A review by melindagallagher
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

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.