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Fabian {Councillor}'s Reviews > The Handmaid's Tale
The Handmaid's Tale
by
Margaret Atwood's prose is shattering. It's what made me fall in love with this book in the first place, even though its actual contents, the nightmarish dystopia and the heartbreaking character of Offred are undeniably the more powerful elements of this book.
The Handmaid's Tale has turned into one of the most prolific dystopias of the last century. Its impact has increased significantly through the success of its TV adaptation (which I haven't seen yet), and through people constantly claiming that Atwood's tale must be as relevant in our society as ever before. Atwood's vision of gender domination is a steady reminder of what could happen if certain powers are allowed to act according to their free will, and thus a horrifying signal that appears to describe a society far beyond our imagination, but one that doesn't seem that far out of reach if you begin to think more closely about it. After all, there are countries in this world which aren't that far removed from attributing women similar roles as the society created by Margaret Atwood.
The plot is tense and filled with defining events, but you'd barely notice it upon reading the book. Atwood's book is not very long, but it still feels like accompanying her on an intricate journey. When the ending finally arrived, it almost hit me out of nothing - the book still had about twenty pages to go (I didn't notice those pages actually consisted of an afterword only in my edition), and I was left thinking how that could possibly have been it. But the ending also makes a lot of sense, a perfectly fitting conclusion to a stunning and richly imaginated world that will likely endure as a literary classic.
by
Fabian {Councillor}'s review
bookshelves: own-paperback, read-2020, year-1985, reviewed, all-the-books-i-own, writer-margaret-atwood, dystopia, depictions-of-the-future, feminism, american-literature, social-class, authoritarianism, futuristic, governmental-control, top-200-nighthawk, great-reads, us-new-england
Apr 13, 2020
bookshelves: own-paperback, read-2020, year-1985, reviewed, all-the-books-i-own, writer-margaret-atwood, dystopia, depictions-of-the-future, feminism, american-literature, social-class, authoritarianism, futuristic, governmental-control, top-200-nighthawk, great-reads, us-new-england
"I would like to believe this is a story I’m telling. I need to believe it. I must believe it. Those who can believe that such stories are only stories have a better chance.
If it’s a story I’m telling, then I have control over the ending. Then there will be an ending, to the story, and real life will come after it. I can pick up where I left off.
It isn't a story I'm telling."
Margaret Atwood's prose is shattering. It's what made me fall in love with this book in the first place, even though its actual contents, the nightmarish dystopia and the heartbreaking character of Offred are undeniably the more powerful elements of this book.
The Handmaid's Tale has turned into one of the most prolific dystopias of the last century. Its impact has increased significantly through the success of its TV adaptation (which I haven't seen yet), and through people constantly claiming that Atwood's tale must be as relevant in our society as ever before. Atwood's vision of gender domination is a steady reminder of what could happen if certain powers are allowed to act according to their free will, and thus a horrifying signal that appears to describe a society far beyond our imagination, but one that doesn't seem that far out of reach if you begin to think more closely about it. After all, there are countries in this world which aren't that far removed from attributing women similar roles as the society created by Margaret Atwood.
The plot is tense and filled with defining events, but you'd barely notice it upon reading the book. Atwood's book is not very long, but it still feels like accompanying her on an intricate journey. When the ending finally arrived, it almost hit me out of nothing - the book still had about twenty pages to go (I didn't notice those pages actually consisted of an afterword only in my edition), and I was left thinking how that could possibly have been it. But the ending also makes a lot of sense, a perfectly fitting conclusion to a stunning and richly imaginated world that will likely endure as a literary classic.
“When we think of the past it's the beautiful things we pick out. We want to believe it was all like that.�
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Reading Progress
November 13, 2015
– Shelved
May 30, 2019
–
Started Reading
May 30, 2019
–
13.89%
""I would like to believe this is a story I’m telling. I need to believe it. I must believe it. Those who can believe that such stories are only stories have a better chance.
If it’s a story I’m telling, then I have control over the ending. Then there will be an ending, to the story, and real life will come after it. I can pick up where I left off.
It isn't a story I'm telling.""
page
45
If it’s a story I’m telling, then I have control over the ending. Then there will be an ending, to the story, and real life will come after it. I can pick up where I left off.
It isn't a story I'm telling.""
April 13, 2020
–
Finished Reading
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TMR
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Apr 19, 2020 12:32AM
Glad you enjoyed.
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Was this your first time?! No wonder it packed such a punch (though it does on rereading as well).
Good review. Thank you!
Fine review, Fabian. This novel will remain a true dystopian classic, just like '1984'.
I need to apologize for taking such a long time to get back to you - I somehow managed to miss all your comments so far.TMR wrote: "Glad you enjoyed."
Yes, it was quite an intriguing read. Thanks!
Cecily wrote: "Was this your first time?! No wonder it packed such a punch (though it does on rereading as well)."
Indeed, it was my first experience with the novel (I even managed not to watch a single episode from the series yet, though I still plan to change that at some point). It is a book I can easily see myself returning to.
Petra-X wrote: "Good review. Thank you!"
Thank you as well, Petra!
Hanneke wrote: "Fine review, Fabian. This novel will remain a true dystopian classic, just like '1984'."
Thanks, Hanneke. And that's a fair point; I think Atwood has already cemented her spot in the top ranks of the dystopian genre, but her novel will certainly continue to capture people in future years - especially since it does not seem like its relevance will dissolve entirely anytime soon.
