Reviews

This was thought-provoking and the poetic paragraphs were very pretty, there’s nothing in me that can doubt that this book was written beautifully and skillfully. It just didn’t hit me as hard as I had hoped it might, I didn’t feel all that immersed in the world. And frankly, I only continued to read through my boredom because my dad wants to watch the TV show, and work was SUPER slow today. The strongest element to me was definitely the dystopian society itself. I found the concept really held my attention and interest, exploring the frightening and uncomfortable ideas on the uses of women and their bodies.

mother_of_theo's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

alisposato's review against another edition

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4.0

I devoured the first half of this book and then felt it lost a little steam but I still peered through to the end. I loved the social commentary. The thing that is so amazing to me is that this book was written almost 20 years ago yet her commentary fits right into today's world as well. The only reason I took off a star is because I thought the ending was pretty unsatisfying.

bluereen's review against another edition

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4.0

"We lived, as usual, by ignoring. Ignoring isn't the same as ignorance, you have to work at it."

***

I'm glad I finally got around to reading this classic. The plot is interesting and it's unlike anything I've ever read before. We enter in medias res, and I like how Atwood scatters bits of information throughout the book. Offred, at the start, seems distanced and unperturbed. But it's later that she recounts her tragic past. She is walking a tightrope—everything feels so uncertain, and it's this fear of danger that keeps readers on their toes. I just felt there were a few plot holes that were left unaddressed. Overall, it's a great book, and I can see why people loved it so much.

coral_'s review against another edition

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challenging mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.5

aleadle6's review against another edition

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challenging reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

runjnee's review against another edition

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4.0

A wretched tale. Easy enough language but an awful, poignant story that is just emotionally distressing to read. Part of my enthusiasm to finish it was driven by wanting to end the experience as soon as possible, as it was playing havoc on my feelings.

I'm almost reluctant to recommend such a stressful read. It is certainly an important one.

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