gswagatron's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Sexual content, Abortion, Confinement, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Rape, Sexism, War, Genocide, Infertility, Murder, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, and Sexual assault
marionesq's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Margaret Atwood succeeds in writing that leaves more to our imagination, but doesn't leave you short-changed. You can trust your brain to connect the pieces. She does it by writing not simply visually, but cinematically. And the way everything unfolds is just brilliant.
Graphic: Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Genocide, Pregnancy, Trafficking, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence
maisieflorence's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: War, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Slavery, Police brutality, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Infidelity, Genocide, Suicide, Sexism, Confinement, Kidnapping, Infertility, Gun violence, Drug use, Death, Rape, Torture, Child death, Pregnancy, Murder, Racism, and Abortion
spag's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Body horror, Murder, Physical abuse, and Sexism
Moderate: Suicide, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Infertility
lorraine19's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
For this reason, I'd advise against reading if you are sensitive or have trauma that is easily triggered.
However, it does highlight some very relevant issues and is something I think many people should read. It will make you uncomfortable. You might have to put it down for a couple days to process it or take a breather. But it is worthwhile and will make you recognize small signs of sexism and discrimination. It shows how small things can escalate. It is also very heavy on religion and politics, but I view the main character as someone wanting to reclaim her religion from extremists - for this reason I do not believe it is anti-religious but anti-extremism.
I do wish they went more into some of the other characters impacted (which I believe she does in the sequel) but it also did a good job of explaining the world strictly from the main character's POV.
<SPOILER> The book only covers what is basically the first season of the show but the plot is also a bit different. This leaves it open ended as well. <SPOILER>
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Islamophobia, Hate crime, Infertility, Abandonment, Acephobia/Arophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Murder, Pregnancy, Trafficking, Biphobia, Child abuse, Rape, Xenophobia, Transphobia, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Vomit, Pedophilia, Lesbophobia, Classism, Antisemitism, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Violence, War, Abortion, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Miscarriage
Ritualistic rape, religious extremism, political abuseemiliaelko's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Suicide, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Genocide, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Infertility, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Violence
k_galloway's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Graphic: Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Racism, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Gun violence, Blood, Genocide, Homophobia, Infertility, Torture, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Classism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Toxic relationship
avidoria's review against another edition
3.5
Moderate: Sexual content, Genocide, Self harm, Rape, and Death
james1star's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
My favourite theme within the Handmaid’s Tale is how Offred is shown to bring up this separation of the mind and the body. She does this in a society where women are defined and characterised by their bodily attributes and abilities and so she takes ownership of her own mentality and in doing so showcases her rebellion. This spirit and drive does wither and her internal monologue is characterised by disjointedness expressing the impact that her circumstances has had on her. Her flashbacks to the past and telling of her story is mixed but you are very hooked on it and Offred is portrayed as a very real person.
Unlike some I actually really liked the ending because it is super ambiguous where she enters ‘into the darkness within; or else the light’ so we will never know what happened to her. There is a sense of hope but also tragedy. However the main point Atwood puts forward is unknowing and this is reinforced by the historical notes where they’re questioning the accuracy and credibility of her account by historians of the future at a convention on Giledean studies. Despite teetering on her Tale being true, I mainly got a sense of distrust and ‘brushing off’ of the events which Offred so courageously shared. Towards the end of her account she is shown to be in psychology pain thinking about what she’s endured, it’s hard for her to tell these things and she wants to get them right but undoubtedly it’s hard because of the traumatic nature of the circumstances. And for historians (academic professionals who specialise in the subject and we trust to interpret it) to in a way belittle her efforts is such an injustice. But true, we’ve done that to past accounts of people in horrific situations, further emphasising a need to not repeat the past.
I do want to mention I did watch the show long before reading the book (only got into reading the past 5 months) and I do enjoy it so I did have my own opinions and idea of the storyline. However, I definitely enjoyed the book way more and I imagined and realised Offred more vividly in my head then seeing her physically real. Also I love how in the book we know Offred knows her name, but she has power in withholding it from us and her being the property ‘of’ the commander ‘Fred’ we’re constantly reminded she is property, her value is merely in her bodily functions for Fred and his household (yes she does pose mental stimulation in the book but under the Gileadan regime, as a Handmaid that is her function) and the show outright giving her a name in a way diminishes the significance of Atwood not revealing her name in the book. A thought.
To conclude I did really enjoy this novel, I initially was listening to as an audiobook but this was removed from YouTube so got the book and actually much more enjoyed reading it myself, it took me a long time to get through it and I think that’s because of the method in which I took it in. It is hard to read in parts but is okay exceptionally well written and really hooks you in. Bring on The Testaments.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Infertility, Suicide, Genocide, Rape, Sexual violence, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Abortion, Classism, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, and War
jennino's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Colonisation, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexism, Slavery, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Violence, and War