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mbenzz's review against another edition
5.0
Halfway through this book, we went on vacation, and I thought great, it's gonna take me forever to finish this book. Wrong! I read it every chance I could get, in the car, at the hotel, in between our excursions, I loved it! It was completely unbelievable, but entertaining nonetheless.
This is a story of the 'future' (the future of 20 years ago, since that's when this book was written) told by Handmaid Offred (meaning Of Fred, i.e. belonging to). After the Presidents Day Massacre, the government was taken over by what I gathered to be an Islamic terrorist group, and women were stripped of all rights. They were no longer allowed to carry money, speak out, read or write. They were torn away from their family and assigned jobs, such as Martha's (maids, housekeepers), Jezebels (whores), Handmaids (child-bearers), and Wives (married to the prestigious Commanders).
Offred tells her story to us, about how she yearns to know what became of her family and friends, how she came to be a Handmaid and everyone's new life in The Republic of Gilead (formally the United States). She speaks of the underground workings that try to help people flee the country, and how it gets harder and harder to remember the 'past times', she tells us about The Wall, and the people that hang from it, and a little about how the new government works.
Overall I recommend this book. It's very different from everything else I normally read, but I enjoyed it immensely. I didn't look at this as some reviewers here did, and that was thinking Margaret Atwood was actually trying to predict the future...that's ridiculous. I took this for what it was, an incredibly powerful tale about one possibility of the future of the United States, and a look into what life would be like if women didn't have all the freedoms we have today. Definitely give this book a shot, it may not be for everyone, but you never know.
This is a story of the 'future' (the future of 20 years ago, since that's when this book was written) told by Handmaid Offred (meaning Of Fred, i.e. belonging to). After the Presidents Day Massacre, the government was taken over by what I gathered to be an Islamic terrorist group, and women were stripped of all rights. They were no longer allowed to carry money, speak out, read or write. They were torn away from their family and assigned jobs, such as Martha's (maids, housekeepers), Jezebels (whores), Handmaids (child-bearers), and Wives (married to the prestigious Commanders).
Offred tells her story to us, about how she yearns to know what became of her family and friends, how she came to be a Handmaid and everyone's new life in The Republic of Gilead (formally the United States). She speaks of the underground workings that try to help people flee the country, and how it gets harder and harder to remember the 'past times', she tells us about The Wall, and the people that hang from it, and a little about how the new government works.
Overall I recommend this book. It's very different from everything else I normally read, but I enjoyed it immensely. I didn't look at this as some reviewers here did, and that was thinking Margaret Atwood was actually trying to predict the future...that's ridiculous. I took this for what it was, an incredibly powerful tale about one possibility of the future of the United States, and a look into what life would be like if women didn't have all the freedoms we have today. Definitely give this book a shot, it may not be for everyone, but you never know.
dis_asteroid's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
gingerbooklover22's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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
4.0
rosamund4096's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I read this as a teenager and it went over my head a bit. Really enjoyed re-visiting it on audiobook, brilliant and terribly relevant today.
bibliophile_pluviophile_rn's review against another edition
4.0
why was this easier than the show? it was brutal content, and horrifying to picture, but easier read than watched i guess. and nobody’s mouth was sewn shut, at least not in this first novel. i liked how the book ended, as well. i don’t know how the tv show ended…the mouth sewing thing kind of ruined it for me…but i liked how everything we read was a “historical account”.
dkatreads's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Gripping, but unconvincing world-building. Felt sloppy and myopic, obsessively ideological.
Enjoyed getting the window into Offred’s head though. There was a rawness to her reflections that I appreciated and respected in Atwood.
Enjoyed getting the window into Offred’s head though. There was a rawness to her reflections that I appreciated and respected in Atwood.
mollyridley's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
Absolutely devoured this, terrifying how relevant it feels. Definitely deserving of the hype.
skylabeouf's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0