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

dark emotional tense medium-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? Yes

4.5

It’s so refreshing to read a dystopian novel that does not rely on a chosen one or the toppling of a long-lived political system. It feels like an anthropological study firsthand from someone who lived in a foreign, but not altogether impossible, reality. It feels grounded in realism, likely due to Atwood’s use of real historical events to develop her world. I appreciated getting to see this world not from a “radical” of her time speaking anachronistically, but instead from a victim of the system watching herself conform and make difficult or “stupid” decisions enforced by her situation.

I had avoided this book for so long, despite enjoying some of Atwood’s poetry. I thought the story would be too heavy and dark, and, although it was an older dystopian story, it may feel outdated and no longer truly relevant. However, I quickly found her prose to be engaging and beautiful, without being too flowery or grotesque. It was an easy read to start, and by the point it became more difficult and heavy, I was too engrossed to stop.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings