The Handmaid's Tale

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It's hard for me to come to a Classic with only the mindset of This Must Be Read. Perhaps it's obstinance, or just a need for difference, I don't know. But I'm glad I came to this book simply wanting to read it, because I dug through it with relish. This is one of those books that exudes such talent, especially in the way that Atwood finds a concise situation that examines misogyny in such depth: the rhetoric of protection to not only provide an excuse to strip women of all their rights but that generates in a severe distrust of women, and of course the patriarchal attitude that men are bad but are free to have the power to do as they will and that women must carry the brunt of a system that supposedly forces men to be good. And of course the recruitment of women to help subjugate women. Atwood's novel links itself to Camus's best work for me, in the way that there is a strong social metaphor at play, but the story itself is still very real, very palpable and not relegating itself to be simply Symbolic, because the issues at stake are real, which is probably all the more weighty in this book, since, come 2021, it seems we only narrowly skirted from becoming a Gilead (and more!) ourselves.

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This book may be futuristic but it’s message is very relavent today. The author Margaret Atwood is great at sending a message through her novels. You’ll live this book even though you may be bothered by its message.

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It’s so easy to look at the sins of the past and say we’re past all that now. Maybe we look at the sins and cruelties of another country and pat ourselves on the back. But Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale reminds us, in fiction, of how close society must always be to collapse. Those things we hold so right and true might always be turned against us, and deepening disaster can result in cruel response under the guise of protection. There’s lots of cruelty in the Handmaid’s Tale. But there’s lots of genuine humanity too. The author creates a society not so very different from our own, gives it rules that are surely Biblical yet not the ones we’ve chosen, and slowly reveals the reason how that world might grow from ours. The narration draws the reader in, making characters real, then filling in backstories that feel achingly true, then adding fears and politics and more. Surprise in the ending threw me suddenly out of the tale and into questions—a reminder perhaps that I should have been asking questions all along. Could we end up there? Why, or why not? And how will we know what direction we’re moving in. A parable of the future, a warning for the present, and an enthralling tale, I’m really glad I finally got around to reading this! Disclosure: I borrowed a copy and loved it.

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I read this novel when it was published in 1998, and I gladly reread it for book club this month. The thoughtful detail that Atwood went into mystified me all over again. She addressed a myriad of women's issues with terrifying accuracy--love and lust, family and friendship, choice and force, memory and forgetting, age and youth, reality and imagination. A few concepts that drew my attention were 1) "Nobody dies from lack of sex. It's lack of love we die from;" 2) "A man is just a woman's strategy for making other women:" 3) "What made us feel we deserved it?" 4) "Better never means better for everyone. It always means worse for some;" 5) "A rat in a maze is free to go anywhere as long as he stays in the maze," 6) "You can't help how you feel, but you can help how you behave," and, of course, 7) "Nolite te bastardes carborundrum." The Handmaid's Tale is a dense, thought-provoking dystopian novel that deserves a reader's full attention. Find yourself a quiet place to devour it.

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I have not yet read "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood, but I would like to start reading it before the New Year.

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I found it a very compelling story.

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Atwood's writing is beautifully accessible, if that is a phrase that makes sense. And Handmaid's Tale in particular is a defining work, taking the idea of women's bodies being primarily for reproduction to an extreme that reveals the deep problems with such a perspective.

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This is one of my favorite books. It is gripping, vivid, exciting, frightening, and full of human spirit. The story follows a woman in an ultra-religious and oppressive future society in which leaders are panicking and dissenters are silenced quickly. She struggles to make sense of the world, longs for the past, and endeavors to return to some semblance of the life she knew before the world went mad. It was a book that I couldn't put down, full of imagery and emotion, and one that I could read over and over again.

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Margaret Atwood writes beautiful sentences. This one seems like a good one to read in during an election year.

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"The Handmaid's Tale" is unquestionably an excellent piece of literature, and Margaret Atwood is very effective in drawing the reader into the world of the Republic of Gilead. As the story unfolded, I found myself both drawn to and repulsed by the events. It was a fascinating story, but also disturbing and threatening, especially when the reader understands that the vast majority of the events in the book were based off of actual occurrences in history. Atwood's novel is the story of a woman who previously had what would widely be considered a "normal" American life. She had a career, a husband, and a daughter. But after the U.S. government was overthrown and replaced by the Republic of Gilead, she lost her family, job, and rights. In the Republic of Gilead, women are no longer allowed to read, and are divided into different positions. The main character becomes a handmaid, and exists solely for the purpose of providing an infertile couple with a child. She is referred to as Offred, or "of Fred," making reference to the man who is supposed to fertilize her. She is also restricted to a specific uniform as a handmaid, a long red dress with red gloves, and a white hat with long flaps that shield her face from strangers. Ultimately, the new government has stripped her of her identity. Atwood bravely explores the repercussions that such a governmental system would have on this handmaid. She tells the story of Offred's past in brief flashbacks, and also recounts her re-education as a handmaid. Offred has become an unemotional and determined woman who clings to fantasies of her family and desperate grasps of love to survive. This is a difficult book to read. In particular passages, it is easy to understand why this book could be banned or suppressed. However, it tells a story that ought to be told, both to remember those in history who have had similar experiences and to caution against the future. Furthermore, Atwood does this effectively and well.

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This book will stand the test of time, just like Orwell's 1984. It is a timeless classic. Atwood has produced a masterpiece of literature. It makes you think, and stays with you long after the last page. A must read.

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After reading the "Handmaid's Tale" I began to research the elements of her compelling book. I have since come to the conclusion that Maragret Atwood was spot on and chilling even when the hope is but a low flicker in a sea of darkness. Wonderful, haunting, interesting and timeless if not timely as the religious right make inroads into our government and military with increasing influence.

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Being a recently graduated English major, I have read a number of books over the past four years. "The Handmaid's Tale," though, is by far one of the best pieces of literature I came across, and to be honest, is one of the only ones I finished from start to finish without skipping a single page - and that says a lot, considering I would often have twenty or more novels a term to read. I call "The Handmaid's Tale" a "piece of literature" rather than a "novel" or "book" because it possesses the qualities of literature that is hard to find in much of todays modern fiction. Atwood is often thought of as a feminist writer, but she is much more than that, and "The Handmaid's Tale" really shows that. Atwood touches on extreme themes of oppression and democracy without making the reader feel like he's being lectured. In Laymen's terms: READ IT! You won't regret it. I have yet to meet someone who hasn't read it and not loved it. I must say, though, if you're looking for a piece of literature to mindlessly read without much thought, this is not for you. "The Handmaid's Tale" forces the reader to reflect on the politics of the story as well as the politics of today. I personally feel much more enlightened and educated for reading this piece of literature. To be clich?, do yourself a favor and read this!

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A modern classic- highly recommended reading for those seeking a thought-provoking tale. Add it to your permanent collection!

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The most frightening book I've ever read. A must read for every American in 2007, as we await the Supreme Court ruling on the federal abortion ban that would make abortions as early as 12 weeks illegal.