The handmaid's tale - A review.

[mindCupcake]

The very first rejoinder after reading “And so I step up, into the darkness within; or else the light”, which by the way is the last line of this novel, was ‘What the hell?”. I am all up for having my own interpretation as to what happened to the narrator, depending on the type of novel of course, but this just had me hang on a string. A good read of course, but what, I think would have happened weighs half here and half there, but sure, I would like to have it ‘half there’, trying to be “the glass is half full” kind of a person.

Without a doubt, the novel is daring that breaks down all the conventional beliefs of having a perfect story line. Everything is obscure, looking back at the characters. “What made Aunt Lydia the way she is?”, “Is her daughter alive?”, “Where is Luke?”, “Was the commander infertile?”, “Did Moira find her solace in being a prostitute?”, “Was Luke a better man?”, “Why did Janine choose the path she chose?” , “Was the narrator right in trusting ‘mayday’?” and most importantly, “What is the name of the narrator/protagonist of this story?” and it goes on and on.

The story basically revolves around a place that, after killing the sovereign, has its own government, a terrible government where women are way inferior to men and women are forced to be a birthing machine by snatching what they once called ‘Freedom’. This could have created a sad repercussion among feminists but be that as it may, I have mixed feeling about this book.
The story does not lead you forward but at the present and past which are maimed for a treacherous future, yes, some of the explanations were hard to ponder and process but it was necessary to understand the state of democratically impaired society.

I expected the narrator to be brave and so was she, inspiring motivating and also, chic once in a while. But the changes that were brought on her after hearing her handmaid’s partner were tragic. Yes, she had a minute of doubt about what could have been and how things are, but getting accustomed to the obscene just because she was not offered more was the downfall of this book.

And lastly, banning this book out of curriculum, was it a right decision? I can see where all the parents came from but my answer is no. Yes, the novel is graphic, horrendous and filthy somewhere but it is real. According to me, it would be better to expose children to the truth like gender equality, feminism than shielding them with Santa clause and tooth fairy.

Grab a copy, be a little open minded and pour in. You might be surprised with what you can discover, for the truth is blurry from the beginning to the end.

[Fran]

I presume this review refers to The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood?
Not sure I would agree with much of your review as IMO this is a truly magnificinet dystopian novel. Not an easy read certainly but I would totally disagree with your description of it as "blurry". Far from banning it I would make it compulsory reading.

(BTW I have moved your review to Sci-Fi & Fantasy sub forum)

[gali]

I presume this review refers to The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood?
Not sure I would agree with much of your review as IMO this is a truly magnificinet dystopian novel. Not an easy read certainly but I would totally disagree with your description of it as "blurry". Far from banning it I would make it compulsory reading.

(BTW I have moved your review to Sci-Fi & Fantasy sub forum)

I agree. I have read and loved this book.

[erine_sturdevant]

I loved this book as well. I did have a little bit of an existential crisis while reading it as I felt that it is still a very relevant topic today. I definitely agree that banning a book of any subject is ridiculous and this in one that should be continued to be read by generations so we understand how cruel humans can be to other humans.

[MelissaNathan12]

I loved this book also and agree that it is very relevant today. It was, however, written with the intention to have the reader draw parallels to their current society. This was implemented quite successfully by incorporating practices into the book, which subjugate women and/or any human being, taken from instances which actually occurred around the world throughout history. I do not agree with banning books from curriculum in general and unlike the original post I can not see where it would even be considered for a ban. Although there were words some would consider foul language and situations described that could make one uncomfortable I think it is important to remember that while it may be uncomfortable for some to read it is worth it to achieve the overall point of the book, the minute details such as what happened to her daughter and Luke do not matter so much as the overall theme: This behavior has happened, This behavior must stop, It must not progress to this totalitarian level. Nothing is needlessly graphic or obscene without a point behind it reinforced somewhere later in the book. Overall, I loved it and would read it again in a heartbeat after a lighter read as a palate cleanser of course. It is not an easy read as emotionally it is a bit to get through and ends with uncertainty as the first post stated but I would prefer it be in a curriculum to encourage empathy for others.

[Sparkletime]

Much of your review is confusing. Having just finished this novel myself, I think you missed the last bit of it as there's a chapter after where historians in the future are discussing the book and put it greatly in perspective. It answers a lot of your questions. I also think you missed the fact that as the story is told solely from recall of a Handmaiden, it is supposed to be vague and a little jumbled, the way someone telling a tale is at times.

As for me, I loved it. I definitely can relate to wanting to know more because it's an interesting world and a wonderful piece of speculative fiction, particularly today with so many factions wanting a return to more "traditional values" and the political maneuvers of the current administration in the USA. Yet, it's something I think that not just women of a singular time can relate to but everyone at any time. Losing freedoms you once had is something that no one wants so if the reader thinks in this perspective, they might be able to enjoy the novel in a new way.

[godreaujea]

Much of your review is confusing. Having just finished this novel myself, I think you missed the last bit of it as there's a chapter after where historians in the future are discussing the book and put it greatly in perspective. It answers a lot of your questions. I also think you missed the fact that as the story is told solely from recall of a Handmaiden, it is supposed to be vague and a little jumbled, the way someone telling a tale is at times.

As for me, I loved it. I definitely can relate to wanting to know more because it's an interesting world and a wonderful piece of speculative fiction, particularly today with so many factions wanting a return to more "traditional values" and the political maneuvers of the current administration in the USA. Yet, it's something I think that not just women of a singular time can relate to but everyone at any time. Losing freedoms you once had is something that no one wants so if the reader thinks in this perspective, they might be able to enjoy the novel in a new way.

The "Historical Notes" part of the book did so much for me! At first I thought it wasn't part of the story line, and was like Atwood's notes for how she came up with the book. I am the type of person to read every part of the book though, so I am so glad I read this over. It answered a lot of questions and made the story even more substantial. I loved this book, through and through. I am so excited to start watching the newly adapted Hulu series!

[ashley_claire]

While I really enjoyed reading this novel and have no complaints about it, this is one of the rare times that the tv show is better than the book. The show just brings everything in the book to life so vividly while staying true to the storyline of the book. It's one thing to picture the things happening in the book while reading it, and another to actually see it play out. This is not a show that I can binge watch because every single episode leaves me emotionally drained and horrified. I definitely recommend reading the book and then watching the show.

[Allie_L]

I had to read this book for school in grade 10 or 11 and I found it disturbing and hard to connect to, despite already being an avid reader at the times. I don't know if I just like the emotional maturity for the book and maybe I missed the main point, but for all my reading group and I took from the book I don't think it makes good reading for high school students.

[Vscholz]

The beauty of this book is that it is somewhat like a "found footage" film in novel form. There are tapes with the information of what happens, but we are at the mercy of the narrator to guide us through in a linear fashion. But the narrator could very well be weaving the tale to suit her own interests or to be purposefully confusing. I love unreliable narrators, whether they are unreliable due to their own deviousness or to their own ignorance.

[HollandBlue]

Thanks for your review and to the posts that helped clarify this book for me. I'm adding it to my TBR list.

[Erin Painter Baker]

I thought the hardest part about writing a review of a book that has been famous as long as The Handmaid’s Tale has been would be the fact that most people who want to read this book already have, or at least, already know they want to read it. That, and anything there really is to be said about the book has already been said, and probably by more talented critics than myself.

But that is not true. The hardest part about writing a review of The Handmaid’s Tale, a book first published in 1986, is how relevant it still is, over 30 years later. And sadly, that comment is not a tribute to Margaret Atwood’s writing ability. It is a condemnation of our society – a society that is still trying to wrest control of women’s bodies from the women themselves, a society in which the separation of Church and State sometimes seems to be hanging by a thread, a society where everyone is concerned about who is listening and watching.

In The Handmaid’s Tale, the government of the US has fallen, and, at least in the region where the book is set, an ultra-religious group has seized control. All second marriages have been declared invalid, the men in them likely killed, the women, if have had children, given a choice between becoming “unwomen” and sent to work in radioactive wastelands or “handmaids”, essentially concubines whose sole purpose is breeding, and the children removed from their parents and given to powerful families in the new government to raise.

The premise here is that fertility rates among men and women have fallen to all-time lows. Very few children are conceived, and a high percentage that are have severe birth defects. Science has been rejected, and the blame for loss of fertility is all placed on women. So if a powerful man’s wife does not conceive, he can get a handmaid.

There are timeless aspects of the story. It is a story about people, how they are flawed, how power corrupts, how people seem either inclined to look for hope or to reject it entirely. The Handmaid’s Tale is one of a will to survive, a strength to find hope, even in terrible circumstances. And that is beautiful.

My only problem with this book are the final two chapters called “Historical Notes” which, while it does show that the society in the book has passed into history and the terrible conditions for women are no longer in existence, still does not really add much to the book for me. The Handmaid’s Tale was powerful all on its own. Now, I will admit to a personal bias against epilogues in general. And at least this one did not make me like the book less, as some have done. But still, if you stop at the Historical Notes, you are not really missing anything.

I would recommend this book to just about anyone. When my daughter is older, I will encourage her to read it. I can only hope that it will not seem quite so contemporary then.

[J3nni315]

I am all caught up with the Hulu show, but I have yet to pick up this book. I bought it last summer, and it has been collecting dust. I hadn't decided if I wanted to finish the show before I picked up the book (I always read the book first, but in this case, I wanted to watch the critically acclaimed show first). After reading all this high praise, I might bump up this book to the top of my TBR.

[[Danielle]]

I really enjoyed The Handmaid's Tale. I originally read it for a literacy class in college but immediately got hooked. I watched the 3 seasons on Hulu and just finished The Testaments. I was confused by the last few pages when I first read it, but by going back and reading it a second time, I really appreciated the perspective it put the story in. It also helped it hit home for me that this could be a real moment in history.