megmro's review against another edition
4.0
I'd been meaning to read this one for a long time, and was finally able to muster the courage because my book club chose it for their monthly read. Like any awesome dystopia, the word of Gilead is strange, strict, and scary. I like the way the author keeps things hidden as the story unfolds; Atwood kept me curious and nervous the entire read.
I wish I could give it three and a half stars. I can't say I truly liked the book. It was well written and worth reading, but it is frightening, sad, and disturbing. I was particularly affected by her flashback of her young daughter being stolen from her--as a mother of young children, that was a little too horrific for me to handle right now.
This book sparked a fantastic discussion at book club on gendered power structures, and body rights.
I wish I could give it three and a half stars. I can't say I truly liked the book. It was well written and worth reading, but it is frightening, sad, and disturbing. I was particularly affected by her flashback of her young daughter being stolen from her--as a mother of young children, that was a little too horrific for me to handle right now.
This book sparked a fantastic discussion at book club on gendered power structures, and body rights.
len_schaller's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
melindagallagher's review against another edition
4.0
I have wanted to read this book for a while and finally got around to it. The book has made somewhat of a comeback in the library because of the TV series. I had a hard time deciding whether to give it a 3 or a 4. There are many disturbing scenes in the book and at times I felt it hard to follow. And while the time is set in the future, I kept forgetting because it seemed like it should be in the past to me. There is lots of symbolism, cynicism, and allegory -
and it is just downright cold. However, the portrayal of women and their role in society and the hypocrisy of the men and the religious leaders is extremely disturbing if historical.
and it is just downright cold. However, the portrayal of women and their role in society and the hypocrisy of the men and the religious leaders is extremely disturbing if historical.
paemerich's review against another edition
4.0
When I first read this book in the 1980s, I was a literature and writing major in college. The entire canon and political field of my studies was about feminism but it was the kind of feminism that warns about men taking over and restricting the movement of women in society. This book fell right in line with that way of thinking. It seemed to show a world that could so easily happen if men are put in charge and make decisions. However, this view is now outdated and overly simplistic. But those early ideas shaped the way I read this book several other times in the past decades.
After watching some of the Hulu series and feeling less than enamored with it because of some emotional connection to the novel, I decided I should reread the book with the intention of giving the series another go. What I felt when reading the book this time is that there were generations of women absolutely complicit in the rise of Gilead. The narrator's mother takes her young daughter to and participates in a book burning. She does this in some twisted sense of making the world a better place by removing items that denigrate women (namely pornographic magazines). But what seems to have happened is that in an effort to be "more feminist" the door was opened and the proverbially slippery slope was created. From there things quickly escalate and an unwillingness to create waves allows the events of the novel to unfold.
What is really important about this book is perhaps reading it in the context of women's recent history. Although this is a book by a Canadian author, we cannot dismiss US history as that is where this novel is presumably set. After all, abortion only became a right about 50 years ago AND into the 1980s women still needed a spouse to get bank loans and credit cards in some instances. Without vigilance, we can so easily slip backwards in the strides that women have made as is evidenced by the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade, which is actually about so much more than just abortion. And there are plenty of women who supported that action which only undermines any real feminism. We run the risk of losing sight and control of the very things that make women so unique from men.
After watching some of the Hulu series and feeling less than enamored with it because of some emotional connection to the novel, I decided I should reread the book with the intention of giving the series another go. What I felt when reading the book this time is that there were generations of women absolutely complicit in the rise of Gilead. The narrator's mother takes her young daughter to and participates in a book burning. She does this in some twisted sense of making the world a better place by removing items that denigrate women (namely pornographic magazines). But what seems to have happened is that in an effort to be "more feminist" the door was opened and the proverbially slippery slope was created. From there things quickly escalate and an unwillingness to create waves allows the events of the novel to unfold.
What is really important about this book is perhaps reading it in the context of women's recent history. Although this is a book by a Canadian author, we cannot dismiss US history as that is where this novel is presumably set. After all, abortion only became a right about 50 years ago AND into the 1980s women still needed a spouse to get bank loans and credit cards in some instances. Without vigilance, we can so easily slip backwards in the strides that women have made as is evidenced by the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade, which is actually about so much more than just abortion. And there are plenty of women who supported that action which only undermines any real feminism. We run the risk of losing sight and control of the very things that make women so unique from men.
scolisandwich's review against another edition
challenging
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? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
jasmyn9's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book a long time ago. With the recent rise of making mini-series for books on NetFlix, Hulu, and prime cable channels, book club selected it so they could read it before watching (at least most of them did). I loved having a chance to pick this incredible story up again. The TV show was quite different the further I got into it. It was a great way of highlighting things that I “liked” better or worse between the two and opened a whole new conversation about the events as well.
Most of you will know the basics of the story – a dystopian somewhat futuristic society that has reverted to extreme religious views (of a sort) and certain class of young fertile women are related to basically be breeding stock for the military higher-ups and the elite. Not a very pleasant situation.
I think what I enjoyed most about the book was the ending – so I won’t say too much other than it surprised me. It’s quite open-ended, which I usually don’t like. But in this case, it just seemed to fit. I highly recommend this book – and it seems to be a quite fitting read in our current political climate as well.
Most of you will know the basics of the story – a dystopian somewhat futuristic society that has reverted to extreme religious views (of a sort) and certain class of young fertile women are related to basically be breeding stock for the military higher-ups and the elite. Not a very pleasant situation.
I think what I enjoyed most about the book was the ending – so I won’t say too much other than it surprised me. It’s quite open-ended, which I usually don’t like. But in this case, it just seemed to fit. I highly recommend this book – and it seems to be a quite fitting read in our current political climate as well.
chantelreadsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Second reading- Let's face it. Everything Margaret Atwood does is the most brilliantly imaginative yet horrifyingly possible thing you've ever read. She can do no wrong.
First reading- I've rarely read a book that was so filling for both my heart and my head. The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian masterpiece about a world where women’s rights have been suppressed and women are valued only for their wombs. It’s a story about what could happen with information control and women’s rights in a future that doesn’t respect either ideal. Let me tell you, witnessing the seriously disturbing gender politics going down in Washington lately, and then reading this book was really scary. The whole premise seemed entirely possible. But the brilliance of the story is the loss that the protagonist feels. It’s a powerless struggle against an old life. A women’s lib upbringing filled with lesbian friends and understanding husbands. Imagine being stripped of all identity, separated from your spouse and child, forced to watch as people were sent away for not obeying, struggling to understand how to escape, how to continue living. Wondering how things got this bad. That’s what Atwood really does in this book – she illustrates the internal struggle, between a physical life and a mental stability, mind and body, woman and womb.
First reading- I've rarely read a book that was so filling for both my heart and my head. The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian masterpiece about a world where women’s rights have been suppressed and women are valued only for their wombs. It’s a story about what could happen with information control and women’s rights in a future that doesn’t respect either ideal. Let me tell you, witnessing the seriously disturbing gender politics going down in Washington lately, and then reading this book was really scary. The whole premise seemed entirely possible. But the brilliance of the story is the loss that the protagonist feels. It’s a powerless struggle against an old life. A women’s lib upbringing filled with lesbian friends and understanding husbands. Imagine being stripped of all identity, separated from your spouse and child, forced to watch as people were sent away for not obeying, struggling to understand how to escape, how to continue living. Wondering how things got this bad. That’s what Atwood really does in this book – she illustrates the internal struggle, between a physical life and a mental stability, mind and body, woman and womb.
clifford19691's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-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
4.0