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tessareadsbookies's review against another edition
5.0
*4.6 !!! This was such a phenomenal and intricate view into what it means to be a woman and how strong societal judgement has become. It’s crazy to me that a “dystopian” novel in 2018 has become our present day lives. I could understand the trains of thought followed by each woman in this novel, and it felt quite personal. I loved this
grouchomarxist's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not sure how to rate this. It vacillated between 3 star and 5 star, but by the end it was more "three star" in that I'd rate it as a weak 4 stars. There were parts I loved but I agree with the other reviewers who said it was choppy. I also felt like the "coincidences" by which the characters were tied together were almost Dickensian (and I do love Dickens, but there's no coincidences there). If it was trying to emphasize just how small this town was, it definitely did that to the point of being parodic. If it wasn't, it Further, I didn't like how deliberately "disgusting"-ly (to use a term from the book) Susan, "the wife" was painted. Whether it was her internal monologue or not, she was much more embodied than the other characters, with coarse descriptions of her body and a kind of cruel, self-deprecating narration of her feelings. The excerpts from the biographer's book felt a little excessive after a while, even when they showed "her" narration breaking through, and I felt the way it tied in at the end was a little pat and overly neat.
The Handmaid's Tale was long one of my favorite books, in that it was SO revolutionary to me when I read it at age 14, I then deliberately avoided the rest of Atwood's books until I was almost 23. That was dumb. Anyway, I think the dystopian premises, as well as the dystopia that we live in, have just about reached a point of saturation. This book was certainly derivative of The Handmaid's Tale, but seemed even more terrifyingly realistic. At this point, I feel like this is just the world of 2019 or 2020, and I'm already white-knuckling it through every day because literally everything I care about, have worked for, or value is being wiped out of existence by ignorant right-wingers who truly do not even consider me a person. Sometimes, I just want to read a book that doesn't remind me of how grotesquely unfair and horrible it is, along with the likelihood that my life will be short and painful, defined by financial insecurity and the complete lack of a social safety net as the planet's ecosystems completely collapse - all while the babbling lunatics in power continue to shriek that none of this is real (Gaslight, Obstruct, Project!)
Still, it was an enjoyable read and I finished it really quickly...so I'd definitely recommend it as a lot of the things I didn't like are probably just unique to me.
The Handmaid's Tale was long one of my favorite books, in that it was SO revolutionary to me when I read it at age 14, I then deliberately avoided the rest of Atwood's books until I was almost 23. That was dumb. Anyway, I think the dystopian premises, as well as the dystopia that we live in, have just about reached a point of saturation. This book was certainly derivative of The Handmaid's Tale, but seemed even more terrifyingly realistic. At this point, I feel like this is just the world of 2019 or 2020, and I'm already white-knuckling it through every day because literally everything I care about, have worked for, or value is being wiped out of existence by ignorant right-wingers who truly do not even consider me a person. Sometimes, I just want to read a book that doesn't remind me of how grotesquely unfair and horrible it is, along with the likelihood that my life will be short and painful, defined by financial insecurity and the complete lack of a social safety net as the planet's ecosystems completely collapse - all while the babbling lunatics in power continue to shriek that none of this is real (Gaslight, Obstruct, Project!)
Still, it was an enjoyable read and I finished it really quickly...so I'd definitely recommend it as a lot of the things I didn't like are probably just unique to me.
sek73's review against another edition
4.0
This was literature and over my head in many ways. But also very timely given what is going on in politics today. It’s about women and what choices they can make if they have to make them. As long as they still can make them.
lovelykd's review against another edition
4.0
There’s a lot going on in this one: five different stories, all with different angles, and each with a lesson to learn about what it ‘means’ to be an acceptable woman in a world where the patriarchy rules all.
Ro is a woman wanting a baby. Not a marriage or a relationship, just a child. She’s over 40 and praying IVF works. Mattie is 15 and pregnant. She’s not sure what to do, but knows she’s not ready to be a mother. Susan is married, but clearly on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Gin is an outsider, some say a “witch”, but she’s okay with that and that makes people uncomfortable.
The bulk of the story revolves around the above four, and how each is coming to terms with the choices being made for them—even when said choices are made without their consent and with a complete disregard for their personal wants/needs.
As an aside, Ro (referred to as the Biographer) is writing a book about a forgotten female explorer. Passages from the book are strewn throughout the story, and often feel random, but are actually in line with the premise: women are always second-fiddle in a male dominated world.
The first 40 or so pages felt disjointed and all over the place, but once I understood what Zumas was doing, and got on board with her writing style, I couldn’t put the book down.
I most identified with Susan (The Wife). While she was annoying, at times, her frustration was something that was easy to understand: she willingly gave up her dreams in favor of being a wife and mother, but twenty years later, she’s lost sight of herself. She no longer knows who she is, or what she wants, and she’s struggling with the guilt it’s causing.
Each character comes to a reckoning, and while it would’ve been nice to have a bit more closure, I enjoyed each of their stories.
Ro is a woman wanting a baby. Not a marriage or a relationship, just a child. She’s over 40 and praying IVF works. Mattie is 15 and pregnant. She’s not sure what to do, but knows she’s not ready to be a mother. Susan is married, but clearly on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Gin is an outsider, some say a “witch”, but she’s okay with that and that makes people uncomfortable.
The bulk of the story revolves around the above four, and how each is coming to terms with the choices being made for them—even when said choices are made without their consent and with a complete disregard for their personal wants/needs.
As an aside, Ro (referred to as the Biographer) is writing a book about a forgotten female explorer. Passages from the book are strewn throughout the story, and often feel random, but are actually in line with the premise: women are always second-fiddle in a male dominated world.
The first 40 or so pages felt disjointed and all over the place, but once I understood what Zumas was doing, and got on board with her writing style, I couldn’t put the book down.
I most identified with Susan (The Wife). While she was annoying, at times, her frustration was something that was easy to understand: she willingly gave up her dreams in favor of being a wife and mother, but twenty years later, she’s lost sight of herself. She no longer knows who she is, or what she wants, and she’s struggling with the guilt it’s causing.
Each character comes to a reckoning, and while it would’ve been nice to have a bit more closure, I enjoyed each of their stories.
fictionalkat's review against another edition
3.0
The writing style for this book lands somewhere between contemporary prose and classical literature.
Unfortunately, those are two things I happen to detest.
The concept of the book is wonderful, and plotlines well thought-out and crafted. I will say this is one of the more "literary" books I've read in years, which could attest to why I struggled with it. If you've lived on a diet of cookies and chocolate, who the hell wants brussel sprouts?
By the end of the book, one could say I acquired a taste of it. Still, I think I might run back to my favorite fantasy books, topped with sprinkles.
Unfortunately, those are two things I happen to detest.
The concept of the book is wonderful, and plotlines well thought-out and crafted. I will say this is one of the more "literary" books I've read in years, which could attest to why I struggled with it. If you've lived on a diet of cookies and chocolate, who the hell wants brussel sprouts?
By the end of the book, one could say I acquired a taste of it. Still, I think I might run back to my favorite fantasy books, topped with sprinkles.
birdhops's review against another edition
4.0
I would like nothing more than to sit in the forest with the Mender, drink tea, watch the goats, and take in all that she has to teach me.
katnissevergreen's review against another edition
4.0
"But her mother who went from father's house to college dorm to husband's house without a single day lived on her own, never knew the pleasures of solitude."
hbelle01's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
knatreads501's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Infertility, and Abortion