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jneverland's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.5
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Sexism, Body horror, Blood, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Rape, Abandonment, Ableism, Infertility, Violence, War, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Deportation, Death, Racism, Domestic abuse, Murder, Miscarriage, Genocide, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Gore, Medical content, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Grief, Homophobia, Incest, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Trafficking, and Suicide
thedevilnextdoor13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Deportation, Infertility, Confinement, Pregnancy, Grief, and Suicide
Moderate: Alcohol, Murder, Infidelity, Self harm, and Abortion
margaret_s_library's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Kidnapping, Infidelity, Slavery, Misogyny, Classism, Physical abuse, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Antisemitism, Pregnancy, Deportation, Ableism, Emotional abuse, and Suicide
Minor: Infertility, Homophobia, War, Xenophobia, Transphobia, and Physical abuse
emfass's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Loved Claire Danes' narration, as well as the expanded materials at the end that Atwood wrote.
Graphic: Sexual violence, Confinement, Religious bigotry, Infidelity, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Death, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Classism, Rape, Sexism, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Violence, and Infertility
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Torture, Deportation, Police brutality, Trafficking, Body horror, Sexual content, and Homophobia
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Vomit, Antisemitism, Gun violence, Medical content, and War
lauren_e_d's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Deportation, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Rape, Trafficking, Violence, Classism, Death, Gore, Infertility, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
eni_iilorak's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Suicide, Slavery, Sexual assault, Sexism, Misogyny, Child abuse, Violence, Trafficking, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Torture, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Bullying, Body shaming, Deportation, Mental illness, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: War, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Racism, and Antisemitism
chalkletters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Once you've understood the society that Margaret Atwood has created, the rest of the story focuses primarily on Offred and her emotional reaction to what's being done to her. Margaret Atwood really takes the reader into Offred's thoughts, and this creates just enough distance from Offred's horrifying treatment that reading The Handmaid's Tale is uncomfortable without being agonising. That said, Offred's narrative involves metafictional elements of her questioning or outright contradicting her own version of events, so the reader can never be one hundred per cent sure what's true and what isn't. The academic conference which ends the novel doubles down on this, and yet, Offred's story always feels as though it's substantially honest.
While Offred suffers what seems to be primarily the 'normal' fate of a Handmaid, the characters around her face harsher or more dramatic conclusions to their stories. Hearing about Ofglen, Ofwarren and Moira shows just how rare it is that Offred seems to end the novel by escaping from her situation, giving the reader a glimpse of hope which is reinforced by the academic conference confirming that Gilead is a society firmly in the past.
While I expected my second read of The Handmaid's Tale to feel different from the first, I was surprised by how compelling Margaret Atwood's writing still was. I don't know if I feel the need to keep it to read again, but I won't rule it or the sequel out as future projects.
Moderate: Physical abuse, Death, Deportation, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Pregnancy, Suicide, and Torture
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, and Body shaming