Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

318 reviews

avpapato's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

4.0

I had some issues with the writing style, but overall thought this was a decent book. I understand why it's considered a modern classic.

I felt the inclusion of a "historical notes" section - which the author admitted in a BBC interview I listened to was cribbed from 1984 - was a jarring tone shift after the previous chapter, but in considering it as essentially a separate document about the book, or an addendum, I appreciate learning more about the politics and cultural shifts of the time than Offred was able to glean.

That said, it's perfectly readable without the last chapter, and may be more enjoyable without.
That is, if you can stand how Atwood tries to end every paragraph with a poignant one-liner.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, and Murder

Moderate: Infidelity and Pregnancy

Minor: Animal death, Suicide, Torture, Medical content, and Alcohol

camisword97's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Kidnapping

gabbygarcia's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder

Minor: Torture, Vomit, and War

parent-child separation

imcharlottek's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism

kiesha's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and War

anxieteaandbiscuits12's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Self harm, Antisemitism, Abortion, War, and Injury/Injury detail

beeping_librarian's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

3.75

Good story, horrifying premise. Unreliable narrator. Didn't enjoy the writing style with its run-on sentences, lack of quotation marks, and frequent asides / backtracking / waxing poetic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Slavery

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Classism

Minor: Infertility, Suicide, and Abortion

blueacorn1991's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, and Pregnancy

hasti2c's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

14silja's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, and Sexual harassment