Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

57 reviews

dev921's review against another edition

dark emotional lighthearted sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Deportation

roseisvibing's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Blood, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

tea_leaves's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug use, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Alcohol

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.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual content

Moderate: Cursing, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy

Minor: Miscarriage, Suicide, Torture, and Alcohol

annoyingtwig's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Gore, Suicide, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and War

giulianasbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

Al principio me pareció un poco aburrido y me ha costado leerlo. Está bien, pero esperaba más. Todavía no he visto la serie y tengo muchas ganas pero creo que esperaré a leerme el segundo libro. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Alcohol

amanda02143's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Infertility, Infidelity, Antisemitism, Abortion, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism

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!

---

Content Warnings

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

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

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

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.

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!

 

---

Content Warnings

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

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

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

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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

---

Content Warnings

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

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

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