Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She has only one function: to breed. If she deviates, she will, like dissenters, be hanged at the wall or sent out to die slowly of radiation sickness. But even a repressive state cannot obliterate desire - neither Offred's nor that of the two men on which her future hangs. (19960627)
The Handmaid's Tale (Vintage Classics)
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Review
"Out of a narrative shadowed by terror, gleam sharp perceptions, brilliant intense images and sardonic wit" (Peter Kemp Independent )
"The Handmaid's Tale is both a superlative exercise in science fiction and a profoundly felt moral story" (Angela Carter )
"Moving, vivid and terrifying. I only hope it's not prophetic" (Conor Cruise O'Brien The Listener )
"The images of brilliant emptiness are one of the most striking aspects of this novel about totalitarian blindness...the effect is chilling" (Linda Taylor Sunday Times )
"Powerful...admirable" (Robert Irwin Time Out )
"The Handmaid's Tale is both a superlative exercise in science fiction and a profoundly felt moral story" (Angela Carter )
"Moving, vivid and terrifying. I only hope it's not prophetic" (Conor Cruise O'Brien The Listener )
"The images of brilliant emptiness are one of the most striking aspects of this novel about totalitarian blindness...the effect is chilling" (Linda Taylor Sunday Times )
"Powerful...admirable" (Robert Irwin Time Out )
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'Compulsively readable' Daily Telegraph
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
144 of 151 people found the following review helpful
By Magpie
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!
47 of 49 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
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.
33 of 35 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.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A book you still think about long after you've finished reading it
I've never reviewed a book before but as I'm still thinking about this book weeks after reading it, I felt compelled to. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Emismumpy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not my usual type but fabulous!
Chosen for our book club. Would never have read it without being prompted. Thoroughly enjoyed it! A great book! Recommend to anyone looking to read something a bit different.
Published 12 days ago by alison turner
3.0 out of 5 stars
A bit disappointing
I have read a few of Margaret Atwood's books so had high expectations. As per her other books the back story is interesting - it is set in a strange world - but I have not given it... Read more
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Amazing story
This book is wonderful. Believable characters and the futuristic setting made this one of mymost enjoyable reads of the year so far. Read more
Published 27 days ago by Jo
2.0 out of 5 stars
Couldnt get into this book
I found it hard to read, I didn't like the subject or characters and gave up reading it . I will not pick it up again.
Published 2 months ago by S. Jones
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great story
I found this novel quite difficult to get into at first but then once I was more into the story I really enjoyed it. If you want a more challenging read I suggest this.
Published 2 months ago by Rebecca Lowe
4.0 out of 5 stars
A great read
I can't believe it took me so long after reading some of Atwood's other works to get round to reading this.
A very good book
A very good book
Published 2 months ago by Nik Reeves
4.0 out of 5 stars
Still resonates
Considering its age, its themes still resonate, set in a near future where women live under an effective, to coin a phrase, 'nanny state', where everything is done seemingly for... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Fopstar
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stands the test of time
This book was written in the 1980s, when people still talked about cassette tapes rather than CDs, videos rather than DVDs, and people were allowed to smoke indoors. Read more
Published 2 months ago by misty
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must read
A tale for now. Nineteen Eighty Four for the twenty first century, a story of the dangers of religion, fundamentalism, reality and intolerance.
Published 2 months ago by Man in Seat 81
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