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A review by rissaleighs
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
5.0
Feminist literature and dystopia are not really my jam, so I came into this with more of an attitude, "I should read this because it's a classic," and "I need to read more modern literature and this one's an obvious choice," rather than really genuinely wanting to read it. Needless to say, this book amazed me on so many different levels.
For one thing, the writing itself was unexpectedly beautiful. (This is my first Margaret Atwood. Definitely need to track down more!)
The book cuts back and forth between Offred describing the world she currently lives in, and how she ended up there. The slow trickle of information and understanding for the reader is both emotionally devastating and super suspenseful.
So much richness and depth in the themes and symbols. This book is an English Major's delight. My mind wants to juxtapose the red handmaids' dresses with the scarlet letter of earlier American literature, for one thing. And all the flowers....
I have seen some readers take this book as an indictment against the "religious right," but that is far too reductive. Within the first quarter of the book, we learn that the current regime is at war with "conservative" Christian sects like the Quakers and the Baptists--later on, that while they quote Scripture and have twisted pieces of it to suit their purposes, Bibles are actually kept locked up. It's no wonder, because Christ has been stripped out of their version of Christianity, so obviously, the Bible in it's entirety would be dangerously liberating to the oppressed citizens of Gilead. I can read this as a book that brings home to us liberated women what the patriarchy was and could be again--but really, for all intents and purposes, the society in this book could just as well have been taken over by militant Islam.
There is so. much. packed into this book. I think it will ever be relevant and thought-provoking--in addition to being just plain a really well-told story!
I am sparing with my five-star reviews, but this one definitely deserves it.
For one thing, the writing itself was unexpectedly beautiful. (This is my first Margaret Atwood. Definitely need to track down more!)
The book cuts back and forth between Offred describing the world she currently lives in, and how she ended up there. The slow trickle of information and understanding for the reader is both emotionally devastating and super suspenseful.
So much richness and depth in the themes and symbols. This book is an English Major's delight. My mind wants to juxtapose the red handmaids' dresses with the scarlet letter of earlier American literature, for one thing. And all the flowers....
I have seen some readers take this book as an indictment against the "religious right," but that is far too reductive. Within the first quarter of the book, we learn that the current regime is at war with "conservative" Christian sects like the Quakers and the Baptists--later on, that while they quote Scripture and have twisted pieces of it to suit their purposes, Bibles are actually kept locked up. It's no wonder, because Christ has been stripped out of their version of Christianity, so obviously, the Bible in it's entirety would be dangerously liberating to the oppressed citizens of Gilead. I can read this as a book that brings home to us liberated women what the patriarchy was and could be again--but really, for all intents and purposes, the society in this book could just as well have been taken over by militant Islam.
There is so. much. packed into this book. I think it will ever be relevant and thought-provoking--in addition to being just plain a really well-told story!
I am sparing with my five-star reviews, but this one definitely deserves it.