“Summary: 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 in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are only valued if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the days before, when she lived and made love with her husband Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now...
Reader’s Notes: I’ve read a number of Atwood books and they’ve all been pretty creepy and this book is no exception. It’s a very clever idea, an intriguing premise, and Atwood’s prose is very individualistic. Her timings jump around and sometimes it’s hard to keep track. But it’s a real page-turner. I was slightly disappointed with the ending – I felt it didn’t live up to the plot strength in the rest of the book, but I’d be interested to hear others’ views on this.
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Christine Heard wrote this review Monday, January 14, 2013.
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