De testamenten|Margaret Atwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1568223162l/53109182.SX50_SY75.jpg|66802198] wilde ik ook The handmaid’s tale van Margaret Atwood (1939) herlezen, het boek waarmee de Canadese schrijver in 1985 op veel gerenommeerde shortlists terechtkwam. In 2017 kwam het opnieuw in de belangstelling na het verschijnen van de gelijknamige televisieserie; in 2019 schreef Atwood een vervolg, waarmee ze – samen met [b:Girl, Woman, Other|41081373|Girl, Woman, Other|Bernardine Evaristo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1542296262l/41081373.SY75.jpg|64185267] van Bernardine Evaristo – de Booker Prize won.
Atwood schetst een dystopisch scenario voor de Verenigde Staten, waarin een christelijke groepering de macht heeft overgenomen en de totalitaire heilstaat Gilead heeft gesticht. Het verhaal richt zich in het bijzonder op de positie van vrouwen, die zijn gedemoveerd tot wegwerpproducten, of two-legged wombs in de woorden van hoofdpersoon Offred, een ‘dienstmaagd’ wiens bestaan afhangt van haar vruchtbaarheid. Atwood wisselt haar beschrijving van Gilead af met de herinneringen van Offred aan de …
Nederlands (English below)
In aanloop naar [b:De testamenten|53109182|De testamenten|Margaret Atwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1568223162l/53109182.SX50_SY75.jpg|66802198] wilde ik ook The handmaid’s tale van Margaret Atwood (1939) herlezen, het boek waarmee de Canadese schrijver in 1985 op veel gerenommeerde shortlists terechtkwam. In 2017 kwam het opnieuw in de belangstelling na het verschijnen van de gelijknamige televisieserie; in 2019 schreef Atwood een vervolg, waarmee ze – samen met [b:Girl, Woman, Other|41081373|Girl, Woman, Other|Bernardine Evaristo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1542296262l/41081373.SY75.jpg|64185267] van Bernardine Evaristo – de Booker Prize won.
Atwood schetst een dystopisch scenario voor de Verenigde Staten, waarin een christelijke groepering de macht heeft overgenomen en de totalitaire heilstaat Gilead heeft gesticht. Het verhaal richt zich in het bijzonder op de positie van vrouwen, die zijn gedemoveerd tot wegwerpproducten, of two-legged wombs in de woorden van hoofdpersoon Offred, een ‘dienstmaagd’ wiens bestaan afhangt van haar vruchtbaarheid. Atwood wisselt haar beschrijving van Gilead af met de herinneringen van Offred aan de jaren daarvóór.
Atwood voegt een aantal gruwelijke elementen uit de wereldgeschiedenis samen met eigen verzinsels en creëert daarmee een luguber maar indrukwekkend scenario dat met de bestorming van het Capitool in 2021 aan nieuwswaarde won. Een nadeel is dat de schrijver veel ruimte kwijt is aan het introduceren van het scenario, waardoor het verhaal aan kleur inboet. Ik ben benieuwd of dat in het tweede deel beter uitpakt.
English
Margaret Atwood excels at creating a bleak dystopian society where women are treated as second-class citizens. By designating this dictatorial country as the successor to the United States of America, she reminds us of the fragility of democracy and the undemocratic nature of certain religious minorities. I particularly appreciated The handmaid’s tale for its ominous atmosphere; the story itself is a bit boring.
Slow moving, but a story that remains relevant 35 years later. I wasn’t prepared for Atwood’s high-caliber writing. It was able to keep things interesting despite the slow pace. I wish it had more plot, but it sounds like the recent sequel addresses many of the reader’s questions. The information dump at the end was my favorite part, and presented some familiar voices that have me interested in the tv series (this was the Audible series cast version).
"'I’ll take care of it', Luke said. And because he said 'it' instead of 'her' I knew he meant kill. That is what you have to do before you kill, I thought. You have to create an 'it' where none was before. You do that first in your head, and then you make it real. So that’s how they do it, I thought. I seemed never to have known that before."
Slow moving, but a story that remains relevant 35 years later. I wasn’t prepared for Atwood’s high-caliber writing. It was able to keep things interesting despite the slow pace. I wish it had more plot, but it sounds like the recent sequel addresses many of the reader’s questions. The information dump at the end was my favorite part, and presented some familiar voices that have me interested in the tv series (this was the Audible series cast version).
"'I’ll take care of it', Luke said. And because he said 'it' instead of 'her' I knew he meant kill. That is what you have to do before you kill, I thought. You have to create an 'it' where none was before. You do that first in your head, and then you make it real. So that’s how they do it, I thought. I seemed never to have known that before."
A utopia world where women are controlled by men for their reproductive capacity. I did not find it as boring as I heard previously, but that may have been due to my fast listening speed. An interesting world that Atwood created, especially the telling of how subtly it came to be, taking the women by surprise.
Edit: read for the third time I think? And I feel I started to understand it much better only now. I naturally focus a lot more on actions than descriptions which is why I have felt a bit removed from this book previously. This time I gave it my full attention and fully immersed myself into this world where women have only very specific roles, the freedom from harassment, yet no freedom to choose much of anything in life. The illusion of a choice in a patriarchal society, where the ones who go against …
A utopia world where women are controlled by men for their reproductive capacity. I did not find it as boring as I heard previously, but that may have been due to my fast listening speed. An interesting world that Atwood created, especially the telling of how subtly it came to be, taking the women by surprise.
Edit: read for the third time I think? And I feel I started to understand it much better only now. I naturally focus a lot more on actions than descriptions which is why I have felt a bit removed from this book previously. This time I gave it my full attention and fully immersed myself into this world where women have only very specific roles, the freedom from harassment, yet no freedom to choose much of anything in life. The illusion of a choice in a patriarchal society, where the ones who go against the grain are publicly reprimanded, is quite depressing indeed. In a way this might as well have been about the past, thinking of women's rights and options.
I first read this back in 1995, when I was in college. It was (I think) the first dystopian book I'd ever read, and I found it fascinating. Of course, that was when a future like that seemed unimaginable. Now, rereading it with the backdrop of current events, it feels like more than an exercise in fiction, and it's not hard to connect the dots from where we are now as a society to how we could end up in that place. I'm eager to read The Testaments and see what additional layers Ms. Atwood has created to deepen this story.
I first read this back in 1995, when I was in college. It was (I think) the first dystopian book I'd ever read, and I found it fascinating. Of course, that was when a future like that seemed unimaginable. Now, rereading it with the backdrop of current events, it feels like more than an exercise in fiction, and it's not hard to connect the dots from where we are now as a society to how we could end up in that place. I'm eager to read The Testaments and see what additional layers Ms. Atwood has created to deepen this story.
Every time I read a novel from Margaret Atwood it is like receiving a master lesson in narrative construction and prose style. It is as though she were standing over my shoulder saying 'You see? That's how you do it." This novel is no exception.
I wanted to re-read this before starting The Testaments and also because the last time I read it I was in high school. It turns out I read some pretty great books in high school and I should probably re-read all of them because God knows 17 year old me and 42 year old me have different insights.
The Handmaid's Tale was still a word lover's delight. The puns and logophilic games are every bit as entertaining as they were when I first encountered the novel. The difference in 2019 is just how frightening everything is. There isn't a single implausible plot point here and …
Every time I read a novel from Margaret Atwood it is like receiving a master lesson in narrative construction and prose style. It is as though she were standing over my shoulder saying 'You see? That's how you do it." This novel is no exception.
I wanted to re-read this before starting The Testaments and also because the last time I read it I was in high school. It turns out I read some pretty great books in high school and I should probably re-read all of them because God knows 17 year old me and 42 year old me have different insights.
The Handmaid's Tale was still a word lover's delight. The puns and logophilic games are every bit as entertaining as they were when I first encountered the novel. The difference in 2019 is just how frightening everything is. There isn't a single implausible plot point here and as we approach the 2020 election there isn't much in Gilead I haven't fretted about on sleepless nights. 17 year old me wouldn't have understood that the stanchion posts of our democracy are precarious, that they only work when most of us agree to queue up fairly.
I was entertained and enlightened on my second reading and although I imagine the sequel will be horrifying I'm looking forward to reading it.
It's been a few years since I read the original novel, but this graphic novel seems very short in comparison? The drawings are stark, simplified, reduced, like the life in Gilead. At times they can be too much, such as Moira's feet, which are the stuff of my nightmares now.
It's been a few years since I read the original novel, but this graphic novel seems very short in comparison? The drawings are stark, simplified, reduced, like the life in Gilead. At times they can be too much, such as Moira's feet, which are the stuff of my nightmares now.
Twee jaar geleden las ik The Handmaid's Tale van Margaret Atwood and by golly, wat een verhaal! Het was alsof ik me weer in Orwells 1984 bevond, maar dan vanuit een vrouwelijk oogpunt beschreven. En in Amerika, niet in Engeland (of Oceanië, zoals het in Orwells boek genoemd wordt). Alleen bestaan er in Atwoods dystopische toekomst geen Verenigde Staten meer: er is enkel de totalitaire christelijke Republiek Gilead.
Offred – te lezen als "Of Fred," maar ook een eerste aanwijzing naar de ongemeende puurheid van het hoofdpersonage ("off red" betekent zoveel als "onecht rood") – is een Handmaid: plat gezegd een babybroedmachine voor een hooggeplaatste Gilead-officier en zijn vrouw. Offred probeert haar stukgeregisseerde leven van wat kleur te voorzien, maar zal dat binnen de lijnen moeten doen: elke overtreding kan een zwarte zak over je hoofd betekenen. Stukje bij beetje doet Atwood een fundamentalistisch ex-Amerika uit de doeken, …
Twee jaar geleden las ik The Handmaid's Tale van Margaret Atwood and by golly, wat een verhaal! Het was alsof ik me weer in Orwells 1984 bevond, maar dan vanuit een vrouwelijk oogpunt beschreven. En in Amerika, niet in Engeland (of Oceanië, zoals het in Orwells boek genoemd wordt). Alleen bestaan er in Atwoods dystopische toekomst geen Verenigde Staten meer: er is enkel de totalitaire christelijke Republiek Gilead.
Offred – te lezen als "Of Fred," maar ook een eerste aanwijzing naar de ongemeende puurheid van het hoofdpersonage ("off red" betekent zoveel als "onecht rood") – is een Handmaid: plat gezegd een babybroedmachine voor een hooggeplaatste Gilead-officier en zijn vrouw. Offred probeert haar stukgeregisseerde leven van wat kleur te voorzien, maar zal dat binnen de lijnen moeten doen: elke overtreding kan een zwarte zak over je hoofd betekenen. Stukje bij beetje doet Atwood een fundamentalistisch ex-Amerika uit de doeken, een republiek die beangstigend realistisch aandoet doordat kennis van de buitenwereld maar mondjesmaat doorsijpelt. Alle informatie, alle uitleg waar de lezer naar snakt – Hoe heeft het zover kunnen komen? Wie regeert de republiek? Wat zijn hun motieven? En hoe liggen de verstandhoudingen met de buitenwereld? – wordt bovendien door de lens van Offred opgedist, waardoor de onzekerheid van Offred de onzekerheid van de lezer wordt.
Aan het eind van het verhaal lezen we historische aantekeningen die het verhaal van Offred in een fictief-historisch perspectief (meer zeg ik niet) plaatsen. Persoonlijk houd ik daarvan, dat auteurs op creatieve wijze hun roman nog een extra draai geven en daarmee de geloofwaardigheid van het verhaal aandikken. Verhalen doen de ronde dat Atwood's recente opvolger, The Testaments, de hype niet heeft waargemaakt, maar wat je ook doet: lees in elk geval dit boek. Het laat je niet onberoerd.
That ending was brilliant! I did not see that coming at all. Very unique, indeed!
Offred's story is captivating and terrifying. A must read for every feminist (imho).
That ending was brilliant! I did not see that coming at all. Very unique, indeed!
Offred's story is captivating and terrifying. A must read for every feminist (imho).
