Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

39 reviews

reddeddy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Classism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Violence

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Murder, Vomit, War, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Abortion, Antisemitism, Biphobia, and Bullying

Minor: Animal death, Blood, Cancer, Child death, Excrement, Police brutality, Racism, Torture, Trafficking, Alcohol, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, and Pedophilia

sunny_not's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Incredibly brutal and awful. It was emotionally draining to some extent since it was so heavy. Idk if I will read the second book since this was quite challenging. If the questions that are left in this are answered then I might read it. Overall not a good time dystopia of dystopias kind of vibe. Still very thought provoking and interesting, that's why I gave this a high rating however this is nowhere close to being a light read in my opinion. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Infertility, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, War, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Child death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Medical content, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

mmm2000's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexism, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Gore, Violence, Racism, Xenophobia, War, Torture, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Slavery

q17's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Sexual content, Sexism, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Rape, Police brutality, and Infertility

Moderate: Hate crime, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, and Miscarriage

Minor: Child abuse, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Xenophobia, Classism, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Abortion, Acephobia/Arophobia, Ableism, Abandonment, Alcohol, Death, Grief, War, Mental illness, Medical content, Racism, and Violence

annoyedhumanoid's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

definitely a slow burn but i liked the way it built tension somewhat exponentially with the narrator at the center of three mini rebellions—

seeing the Commander, defecting with Ofglen and Mayday, and conspiring with Serena Joy and Nick

—but in the end it didn't really amount to all that much. i love the inclusion of the "Historical Notes," they're terrible and perfect.
it's definitely white feminism, with racism in this religious-extremist totalitarian regime only mentioned once, in passing, at the very end. compared to another modern classic published just two years later, Beloved, it's kind of embarrassing.
cover design review: ★★★★☆. instant one-star deduction for having author's name larger than the title (sorry Margaret Atwood), and this is especially egregious; the title is relatively tiny. we all know minimalism has become excessive but i really like this one. the centering of the title is very satisfying, with approximately equal overhang of "HANDMAID'S" on either side of the dress. and the best part, get ready for your mind to be blown: see that dot in front of the Handmaid's head? it's the eye of a face in profile looking to the left hidden in the negative space. genius

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Sexism, Suicide, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Classism, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Trafficking, Violence, Domestic abuse, Death, Rape, Infidelity, Misogyny, Infertility, Murder, Sexual violence, and Torture

Moderate: Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Cursing, Mass/school shootings, Antisemitism, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Animal death, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Blood, Drug use, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Child death

Minor: Abortion, Medical content, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, Eating disorder, Excrement, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Racism, War, Islamophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, and Vomit

mackwizowski's review against another edition

mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Abortion, Ableism, Animal death, Miscarriage, Murder, Pregnancy, Racism, and Rape

rory_john14's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Biphobia, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Infertility, Infidelity, and Misogyny

Moderate: Lesbophobia and Alcohol

Minor: Death of parent, Racism, War, Child death, and Murder

graceanna's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Sexual content, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Misogyny

Moderate: Body horror, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Infertility

Minor: Abortion, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, and Miscarriage

haseki_sultana's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Introspective and totally character-driven, Atwood does a tremendous job of putting the reader into the thoughts and feelings of a woman who has become enslaved and is forced to carry her rapist's child. Most people refer to this novel as dystopic, and the undercurrent of it definitely is, but the main genre/focal point of this novel is speculative fiction. The focus is on the internal monologue, thoughts, emotions, experiences, and remembrances of the main character. As such, we never get any insight into the machinations of the dystopian government or society - we only see what Offred (the main character) sees, we only know what she knows.

This is why this novel is more speculative fiction than dystopian: it is an exercise of our imaginations to examine and possibly understand the human condition when it is undergoing a rather 'rare' (for western audiences) plight.

Whether or not you consider the situation presented in the novel plausible or realistic doesn't matter. What matters, and what Atwood asks you to look at, is the condition of an everywoman character who has gone and must continue to go through atrocities in life without any reprieve. It is a novel which holds a magnifying glass over sexual trauma, and the psyche of those who are unfortunate enough to endure it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, Trafficking, Torture, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Homophobia, Kidnapping, and Misogyny

Moderate: Self harm, Racism, and Antisemitism

Content warning that is unavailable in the list: reproductive coercion.