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.