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Lisa Vegan's Reviews > The Handmaid's Tale
The Handmaid's Tale
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Lisa Vegan's review
bookshelves: fiction, speculative-fiction, novel, goodreads-author, bookclub, reviewed, 1-also-at-librarything, readbooks-female-author-or-illust, z1987, zz-5star, canada, owned-1300
Sep 17, 2007
bookshelves: fiction, speculative-fiction, novel, goodreads-author, bookclub, reviewed, 1-also-at-librarything, readbooks-female-author-or-illust, z1987, zz-5star, canada, owned-1300
I was just going to skim this to remind myself of what I might have forgotten because my book club is reading it, but I immediately got so engrossed all over again I ended up once again reading it cover to cover. I had remembered almost everything but I enjoyed my reread. Brilliant!
Not only does it hold up, but its chilling view of a potential future seems even more pertinent today than it did then. When I read it in the 1980s over 25 years ago, I honed in on a couple aspects of the story. Reading it now I see how this not too far in the future American society is so richly woven.
Atwood shouldn鈥檛 have used dates and certain cultural identifiers because the story is dated in that way. Otherwise, though if written today there would have been some minor changes, no doubt, it otherwise isn鈥檛 dated at all. It鈥檚 just as topical as it ever was.
When I read it the first time I felt sorry for only certain people. This time I was able to feel sorry for just about everybody. I also concentrated most back then on the feminist themes. This time the environmental and other social aspects spoke to me most, particularly what鈥檚 happened to the environment and the ramifications of that.
I have my own idea about the ending. I like that some things are left up to readers鈥� imaginations.
The best speculative fiction says a lot about the real world. This story does that, about both our past, our recent past, about our present, and gives a chilling look at one possibility of our future and is an accurate mirror of some sectors of the present too. Scary stuff!
For my reread I read this edition: The Handmaid's Tale, and I read the extra material added for this edition. I originally read the book over 25 years ago, and had rated it here as 5 stars, but without any review. I think I have my originally read edition somewhere on my home shelves but didn鈥檛 really hunt for it. I finished this reread on March 23rd, 2013.
Not only does it hold up, but its chilling view of a potential future seems even more pertinent today than it did then. When I read it in the 1980s over 25 years ago, I honed in on a couple aspects of the story. Reading it now I see how this not too far in the future American society is so richly woven.
Atwood shouldn鈥檛 have used dates and certain cultural identifiers because the story is dated in that way. Otherwise, though if written today there would have been some minor changes, no doubt, it otherwise isn鈥檛 dated at all. It鈥檚 just as topical as it ever was.
When I read it the first time I felt sorry for only certain people. This time I was able to feel sorry for just about everybody. I also concentrated most back then on the feminist themes. This time the environmental and other social aspects spoke to me most, particularly what鈥檚 happened to the environment and the ramifications of that.
I have my own idea about the ending. I like that some things are left up to readers鈥� imaginations.
The best speculative fiction says a lot about the real world. This story does that, about both our past, our recent past, about our present, and gives a chilling look at one possibility of our future and is an accurate mirror of some sectors of the present too. Scary stuff!
For my reread I read this edition: The Handmaid's Tale, and I read the extra material added for this edition. I originally read the book over 25 years ago, and had rated it here as 5 stars, but without any review. I think I have my originally read edition somewhere on my home shelves but didn鈥檛 really hunt for it. I finished this reread on March 23rd, 2013.
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Quotes Lisa Liked
“It's impossible to say a thing exactly the way it was, because of what you say can never be exact, you always have to leave something out, there are too many parts, sides, crosscurrents, nuances; too many gestures, which could mean this or that, too many shapes which can never be fully described, too many flavors, in the air or on the tongue, half-colors, too many.”
― The Handmaid鈥檚 Tale
― The Handmaid鈥檚 Tale
Reading Progress
Started Reading
January 1, 1987
–
Finished Reading
September 17, 2007
– Shelved
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Lisa
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rated it 5 stars
Mar 17, 2013 08:47PM
I'm about to start my reread for my book club. I hate the cover of the edition I got from the library: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57...
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How the heck does that cover fit the novel?I agree with you about feeling sorry for everyone the second time around. When I read this in my twenties, I just felt bad for the handmaids. While they were victimized by their society, so was everyone else. Even the men in power couldn't be themselves because of the rigid societal expectations.
I've found that a lot of what people said could never happen when it was first published is now rather matter-of-fact in the US.
Sandi, I think it's a photo of the author. It's an anniversary edition. Osho, Most people I knew in the 80s thought it very plausible. Sadly, it's more true to life then than now. I'm feeling miserable having to say that but was impressed by how it resonated with me at least as much now as then. Scary and very disheartening, but it made for thoroughly enjoyable reading.
Ha ha. Just corrected a typo: real word instead of real world. It kind of fit, a couple different ways. :-)
Great review, Lisa. I read this in the 1980s as well. Maybe it's time for a re-read.
She is going to be at the Festival of Books, Lisa :)I plan to get my copy of this book signed. So looking forward to meeting her.
Diane D. wrote: "She is going to be at the Festival of Books, Lisa :)I plan to get my copy of this book signed. So looking forward to meeting her."
That is a rare event, Diane. Margaret Atwood does not make many personal appearances. I'm jealous:-)
Peg, I agree- I feel as though I'll be seeing a legend!
Diane D. wrote: "Peg, I agree- I feel as though I'll be seeing a legend!"Is she going to speak or just do a signing?
Diane D. wrote: "She is going to be at the Festival of Books, Lisa :)I plan to get my copy of this book signed. So looking forward to meeting her."
Oh, I'm so, so jealous. I should have come down this year! I know I have a copy somewhere and I'll be willing to hunt to find it. It's an old paperback though. I'm sure it looks pathetic.
Kim wrote: "Great review, Lisa. I read this in the 1980s as well. Maybe it's time for a re-read."Thanks, Kim. I keep thinking of all the other (hopefully) brilliant things I could have said, without giving away any of the plot, of course. I definitely enjoyed my reread. I was shocked at how in some ways the book packs an even stronger punch today. And, yay for Canada and England!!
Lisa wrote: "Diane D. wrote: "She is going to be at the Festival of Books, Lisa :)I plan to get my copy of this book signed. So looking forward to meeting her."
Oh, I'm so, so jealous. I should have come dow..."
Lisa, send it to me and I'll have it signed for you. Also, not too late to make plans! :)
peg wrote: "Diane D. wrote: "Peg, I agree- I feel as though I'll be seeing a legend!"Is she going to speak or just do a signing?"
Peg, it's held on-campus at USC so the authors typically do a one-hour panelor discussion with a moderator in a classroom or study hall. Following the panel/discussion, they do a signing. It's just a book lovers dream this Festival!
Diane, You'd better get there early for Margaret Atwood. Or, are the tickets given out in advance? I'm sure that room will be packed.
Diane D. wrote: "Lisa, send it to me and I'll have it signed for you. Also, not too late to make plans! :) "I might send it to you.
I can look online, but again, what are the dates?
I think I'm going to have to wait until next year, unfortunately, though getting away soon is tempting.
April 20 and 21. If I weren't already having a guest, you could have stayed here.
Diane D. wrote: "April 20 and 21. If I weren't already having a guest, you could have stayed here."Thanks, Diane! I would probably have a place to stay in Culver City and maybe elsewhere too. But I'd need to stay extra days to hit all the vegan restaurants I could, and since I'm trying to cut down on calories/sugar for the next few months at least, it definitely wouldn't be good timing.
4 more weeks, Diane! Very exciting.
Then I hope you will plan for next year, Lisa.
Diane D. wrote: "Then I hope you will plan for next year, Lisa."Thanks. I'll definitely try.
Simran wrote: "Great review, Lisa ! It's already on my tbr list but the points you raised in your review got me curious about it again and reminded me that i want to read this book ! :)"Simran, It's definitely worth reading. I hope you get to it and enjoy it. I'll be interested in what you think about it.
I loved this book and have thought about it a lot over the years for many reasons. The one thing that bugged me and has really stuck with me, though, was the Scrabble game. They keep playing difficult words, when in the game, points have little to do with how obscure a word is. I've gotten large scores with words as simple as "job." Isn't it dumb how that's what I remember most?I have to agree that the cover you linked to has to be the most inaccurate cover I've ever seen. I think it's a picture of Margaret Atwood but that belongs on the back.
Kelly, I agree about the cover.Kelly, That's a great observation about the Scrabble game. I wonder though (view spoiler) But you're right re the point scores and which kinds of words give high scores most often.
You're probably right. I don't blame her, either. I still have no idea why I even remember that, except that Scrabble is my favorite game of all time.
Kelly Maybedog wrote: "You're probably right. I don't blame her, either. I still have no idea why I even remember that, except that Scrabble is my favorite game of all time."I love Scrabble too, though I do enjoy many games. There are a few I never learned that I wish I had, such as chess and bridge.
I tried to learn bridge back in college. I know how to play but I really suck at bidding. I was on the chess team in high school and I was second to last chair. I'm not good at either game. It's funny because I'm really good at cards; bridge and Oh Hell are the only ones I suck at. (Hmm, and they involved bidding... but I do okay in Pinochle...) I'm good at games in general and I love, love, love games. But those where you have to be patient just don't work for me. I want to keep going, going, going. I did my best at speed Chess. (That's really not saying much at all. I was really bad.)
Simran wrote: "Great review, Lisa ! It's already on my tbr list but the points you raised in your review got me curious about it again and reminded me that i want to read this book ! :)"You absolutely should read this, Simran.
I'm good at most card & board games too but except for on my phone I rarely get to play games so every time I have to have someone teach me all over again and it takes a couple games of remembering and get used to it again but I can play my best.
