Shelfari: The Site for Books & ReadersShelfari Logo

The Handmaid's Tale: A Novel
 

The Handmaid's Tale: A Novel

by Margaret Atwood

In the world of the near future, who will control women's bodies?

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because... (read more)

Top tags: fiction,  dystopia,  science fiction,  feminism,  literature (all tags)

Readers

Groups

  • As Long As Its Not Stupid Discussion Group
  • EVEolution Thinking Discussion Group
  • Dystopian literature Discussion Group
  • Crossgenre Discussion Group
  • Feminist Writings Discussion Group
  • Book Chat Discussion Group

Other Reviews

Amazon Reviews (5)
 

Most Helpful Reviews

Liked It

6 of 6 members found this review helpful.
Keneti
  • Rated 4 stars

“A haunting story that is going to stick with me much longer than the sparse narative would seem to initially warrant. This book was probably first witten as a rebuke toward some of the more conservative Christian reaction to the abortion debate in the mid-1980s. Now it has very scary implications to the anti-terrorism panic of modern US society. To me the story shows the consequences of our indifference to the loss of civil rights in the name of security. The creation of a political...”

Keneti’s full review »
more reviews »

Didn’t Like It

2 of 13 members found this review helpful.
Kevin H
  • Rated 1 stars

“Ugh. Absolute worst book ever. Good if you like man hating propaganda I suppose.”

Kevin H’s full review »
more reviews »
Community:
  • Rated 4.166847 stars
Amazon:
  • Rated 4 stars
  

Newest Comments

  • ZOEY P

    zoey p said:

    “I picked up this book because I love dystopian books and movies (such as Jean-Luc Godard's movie "Alphaville"- rent it!), and this one sounded especially intriguing. It takes place in a future where women are either wives, "Marthas" (housekeepers), or, in the case of the protagonist, handmaids (women solely meant to give birth for infertile couples). The main character feels trapped in a society in which a woman's body is a possession which she cannot own, and in which she has been stripped of her past and identity.
    The Handmaid's Tale kept me hooked because of Margaret Atwood's writing; it is transfixing! Each word rings with quiet desperation. Only in this book can the writer randomly write "help me" and it is perfectly placed, completely unforced. It made me want to read more of Atwood's books; I could not ut this one down! It's hypnotic, trapping the reader in its rythyms, and leaving the reader thinking long after he or she has finished it. ”

    posted Wednesday, September 24 2008 ( | view 2 replies )
  • Selina C

    selina c said:

    “To be critical and nit picky -parts of it WERE realistic, but then parts of it were completely off the wall. I mean come on. Women not being allowed to read? How could they have enforced that one? Wouldn't that kind of futuristic society invented test-tube babies to counteract the 'sex' problem? Some major plot holes and anachronisms if you think about it too much. ”

    posted Tuesday, August 26 2008 ( | view 3 replies )
  • Samra T

    samra t said:

    “I poured over the posts and did not see anyone referring to the movie adaptation of this book, and I have to say, if you can find it in the video store, rent it! The book was hauntingly realistic. With our digitized lifestyles, our On-line everything, how easily our lives could be taken over by a hostile force! Fore more info on the movie, made in 1990, go to IMDB.com and search for The Handmaid's Tale.”

    posted Tuesday, August 26 2008
  • Sara Sunshine (Ninja Librarian)

    sara sunshine (ninja librarian) said:

    “I read this when I was 16 for fun. (Yes I was a crazy bibliophile.)

    I found it to be a haunting example of a dystopian feminist society. Since at the time, I had recently read several books railing against the evilness of a patriarchal society this one created an interesting counterpoint. (Example:" Gibbon's Decline and Fall" by Sherri S. Tepper). At the same time I must admit it was a rather tedious book to read. Despite the fact that it was not very enjoyable, aspects of it have haunted my mind for years. It isn't a fun read, but it certainly has impact.

    That said, on a rather disturbing note, I learned from a young library patron recently that this book is being assigned to some Middle School and Freshmen students. How scary is that! Yes I read it at 16, but I was a freak! I've heard college seniors bemoan the tediousness of this book, and school's are going to foist it upon kids who are primed and ready to discard reading as uncool! Ack! Please teachers out there; let people discover this book either on their own or in college. Forced reading of dense literature is like the recipe for convincing teens and preteens that reading is a boring, uncool, grind, and a waste of time. Even "Brave New World" would be a better choice for highlighting a dystopian society or "The Giver" by Lois Lowry.”

    posted Wednesday, July 30 2008 ( | view 2 replies )
  • Pinkie D

    pinkie d said:

    “What a bizarre concept. Chilling and revolting, yet slicing very close to many beliefs existent today.

    I found this particular work of Atwood's to be quite disjointed, but that was purposeful of course; the mind of someone trying to stay sane in an utterly un-sane and insane world. The limited use of dialogue was a nice twist.

    For the few sexual curses and body part slangs that were used, I feel a bit more descriptive sexual play would have been appropriate. Why stop at mere innuendo when crassness leapt off the page mere paragraphs before? It's just not consistent writing.

    All in all, the whole concept was brilliant. It took a mastermind to piece together and Atwood was successful indeed. The ending left much to be desired. The Historical Notes did nothing to appease this reader. I was left wanting.”

    posted Tuesday, July 29 2008
© 2008 Shelfari, Inc. | Portions of Shelfari.com are Copyright © 1996-2008 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy