The Handmaid's Tale â€� Reader Q&A

Questions About The Handmaid's Tale

by Margaret Atwood (Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Author)

Reader Q&A

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Answered Questions (149)

Do you wish Gilead would come true?

Leah What sort of asinine question is that??

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What age group would you recommend this for?

Petra In all honesty I read this book when I was 13 and didn't find it difficult to grasp. People belittle the intelligence of middlegraders. If a middle grâ€¦m´Ç°ù±ðIn all honesty I read this book when I was 13 and didn't find it difficult to grasp. People belittle the intelligence of middlegraders. If a middle grader is interested in the book he is old enough to understand and grasp the meaning. If he isn't ready he will left the book unfinished.(less)

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In the historical notes, there is this line: ...Limpkin describes the latter as a stuffed shirt, and, I quote, "somebody for whom foreplay is what you do on a golf course." (Laughter.) I'm sure it's obvious or simple but I still don't really get the joke... Would anyone care to explain it to me?

Lynda It is a play on words, Foreplay as in the flirting and kissing and touching that goes on before the actual act of sex, or in the game of golf -the worâ€¦m´Ç°ù±ðIt is a play on words, Foreplay as in the flirting and kissing and touching that goes on before the actual act of sex, or in the game of golf -the word fore is called before the player strikes the ball. I imagine that equating the 1st to the second shows that there was no actual foreplay in the sex. Rather you can imagine him standing legs astride, as on a golf course, looking at the hole in the ground, looking at the ball again getting the distance and direction right, and then hitting to get it in there. Similar to how he thought about putting his penis in to a woman.(less)

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This question contains spoilers... (view spoiler)

Karla I think that may be somewhat true. But I felt that it was more of an attempt to use Offred's past to force the reader to be more objective when viewinâ€¦m´Ç°ù±ðI think that may be somewhat true. But I felt that it was more of an attempt to use Offred's past to force the reader to be more objective when viewing the Gilead society. If Offred had been a paragon of virtue, married to her high school sweetheart, happy wife and mother with no vices, readers would be too focused on the indignities she faced to really read the novel. But she isn't perfect. She smokes, drinks, has an affair, disapproves of her Feminist mother. She's humanized. So instead of reading and thinking "no, this can't happen to poor Offred who has never done a thing to hurt anyone," we think "this is insane, no woman deserves this." She isn't the ultimate victim. And because of that we can see how the widespread the suffering is. Even Serena Joy, who basically brought her misery on herself, doesn't deserve what this fanatic society has done to her. (less)

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Do any of the people here think that this type of literature is easier to write and more difficult to read? I find that sometimes people would not be able to notice whether the narrator is speaking or the characters are having a conversation, the book itself is amazing and I would never stop anyone from not reading it. But this small problem, just lets us appreciate the fact the authors take the time to add the ''s.

Anjelicakulani Yes. I found it difficult at first but then, as I figured out her storytelling method, I changed my reading technique and was able to delve deeper intâ€¦m´Ç°ù±ðYes. I found it difficult at first but then, as I figured out her storytelling method, I changed my reading technique and was able to delve deeper into the storyline. Great book. (less)

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