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BOOK OF THE MONTH
The Handmaid's Tale
With terrifying understatement, this novel narrates the life of a college-educated mother ripped from her career and family to be a slave, in a dystopian United States too plausible to be forgotten. Forbidden by a fanatical government to read, choose their own clothes or appear in public alone, handmaids fulfill an awful purpose as the servants of wealthy families. All the while, however, strange new friendships emerge between the powerless and the powerful, as revolution glimmers on the horizon.
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Community Reviews
Audiobook listen. A chilling classic. One of the best books I’ve read. A cautionary tale of removing women’s rights and Religious Totalitarianism. I think everyone should read this book at least once.
Gripping and suspenseful, also leisurely and personable; this book takes you to the extremes of feeling and back again. As a female, there was so much that was still shockingly relevant -- fresh history, if you can understand my meaning -- that I struggled sometimes to remember that this book was put together largely before I was born.
Excellent prose, framed as both impersonal recollection and deeply-rooted remembering, often had me clutching at my own heartstrings. Hadn't I, too, done these things? Felt this way? Endured some levels of this (erstwhile, thanking my own God that it hadn't been like THAT) as a female in my own right, in my own place in space-time? I am 33, also. Am I not, also, in red with the Handmaids? Or some other class in a pitiable color, a pattern, the women quite literally "fed" to the system? Did the end for any individual woman matter so much? Were any of them a happy end?
Aren't we happy now?
Excellent prose, framed as both impersonal recollection and deeply-rooted remembering, often had me clutching at my own heartstrings. Hadn't I, too, done these things? Felt this way? Endured some levels of this (erstwhile, thanking my own God that it hadn't been like THAT) as a female in my own right, in my own place in space-time? I am 33, also. Am I not, also, in red with the Handmaids? Or some other class in a pitiable color, a pattern, the women quite literally "fed" to the system? Did the end for any individual woman matter so much? Were any of them a happy end?
Aren't we happy now?
Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" isn't just a chilling dystopia; it's a piercing lens into the possible realities faced by women. Through Offred’s eyes, we witness the brutal stripping away of autonomy and rights—an echo of struggles many have faced today. I am a huge fan of the show, and I wanted to read the book which the show was based.
In Gilead’s world, religious fundamentalism reigns supreme—a stark reminder of battles fought and ongoing battles against oppression. The restrictions placed on women are reminiscent of historical and contemporary discourse around race, gender, and rights. Especially when given the context that Atwood wrote the book in 1985.
The haunting quote, “Better never means better for everyone…. It always means worse for some,” resonates deeply. It captures the painful truth that progress for one group often comes at the expense of another—a reality we've seen persist through our history.
Atwood forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about how easily society can flip the script from liberation to limitation.
As we navigate our world today, we must hold strong to the narratives of resilience and fight against fundamentalist ideologies that threaten diversity and equality.
My rating is for is merely for this special edition.
I originally read this book my sophomore year of college, it was an assignment, which was an automated disinterest from me. I don't do well with things being pushed on me. When all the hoopla over the show came up, I had little fragments of the book and the movie pop into my head. So I decided to do a re read. Such a spooky story so eerily close to what is happening around us, or possibly happening, depending on your views. The end was still so upsetting to me, I don't do well with those kind of ends, well, most of the time. I did read the special edition as noted earlier, which has an extended "scene" of the original end, as well as an excerpt from Atwood herself. Her excerpt was so inspiring, it was an "explanation" to the hopeless end. It put things into perspective for me, it made me chuckle, and then appreciate this work for what it is. There is also an essay from the editor, that gives us readers importance, this woman's story is ours, we are important, Offred is important, all women matter, the person reading the book matters. The editor also takes some time to explain some of the ancestry of Atwood, she comes from a Salem accused great great grandmother that was hung, who then survived and migrated to Canada, alas the reason we cannot claim Atwood as our own, unfortunately. But I would say if you can, please seek out this bonus content, it is so eye opening, and made me over-appreciate this story for what it is.
I originally read this book my sophomore year of college, it was an assignment, which was an automated disinterest from me. I don't do well with things being pushed on me. When all the hoopla over the show came up, I had little fragments of the book and the movie pop into my head. So I decided to do a re read. Such a spooky story so eerily close to what is happening around us, or possibly happening, depending on your views. The end was still so upsetting to me, I don't do well with those kind of ends, well, most of the time. I did read the special edition as noted earlier, which has an extended "scene" of the original end, as well as an excerpt from Atwood herself. Her excerpt was so inspiring, it was an "explanation" to the hopeless end. It put things into perspective for me, it made me chuckle, and then appreciate this work for what it is. There is also an essay from the editor, that gives us readers importance, this woman's story is ours, we are important, Offred is important, all women matter, the person reading the book matters. The editor also takes some time to explain some of the ancestry of Atwood, she comes from a Salem accused great great grandmother that was hung, who then survived and migrated to Canada, alas the reason we cannot claim Atwood as our own, unfortunately. But I would say if you can, please seek out this bonus content, it is so eye opening, and made me over-appreciate this story for what it is.
Truth is.. I didn't finish this book. I attempted to and had every intention to. However, I found this book to be lacking. I found an internal battle within myself over whether I liked the writing style or not. I continued reading as to find this out. I'm not use to this writing style, which may contribute to my disregard for it. I believe Atwood is a great writer, but it's not for me.
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