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! :)