Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

32 reviews

athrillerreader's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Misogyny, Cursing, Death, Child death, and Murder

alexandrabelze's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

this is considered a classic in my eyes. this is technically my second time reading this book; the first time i read the handmaid’s tale was the summer before my sophomore year of high school. it definitely made an impact on me. now that i’m older, i respect atwood so much more. she truly is an amazement.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Murder, Pregnancy, Grief, Infidelity, Death, Emotional abuse, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Infertility, Rape, Suicide, Miscarriage, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Cursing, and Violence

Minor: Alcohol and Animal death

breedawnwriter's review

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

4.0

This is a very good book.

It was a little difficult to get into if I didn’t read it consistently (as the writing style is very different from what I typically read), but I really did enjoy Atwood’s imagining of this wretched, disturbing, and utterly gripping dystopian world.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Misogyny, Rape, and Sexism

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Cursing, and Infertility

Minor: Alcohol, Miscarriage, Torture, and Suicide

lexib13's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

wow. the parallels between Gilead and America in 2023 are insane. this book restored my faith in humanity while simultaneously crumbling it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Torture, Violence, Grief, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Death, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Medical content, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Cursing, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Murder, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Excrement, Infertility, Kidnapping, Mental illness, War, Trafficking, and Vomit

lilacwhisker's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Been getting more into classics recently and I thought this was great! The important part of this is to remember that these issues are still experienced today, and are not just made up problems for Offred to face. A book dealing heavily in women’s issues throughout time— loved it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Genocide, Sexism, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Grief, Infertility, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Death, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Infidelity, Suicide, War, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Gun violence, and Sexual content

Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, Addiction, Abortion, and Antisemitism

sapphicpenguin's review against another edition

5.0

Others can analyze the actual politics and repercussions of this book, especially regarding race and how TERFs use it. But for me, as a book--five stars. You can tell Atwood is a poet on every single page--the writing is absolutely stunning. (Not for those who dislike run-on sentences, I will say.) Like many dystopias, not necessarily plausible, but that's not the point. The worldbuilding is masterful.

I think a lot of people, especially coming from the TV show, want a rebellion narrative from this book. They want an action hero. And you don't get that. You get a flawed, thoughtful, broken woman, who just exists in a horrible world. A lot is implied or mentioned or considered, but this is rarely action-packed. Whole chapters are pondering, recollecting, processing. Living through dystopia is not exciting most of the time.

And so many people dislike the main character--I would say we don't need to like her. We just have to listen.

Spoiler

This book also uses one of my favorite storytelling devices--fake historical framing! Everyone clap for the academic lecture analyzing the historical events in the book from the future as the epilogue!

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Cursing, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, and Violence

Moderate: Infidelity, Alcohol, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, and Suicide

Minor: War, Animal death, Excrement, Homophobia, Abortion, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Torture

The worst of it in my opinion is implied/alluded to, or told through moments/observations rather than actions. Nowhere near as traumatic as the TV show, but uncomfortable throughout. I tried to describe the things you need to know below. I'm sure I'm forgetting things--please be cautious. Sexual Violence:

Spoiler

Sexual assault is, of course, present throughout. The main feature of the world is women being forced into sexual slavery. There's actually only one on-page clear sexual assault. It's matter-of-fact and doesn't include active struggle/physical force--she's enslaved, and refusing/fighting would result in punishment/death. She's pretty emotionally distant during it, and finds humor in parts of it. There's another assault that's less ritual and more casually coerced (with extreme power dynamic--she definitely couldn't say no), but only the build-up to it is described, not the actual event. The MC also has (semi-coerced) sex with another man--detailed in "Infidelity." There's also a really upsetting scene where a character opens up about an assault she experienced and the rest of the women are forced to chant that it's her fault.

Suicide:

Spoiler

An unnamed character's past suicide by hanging is referenced and reacted to occasionally. A character we know commits suicide (off-page non-explicitly). The MC multiple times considers suicide and what method she would use. She never attempts or makes any plans.

Pregnancy/Medical:

Spoiler

Pregnancy is a main theme, and it's talked about throughout. Explicit childbirth scene, but not gross/gory. Traumatic, though--forced pregnancy, and mother not allowed to keep baby. It takes place in a home, so no doctor/hospital elements. There is an medical appointment scene, including a pap smear/fertility related checks. The doctor offers to have sex with the MC (while she's nude and uncomfortable), but she declines and he leaves.

Child Endangerment:

Spoiler

The MC often worries about her young daughter's safety and remembers being separated from her. We learn the daughter was forcibly adopted and is presumably experiencing "normal" life with that family, but we don't know specifics of her life/future. More generally, in this world, girls enter arranged marriages as young as 14.

Infidelity:

Spoiler

Infidelity isn't clear-cut in this book. Assault of enslaved women is required by law, and both the husband and wife at various times seem uncomfortable with this. What's legally considered infidelity is separate from people's emotional relationships. Besides being assaulted by a married couple, the MC on multiple occasions has sex with another man. Iffy situation because of power dynamics/whole situation--the first time is definitely coerced, but the others it seems that she's at least partly seeking it out, but partially as a tool to become pregnant, which she will be rewarded for. She does talk about the possibility of caring for him, though, and needing intimacy, and feels guilty because she has/had a husband--she's not sure if he's alive or where he is. There's no conclusion to this experience--we don't learn his fate or whether they meet again.

Violence/Torture/Drugs:

Spoiler

Violence is mentioned often, mostly by the state. Basically all characters are at constant threat of state violence. Lots of violence is referenced. The MC considers ways she could murder another character. Multiple characters, including the MC, are drugged to keep them calm. Characters are hanged not-too-graphically. One is executed by mob. Executed bodies are described hanging from a wall. Only aftermath of torture is described.

Animal Death:

Spoiler

The MC's husband has to kill their cat when they flee their home. This is off-page and we don't know the method.

rushh's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Body horror, Classism, Colonisation, Infertility, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Confinement, Sexual content, Violence, and War

Moderate: Suicide, Death, Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, Murder, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Abortion, Blood, Drug use, Vomit, Cursing, and Alcohol

sunnybugz's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Misogyny, Violence, Sexism, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Rape

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Blood

up2nogood's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Cursing, Homophobia, Animal death, and Emotional abuse

lorraine19's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I read this book after I started the show. (See spoiler for connection between show and book.) It is very tense and covers extremely sensitive subjects in a brutal way. 

For this reason, I'd advise against reading if you are sensitive or have trauma that is easily triggered. 

However, it does highlight some very relevant issues and is something I think many people should read. It will make you uncomfortable. You might have to put it down for a couple days to process it or take a breather. But it is worthwhile and will make you recognize small signs of sexism and discrimination. It shows how small things can escalate. It is also very heavy on religion and politics, but I view the main character as someone wanting to reclaim her religion from extremists - for this reason I do not believe it is anti-religious but anti-extremism. 

I do wish they went more into some of the other characters impacted (which I believe she does in the sequel) but it also did a good job of explaining the world strictly from the main character's POV. 

<SPOILER> The book only covers what is basically the first season of the show but the plot is also a bit different. This leaves it open ended as well. <SPOILER>

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Islamophobia, Hate crime, Infertility, Abandonment, Acephobia/Arophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Murder, Pregnancy, Trafficking, Biphobia, Child abuse, Rape, Xenophobia, Transphobia, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Vomit, Pedophilia, Lesbophobia, Classism, Antisemitism, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Violence, War, Abortion, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Miscarriage

Ritualistic rape, religious extremism, political abuse