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A review by valesa
The Handmaid's Tale (Graphic Novel) by Margaret Atwood
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Now I get why this book had its moment of fame recently. It is very well written, with an omnipresent irony that makes the violence, the horror of the book more bearable. It is not only the horrible likeliness of the books universe to ours that makes it so understandably a success, it is also the world Atwood built: full of colours, sentiment impregnating every corner, souvenirs intertwined with the hardships of the main character’s dull and fearful present.
This féminine dystopia is not much about the state as an authoritarian institution, but about how power can lie within the most important and vital of things: words, language and the symbols that carry it. It is not only a feminist and feminine staple (even if Atwood denies it), it is also a warning from the near future, which is what the author intended.
This féminine dystopia is not much about the state as an authoritarian institution, but about how power can lie within the most important and vital of things: words, language and the symbols that carry it. It is not only a feminist and feminine staple (even if Atwood denies it), it is also a warning from the near future, which is what the author intended.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Miscarriage, Violence, Suicide, and Physical abuse