41.7k reviews for:

The Handmaid's Tale

Margaret Atwood

4.18 AVERAGE

akshithamudupu's review against another edition

3.0

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

beebowbabe's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

blumday's review against another edition

4.0

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Potente distopía que merece estar en el pedestal al lado de los clásicos grandes como 1984, Farenheit 451 o Un Mundo Feliz.
Bebe de la realidad (del mismo modo que aquellas distopías) y se nutre del miedo al totalitarismo que siempre está latente en cualquier gobierno.
Me encanta el uso del imaginario religioso como símbolo de represión a las mujeres y cómo, al mismo tiempo, habla de una sororidad inherente en ellas.
Si bien no me parecía que la novela se sintiera muy enclaustrada en su personaje y en su limitada visión de ese mundo, funciona como una forma de ponernos en los zapatos de la protagonista. También le eché en falta más explicación a las cosas pues la información llega a cuenta gotas al lector pero, supongo, es porque las distopías actuales como Hunger Games me malacostumbraron a describirnos cómo se hacen las cosas en sus mundillos desde el principio... El Cuento de la Criada posee una sutileza y habilidad para hacer pensar a través de la omisión de la información.

kaylareadsthings's review against another edition

4.5

dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

mairinkelly's review against another edition

4.0

sad medium-paced

sneakyawe's review against another edition

2.0

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Curious. I still don't believe that audio was the best format for this type of book (there was a lot of back and forth memories without a lot of preamble) but overall I found it enjoyable.

The world made sense the more the backstory was explained, but at face value it didn't seem super believable. Religious zealots overtaking EVERYTHING? I can understand a few aspects of government, but all of it? Without a huge backlash? Maybe I missed something... But it just seemed a bit excessive.

haleyxbelle's review against another edition

4.5

dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

danadou's review against another edition

4.0

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I read this first maybe 15 years ago, and rereading it now for a book club, I am finding that different pieces of the story stand out to me. The sexual references are what horrified me the most before, but now that I've experienced sex, love, kids, it's the lost relationships that are most chilling. It's not surprising, though, that Atwood based this book in the US and not her native Canada. We Americans continue to lose our civil liberties in the name of public safety... Lord only knows what we'll be willing to give up should another 9/11 like event happen on our soil.

misterbones's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

emily__bee__'s review against another edition

3.5

dark emotional tense slow-paced