The Handmaid's Tale (Vintage Classics)
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Review
'Compulsively readable' --Daily Telegraph
"Fiercely political and bleak, yet witting and wise [...] this novel seems ever more vital in the present day" --Observer- The New Review
'...25 years since it was first published, but its freshness, its anger and its disciplined, taut prose have grown more admirable...' --The Independent on Sunday
'The images of brilliant emptiness are one of the most striking aspects of this novel about totalltarian blindness...the effect is chilling' --Linda Taylor, Sunday Times
'Moving, vivid and terrifying. I only hope it's not prophetic' --Conor Cruise O'Brien, The Listener --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
"Fiercely political and bleak, yet witting and wise [...] this novel seems ever more vital in the present day" --Observer- The New Review
'...25 years since it was first published, but its freshness, its anger and its disciplined, taut prose have grown more admirable...' --The Independent on Sunday
'The images of brilliant emptiness are one of the most striking aspects of this novel about totalltarian blindness...the effect is chilling' --Linda Taylor, Sunday Times
'Moving, vivid and terrifying. I only hope it's not prophetic' --Conor Cruise O'Brien, The Listener --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Review
'The Handmaid's Tale is both a superlative exercise in science fiction and a profoundly felt moral story' Angela Carter 'Out of a narrative shadowed by terror, glam sharp perceptions, brilliant intense images and sardonic wit' Peter Kemp, Independent 'The images of brilliant emptiness are one of the most striking aspects of this novel about totalitarian blindness...the effect is chilling' Sunday Times 'Compulsively readable' Daily Telegraph
--This text refers to the
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
117 of 122 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I still don't know what inspired me to take this book home from the library that day back when I was 16- up until then the only "grown up" literature I had read had been formulaic historical romances of the Catherine Cookson variety.
I can now credit this book with opening the door to a whole different world of books from what I was used to- books that demanded me to THINK.
And, being only 16, and not reading this book as part of my English class but rather just for myself, I was swept away by it.
Then, a couple of years ago, I got hold of a copy and read it again, curious if it would still seem so mind-blowing (I remember re-reading my beloved Narnia stories as an adult and getting the shock of my life).
And I can say that, half a life later, this book remains one of the best books I have ever read. Why?
I am still amazed at the author's imagination. How did she manage to describe the menace of a totalitarian regime so well? Science Fiction often dates quickly, seeming at best naive decades after it was written. And for me, reading this book 20-odd years after it was written, in this older and wiser post-9/11 world, certain aspects of the book took on new meaning (religious fundamental regime, strict rules about women's dress, football stadium executions).
It may not be a perfect book, but I think it is worth reading for its ideas (and warnings). And all that aside, it's a gripping read!
I can now credit this book with opening the door to a whole different world of books from what I was used to- books that demanded me to THINK.
And, being only 16, and not reading this book as part of my English class but rather just for myself, I was swept away by it.
Then, a couple of years ago, I got hold of a copy and read it again, curious if it would still seem so mind-blowing (I remember re-reading my beloved Narnia stories as an adult and getting the shock of my life).
And I can say that, half a life later, this book remains one of the best books I have ever read. Why?
I am still amazed at the author's imagination. How did she manage to describe the menace of a totalitarian regime so well? Science Fiction often dates quickly, seeming at best naive decades after it was written. And for me, reading this book 20-odd years after it was written, in this older and wiser post-9/11 world, certain aspects of the book took on new meaning (religious fundamental regime, strict rules about women's dress, football stadium executions).
It may not be a perfect book, but I think it is worth reading for its ideas (and warnings). And all that aside, it's a gripping read!
29 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A stunning novel which depicts a world all too possible in reaction to today's permissive society. It tells the story of Offred, condemned after a military coup, in which she is forcibly separated from her husband and daughter, to become a handmaid, whose function is to produce a child for an infertile older woman. Atwood's remarkable non-linear narrative technique takes getting used to, the main plot being punctuated by both recent and 'time before' flashbacks, but the story is so absorbing that you quickly get accustomed to the style. The novel is eloquently written with its fascination for the nuances of language; (natural communication is suppressed, a common feature of dystopian fiction.) As time passes, Offred's desire for freedom and determination to resist the regime (a Christian fundamentalist state, closely based on misogynistic Old Testament teachings) increase. We are entirely gripped by her plight and willing her to succeed. Does she? You will need to read the book to find out, but I can promise you, you will not anticipate the very unusual ending.
40 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
... it's a rattling good read.
Think about your ability to browse through an internet shop, the power you have to earn money, to hold it and to choose how you spend it. Think about your right to education, should you chose to exercise it. Think about warmth and love and husbands and children.
Imagine all that taken away, the sense of loss, love vanquished, family disappeared, and the comfort of books denied you. Imagine women colluding in oppressing their own sex.
But there is redemption in subversion and small acts of defiance.
It's a clever book, ideas subtly woven, like a fairy tale invoking the dark with the faint promise of light.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
An unusual dystopia
I really enjoyed The Handmaid's Tale. I am drawn to Atwood's idiosyncratic style, and I can tell why this novel has been lauded. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Kate Bradley
A Modern Day Classic
It was a joy to read this 'Tale' and a must read for all fundamentalist Christians whose lives have become dominated and controlled by the Bible. Read more
Published 10 days ago by Tiger
Absorbing and unsettling read
I am not a fan of science fiction and would never have picked this out to read but am glad I was given it! Read more
Published 1 month ago by GoJoGlitz
Mini saudi arabia?
Probably best starting this book without expectations. I had only read the synopsis of the book and found it an interesting topic. Novels are made of such stuff. Read more
Published 1 month ago by stellar
I've never know a dystopia so boring
I had to write my English coursework on this book and I can firmly say afterwards that it was painfully dull. Read more
Published 1 month ago by errrrrrrrrrrrrr
loved it
i really like this book and I think many people will do. It is an easy reading- not to many pages - easy style..in the beginning a bit confusing but than really good! Read more
Published 2 months ago by t
My favourite book
I love this distopian book. It's not usually what I like to read, but the position of women in society in this book is just amazing. I love it
Published 2 months ago by gemmoi
Thought provoking, touching and somehow real
My husband told me I should read this but I'd assumed Atwood was a (boring) literary writer and therefore not for someone like me who prefers more accessible books (too lazy to... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Katy May
eerily brilliant
Read it. Will make you feel sick, scared, empowered all at once. An eerie glimpse into how things can go.
Published 2 months ago by Keren Blackmore
Handmaid's Tale
The book was just as described, good condition and arrived fast. While debated buying the e-book I do think there is nothing like a hard copy of a book to enjoy a story. Read more
Published 3 months ago by cls509
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