The Handmaid's Tale (Contemporary classics) - Books (Margaret Atwood, Paperback)

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Customer Reviews of The Handmaid's Tale (Contemporary classics)

Hollie Young
Bournemouth, U.K.
4th January 2009

Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale (1985)
The post-revolutionary theocratic society of Gilead is a unique and difficult society unlike any and has a set of new and unconventional rules based around the new problem of infertility in the world, its approach slots each member of society into a specific and manipulated role; one that is controlled and more often, devastatingly alone.

The tale follows Offred, who takes the role of a Handmaid, as a fertile woman living in Gilead she faces the challenges of being removed from her family and forced into an anti-feminist and lonely society as she is assigned to her "commander" with whom she must help to perform the "ceremony" in order that the human race might survive. Set in the imminent future the story focuses the relationships she finds and makes, with both men and women, despite relationships being a thing of the past. Atwood's vision emphasises the uses of women, most particularly for their bodies and in this sense, their use as a "walking womb". The possession and value of human life is carefully examined through the use of a stilted narrative; not necessarily always projecting a character that the reader wants to like but always one who battles with social controls. Whilst Offred finds emotional releases in sometimes unsightly places the aim of everyone in the society seems to be to break the rules in some form or other and barren has simply become a way of life as opposed to simple vocabulary.

Atwood's book is cold, and often impersonal but the narrative leaves enough emotion to challenge the reader in a short and sometimes all too direct with a distinct lack of characterisation. But ultimately, like many of her novels, leaves the reader with a bitter ethical aftertaste.

Donna
Wales
30th December 2008

Shockingly good
I have never written a review online of anything before, but having just finished The Handmaid's Tale I felt compelled to do so at once.
Being an avid reader of all genres, I had heard of this book from numerous sources but I am sorry to say that I have only just now come to read it.
From the very first chapter I was hooked - the story draws you in so that from the beginning my mind was already brimming with unanswered questions - What is the Republic of Gilead? How did this happen? - and of course, the fate of our heroine, Offred, who is the narrator of the story, was always on my mind. I admit that I found some scenes particularly disturbing, though not graphic in a violent way, and would lie awake some nights dwelling on them. However, they, along with the personal plight of our heroine, are what makes the story so powerful. Add to that the chilling thought that this is a future not entirely impossible, and you have a story that stays with you long after you have closed it.

Ali-PG
Derbyshire
3rd November 2008

Compelling and thought provoking story
An incredible story that is difficult to describe in a short few sentences. It was certainly a very thought provoking book and I really wanted to discuss it with someone else (excellent choice for a book club!). I was unsure about the ending but on reflection it fits well with the rest of the book and allows for the reader to ponder the story well after finishing reading. Dystopian fiction is not for everyone but if you are at all interested in this genre then this is a brilliant example. Once I'd finished this book I went straight out and bought "Oryx and Crake" - another dystopian story by Atwood.

Em
Europe
23rd September 2008

It doesn't matter what you feel, it only matters how you behave
What a wonderful book, written in the style of 1984 and Kazuo Ishiguro's Never let me go. I find Margaret Atwood's books hard to put down once I have started them, and cannot believe I only discovered her this year. I didn't read the notes at the end, as I thought they would ruin the chilling atmosphere set by the rest of the book. Moira is one of the best characters for me; she brings a little humour to the situation which is sorely needed. A great read.

human_tide

12th August 2008

How to do theocratic dystopia...
A truly great book, particular for those who have cold feet about Speculative Fiction (aka Sci Fi). A post-apocalyptic take on loss, resistance, feminism and social order of the patriarchal kind, The Handmaid's Tale avoids both cliche and the pretensions that can often plague even the best of novels with political undertows. I can think of few books which so well capture the sense of radical transformation and dislocation that must come with what someone once called the 'orgasms of history', those decisive events that change utterly social structures and somehow drag individuals along with them, even though people remain dominated by much the same loves and hopes they always were. The evocations of ritual, ceremony and punishment are particularly disturbing and resonant, even viscerally so. And, despite creating a deeply believable metaphor both for those changes that have been and those yet to come, Atwood also accomplishes the 'page turner' quality usually reserved for shallow thrillers. Just shy of being a masterpiece.