Book Review: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

I am not your justification for existence

I started reading The Handmaid’s Tale because of the incoming hulu series and I wanted to know what everything was about. I did not care for the book.

Book Review: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Rating:


Title & Author: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Genre: Dystopia, Classic
Release Date: 1985
Series: Standalone
Publisher: McClelland and Stewart

Synopsis

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now…

I give The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood three out of five hearts. I did not care for the story and had a hard time staying on track with it.

The entire society just made me throw up. I hate the fact human rights are just taken away and the way females are treated is just sick. No that’s wrong, the way EVERYBODY is treated is sick. What I do not understand is why no one, except for the true believers and the resistance, does anything. Why are these people not revolting against the system? Are these people just so weak they don’t even dare? Maybe these people are.

I think that I feel this strongly about the story is a sign of the fact that the story is well written. I really should start giving out points for all the things I am not taking into account right now. Right now I am giving point according to what I like and such. But I think a separate rating system for stuff I do not like, but are important too. Let me know what you think about two rating systems.

The end is very strange, with the prologue being written like some transcription of a lecture about the story. It is set in a world where the Republic of Gilead has been overthrown again. But also the fact that Offred is being taken away by guards of which she assumes they are from Mayday and hopes to be saved. I hoped the novel would have ended differently and had more of a conclusion. Now all we are left with is guess work and ideas.

Let me know what you thought of this book and/or the hulu show!
If you have any requests for which book I should talk about next, please let me know in the comments down below.

For now, let books enrich your life!

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