Reviews with content warning for Abortion - The Handmaid's Tale

Reviews tagging 'Abortion'

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

117 reviews

sashtastic3's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

A very good book. The story telling was interesting as was the dark horrific plot. The only thing that bothered me was the lack of indication of who was speaking and the lack of quotation marks in the book.

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ieotter13's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

4.25

this book has been on my TBR list for a while and it was definitely something I’m glad I read - all criticism of the book (diversity, etc) is extremely valid, but Atwood is still able to write a compelling story that in some ways seems not too far off from our current political system. i listened to this book via audiobook and given the “historical notes” at the end it actually felt more accurate to the story to read it that way. regardless, worth the read!

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verysillygoose's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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airsilv's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No

3.5

Devastating, frustrating, and disturbing in turns, I read this book for my Literature course, and found it perfect for studying. If you’re looking for entertainment, you likely won’t find it here, as the main character has mostly been written with the keep-your-head-down attitude that she claims very early will be paramount to her survival. However, if you are looking for a meaningful speculation of what a terrible future nuclear warfare and patriarchal values could lead to, you will find it with Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’.

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sav_22's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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

3.0

Oddly, I did not feel as strongly for this as I did the show adaptation. I feel like it wasn’t as easy to connect to the story as much. Pacing was quick and it left you feeling hollow and sad; this was likely the point, but it didn’t really have any development other than world-building. this has a nihilistic perspective, which can be more impactful for the message depending on how you go into it.

the show covers this entirely in just season 1, except a few passages here and there. The show explores this concept far more deeply and gives Offred more depth and personhood. Her real name is never mentioned in the book, as the show takes many creative liberties to explore the concept more.

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