Reviews

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

mega_doodles02's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

jdubbs8791's review

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

3.5

nheinz18's review against another edition

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reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Had I not watched the show, I don’t think I would’ve followed this story as well. 

eileenkadar's review

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challenging dark sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

jenny_hedberg's review against another edition

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3.0

I have loved Atwood’s other novels, but this one I found slow. I’ve watched the tv-series (HBO) before reading the novel and perhaps already being familiar with the plot ruined some of the suspense and novelty for me. Other than that Atwood’s usual way of playing with words and letting the words gradually shift in meaning was fantastic. I also enjoyed how the narrator’s detailed descriptions of her life emphasised her role as a silenced participant in society.

mondyyreads's review against another edition

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

5.0

Qué libro. Pinta una imagen totalmente distópica, pero al mismo tiempo muy verosímil y eso lo hace totalmente de miedo. Como que muchas novelas distópicas, al incluir elementos medio sci-fi y futurísticos, hacen que el mundo que pintan se sienta muy lejano. Aquí, todo lo que se describía sobre el mundo pre-Gilead es tan familiar, e incluso algunos rasgos de Gilead, que da miedo pensar que tal vez algo así pudiera darse. Cautionary tale pero cheff’s kiss. Me gustó muchísimo el epílogo, como que siento que recoge un poco de lo que habla Offred en cierto punto: todo se pasa. Me parece que está escrito súper súper bien y fue un gusto leerlo. Vi que hay otro, pero me gustaba la idea de que así como Offred podía imaginar qué había sido de Luke y de su hija, ahora tú tenías que imaginar finales alternativos para ella.

juliannamullenreads's review

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dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

zoelevert's review against another edition

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4.0

I read this about 6 years ago and rated it a 3 because I found the book and character incredibly depressing. While that remains true - the book is about a woman in a world where there is no escape (not even suicide) and truly no resolution is given - now I find that it sadly rings more true than before. 4 stars for reflecting the emotions of the time, but still not my favorite read.

garethreads's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

carlosdanger's review against another edition

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5.0

Quintessiential Atwood