The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale #1

Margaret Atwood

326 pages first pub 1985 (editions)

fiction dystopian literary dark reflective tense medium-paced

Description

Offred is a Handmaid in The Republic of Gilead, a religious totalitarian state in what was formerly known as the United States. She is placed in the household of The Commander, Fred Waterford - her assigned name, Offred, means 'of Fred'. She has o...

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Community Reviews Summary of 112,634 reviews

Moods

dark 90%
tense 61%
reflective 52%
challenging 42%
emotional 42%
sad 40%
mysterious 23%
adventurous 6%
informative 5%
inspiring 4%
hopeful 3%
funny 1%

Pace

medium 57%
slow 33%
fast 9%

Plot- or character-driven?

A mix: 44% | Character: 39% | Plot: 15% | N/A: 1%

Strong character development?

Yes: 39% | It's complicated: 36% | No: 22% | N/A: 1%

Loveable characters?

It's complicated: 49% | No: 28% | Yes: 19% | N/A: 1%

Diverse cast of characters?

No: 61% | It's complicated: 16% | Yes: 16% | N/A: 5%

Flaws of characters a main focus?

No: 36% | Yes: 32% | It's complicated: 28% | N/A: 2%

Average rating

4.16

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Content Warnings

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