Margaret Atwood

The Handmaid’s Tale

Sashi

Humanity is so adaptable, my mother would say. Truly amazing, what people can get used to, as long as there are a few compensations.

I would like to be without shame. I would like to be shameless. I would like to be ignorant. Then I would not know how ignorant I was.

There is something powerful in the whispering of obscenities, about those in power. There's something delightful about it, something naughty, secretive, forbidden, thrilling. It's like a spell, of sorts. It deflates them, reduces them to the common denominator where they can be dealt with.

If they have to die, let it be fast. You might even provide a Heaven for them. We need You for that. Hell we can make for ourselves.

I wait. I compose myself. My self is a thing I must now compose, as one composes a speech. What I must presentis a made thing, not something born.

l avoid looking down at my body, not so much because it's shameful or immodest but because I don't want to see it. I don't want to look at something that determines me so completely.

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.

There is more than one kind of freedom, said Aunt Lydia. Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don't underrate it.

Madelaine Jarcew

You’ll have to forgive me. I’m a refugee from the past, and like other refugees I go over the customs and habits of being I’ve left or been forced to leave behind me, and it all seems just as quaint, from here, and I am just as obsessive about it.

Men are sex machines, said Aunt Lydia, and not much more. They only want one thing. You must learn to manipulate them, for your own good. Lead them around by the nose ; that is a metaphor. It’s nature’s way.

My name isn’t Offred, I have another name, which nobody uses now because it’s forbidden. I tell myself it doesn’t matter, your name is … useful only to others; but what I tell myself is wrong, it does matter. … I lie in my bed at night, with my eyes closed, and the name floats there behind my eyes, not quite within reach, shining in the dark. 

Lindy

There were the garden shears, the knitting needles; the world is full of weapons if you're looking for them. I should have paid attention.

Fatigue is here, in my body, in my legs and eyes. That is what gets you in the end. Faith is only a word, embroidered.

There is something powerful in the whispering of obscenities, about those in power. There's something delightful about it, something naughty, secretive, forbidden, thrilling. It's like a spell, of sorts. It deflates them, reduces them to the common denominator where they can be dealt with. 

A man is just a woman's strategy for making other women.

I tell myself it doesn't matter, your name is like your telephone number, useful only to others; but what I tell myself is wrong, it does matter.

There is more than one kind of freedom, said Aunt Lydia. Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don’t underrate it.

Gemma

clara

Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. - Don‘t let the bastards grind you down

We lived, as usual by ignoring. Ignoring isn't the same as ignorance, you have to work at it.

We were the people who were not in the papers. We lived in the blank white spaces at the edges of print. It gave us more freedom.

We lived in the gaps between the stories.

Yeah i get it. Doesn’t feel as prescient as some people say. It’s a haunting book. & a good story. I dare say it’s more hopeful than I originally thought. is making me think about book endings. seemed an impossible book to end, and then it just ends & you get the flash forward which frames the story in a more compelling way than just the final words from Offred. because it’s less isolating that way & mimics so well the struggles of understanding horrible human histories.

reminds me of Sadiya Hartman though i suppose she worked after this was written.

mara henderson

Yeah i get it. Doesn’t feel as prescient as some people say. It’s a haunting book. & a good story. I dare say it’s more hopeful than I originally thought. is making me think about book endings. seemed an impossible book to end, and then it just ends & you get the flash forward which frames the story in a more compelling way than just the final words from Offred. because it’s less isolating that way & mimics so well the struggles of understanding horrible human histories.

reminds me of Sadiya Hartman though i suppose she worked after this was written.

Felt weird and dystopian the whole day after finishing. A good read though but v scary when you ponder how it’s applicable to our world today. 

A theme that struck me was how an extreme patriarchy reduces women but men as well. It’s a system that benefits no one.

Liz Hunsaker

Felt weird and dystopian the whole day after finishing. A good read though but v scary when you ponder how it’s applicable to our world today. 

A theme that struck me was how an extreme patriarchy reduces women but men as well. It’s a system that benefits no one.

“I’m sorry there is so much pain in this story. I’m sorry it’s in fragments, like a body caught in crossfire or pulled apart by force. But there is nothing I can do to change it.”

the handmaid’s tale, for me anyway, is a reminder that life can change - and actively is changing. in a world where women are having their rights taken away and where misogyny is once-again commonplace, texts like the handmaid’s tale should be a reminder of the consequences of these actions. in a scary world where nothing is certain, texts like the handmaid’s tale should be used as a lesson. offred’s perspective is so haunting and poignant throughout; the lives of the handmaids, the marthas, even the aunts are a tragedy. i love this book, for all the wrong reasons. there is no hope, no optimism that sticks with offred, and that is the truth of the world we are turning into. 

Laur

note that this is a reread:

“I’m sorry there is so much pain in this story. I’m sorry it’s in fragments, like a body caught in crossfire or pulled apart by force. But there is nothing I can do to change it.”

the handmaid’s tale, for me anyway, is a reminder that life can change - and actively is changing. in a world where women are having their rights taken away and where misogyny is once-again commonplace, texts like the handmaid’s tale should be a reminder of the consequences of these actions. in a scary world where nothing is certain, texts like the handmaid’s tale should be used as a lesson. offred’s perspective is so haunting and poignant throughout; the lives of the handmaids, the marthas, even the aunts are a tragedy. i love this book, for all the wrong reasons. there is no hope, no optimism that sticks with offred, and that is the truth of the world we are turning into. 

I truly believe this is a book that everyone NEEDS to read. 

Under the regime of Gilead, women are controlled and stripped of every freedom, categorized, and are strategically placed in society to further oppress eachother. Men who do not hold high positions of power are forbidden from having sex or siring children, and thus their motivation is to gain recognition in the empire in order to obtain a Wife. Education and science is ignored in favour of religion, which is used as a method of control and justification and is twisted in every way to fit Gilead's ideals. Despite all these strict measures however, the Commanders are repeatedly shown to be hypocritical and selfish. They do not follow the rules that they themselves have enforced.

The Handmaid's Tale is narrated by Offred who suffers through living under this dystopian totalitarian regime. Offred's narration is not linear, often slipping into memoirs of the past very suddenly where we are introduced to her loved ones that she yearns to see again. The contrast between the world in Offred's memory (which resembles ours) and the present is haunting and raises the uncomfortable notion that such a future happening in our world is possible. Offred's listless narration emphasizes her grief and mental instability.

This book is gut-wrenching and can be an uncomfortable read, however I believe that the themes throughout continue to be relevant.This book does not portray anyone in black and white. The men are not portrayed as evil, and the women are not portrayed as good. While the cruelty of the oppressive figures such as the Commanders is palpable, and I can only categorize them as selfish and despicable, they are shown with humanity. 

Dingdong 

I truly believe this is a book that everyone NEEDS to read. 

Under the regime of Gilead, women are controlled and stripped of every freedom, categorized, and are strategically placed in society to further oppress eachother. Men who do not hold high positions of power are forbidden from having sex or siring children, and thus their motivation is to gain recognition in the empire in order to obtain a Wife. Education and science is ignored in favour of religion, which is used as a method of control and justification and is twisted in every way to fit Gilead's ideals. Despite all these strict measures however, the Commanders are repeatedly shown to be hypocritical and selfish. They do not follow the rules that they themselves have enforced.

The Handmaid's Tale is narrated by Offred who suffers through living under this dystopian totalitarian regime. Offred's narration is not linear, often slipping into memoirs of the past very suddenly where we are introduced to her loved ones that she yearns to see again. The contrast between the world in Offred's memory (which resembles ours) and the present is haunting and raises the uncomfortable notion that such a future happening in our world is possible. Offred's listless narration emphasizes her grief and mental instability.

This book is gut-wrenching and can be an uncomfortable read, however I believe that the themes throughout continue to be relevant.This book does not portray anyone in black and white. The men are not portrayed as evil, and the women are not portrayed as good. While the cruelty of the oppressive figures such as the Commanders is palpable, and I can only categorize them as selfish and despicable, they are shown with humanity. 

The Handmaid’s Tale illustrates the main character’s experiences in a dystopian world. In the copy I read, Atwood denies that The Handmaid’s Tale is feminist or anti-religious, and I do understand why, as the book is largely descriptive (instead of reflective) of the totalitarian regime. I appreciated this style, which I thought made for deeper reflection on the reader’s part, as the reader would draw reference on real-life practices and contemplate on the thin line between fiction and reality.  

you really do get a great sense of the extended evil of men from it. and i love how real the narrator feels.

lauren amitirigala

(read in school)

you really do get a great sense of the extended evil of men from it. and i love how real the narrator feels.

It was so eye-opening to the horrors that women face, especially on such an extremist level; seeing as Atwood based the experiences in the book to have happened somewhere, at some time, truly encapsulating the vile nature of totalitarian regimes we’ve seen in the past and now. 

harmanpreet

Absolutely soul-shattering.

It was so eye-opening to the horrors that women face, especially on such an extremist level; seeing as Atwood based the experiences in the book to have happened somewhere, at some time, truly encapsulating the vile nature of totalitarian regimes we’ve seen in the past and now. 

Give me a break. Atwood's dystopia collapses faster than a house of cards in a hurricane, expecting us to believe that modern America would suddenly decide to enslave women because... Bitcoin? Evil men? A vague fertility crisis? 

The plot holes aren't mysterious – they're just lazy. Apparently, you can overthrow Congress with a few well-placed bullets, and millions of Americans will just shrug and accept women becoming property overnight. Right.

The real offense isn't the absurd premise, but the cartoonish portrayal of men as either mustache-twirling villains or useful idiots. This isn't feminist literature – it's misandrist propaganda dressed up as social commentary. 

The world can be horrible, yes, but it rarely changes overnight. And bad literature is still bad literature, even when it waves the feminist flag.

Liana

Give me a break. Atwood's dystopia collapses faster than a house of cards in a hurricane, expecting us to believe that modern America would suddenly decide to enslave women because... Bitcoin? Evil men? A vague fertility crisis? 

The plot holes aren't mysterious – they're just lazy. Apparently, you can overthrow Congress with a few well-placed bullets, and millions of Americans will just shrug and accept women becoming property overnight. Right.

The real offense isn't the absurd premise, but the cartoonish portrayal of men as either mustache-twirling villains or useful idiots. This isn't feminist literature – it's misandrist propaganda dressed up as social commentary. 

The world can be horrible, yes, but it rarely changes overnight. And bad literature is still bad literature, even when it waves the feminist flag.

Pretty cool but was kind of boring and hard to get through.

Patrick Book

Maybe 3.5. I was interested, but would've like to see the world built more in the story instead of tacked on in an over-explaining addendum.

Léa

I loved it it is the best book i had to read for university so far, i cannot wait to read the second book this summer !!

Amelia C 

It was the 1st time i'd ventured into this genre- futuristic/almost sci-fi genre. I enjoyed it! Ms. Atwood certainly has a way of helping the reader imagine more vividly, and experience said imaginations with detail!

Anh Nguyen

one of the reasons why it's so hard for me to suspense disbelief is that the writing is cringeworthy and charmless

Monicap

“I look at the oranges, longing for one. But I haven't brought any coupons for oranges. I'll go back and tell Rita about them, I think. She'll be pleased. It'll be something, a small achievement, to have made oranges happen.”  

The Handmaid’s Tale is a work of dystopian fiction portraying a rigid, puritanically theocratic fascist regime that has taken over the United States. Following a dramatic decrease in birth rates, the Republic of Gilead staged a military coup killing the president and other high-ranking government officers, blamed the tragedy on other militant groups, and slowly suspended the constitution and seized many freedoms that American currently enjoy. The story follows Offred, a young woman who tried to escape the regime with her husband and daughter and ultimately failed, after she has already lived in Gilead for several years. 

I’ll be honest: I read this because I’ve watched the adaption on Hulu, and I wanted to read the book before the third season is released later this summer. I was partly afraid that the Hulu adaption would have ruined the book for me; the show is encompassing, enveloping, and extremely good. My fears, however, were unfounded. Many of the most powerful moments from this show I can now see were lifted directly from the book. The show has taken some liberties with the story: Offred’s role is entirely outside of her hands, and her narrative is thus vague and ambiguous. The novel doesn’t have the lens to pull away from Offred’s narrative and examine the inner lives of other characters like Ofglen, Serena Joy, and Janine in the way that show does. Offred is more passive in the novel than she is in the show. But this is a strength of the novel. In the show, Offred must ultimately seize control of her fate, since it is, after all, a television show. It must deliver a satisfying ending. The novel, however, is clear about the uncertainty of Offred’s end. It is unknowable. 

 Other people have written and spoken about this novel in ways far more eloquent than I have with thoughts far more original than mine: The Handmaid’s Tale takes place outside of time, both in the future and the past. The Handmaid’s Tale is a cautionary tale, an admonition of the phrase “It can’t happen here.” The Handmaid’s Tale inspiration from purely historical atrocities makes it a realistic examination of dystopia that some more current takes lack. Etc etc. 

Suffice it to say, this is an astounding work of fiction, well worth the read. Even if, like me, you’ve already watched the television show.

envee

Sarah Sammis

I'm glad I finally got a chance to finish the book. I started reading this about 17 years ago and then didn't get to finish. I don't recall why or what happened to my copy of the book.

I enjoyed this book as much as Oryx and Crake. Atwood is best at describing the aftermath of a society going horribly wrong. I like that in this one she does let the reader know that life goes on outside of Gilead even if her characters are unaware of things have remained the same outside of their immediate existence. Most authors of this type of story neglect the bigger picture and I'm glad that she didn't.

Sunny

Read as a buddy read with James's Buddy Reading Club ✨

3.5 stars 
I was excited to try something different from what I usually read, and I found this to be very accessible. It was horrific to think that the events of this book were moved along so quickly and that a huge group of many people's rights could be snubbed out so easily.
There was no happy ending, and it wasn't difficult to see the cycle we were briefly shown throughout the book would continue on and on until it was just accepted no questions asked.
However I did find the ending rather lacking, like it was waiting to continue on for nothing.
Overall, it was very thought provoking and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who's intrigued with the premise.

Isabella 

reading this felt like i was personally experiencing the gilead. the ending line is "are there any questions?" and i have tons of questions about this book. it leaves the readers wanting more. i read a review saying "Perhaps Atwood did not close the book with an ending because there is no end to oppression. A long look at world history proves this to be true." and i could see why it ended ambiguously. it is a timeless book, and would definitely recommend it.

review mentioned: https://alissasmith6724.wixsite.com/t...

Absolutely horrifying and growing more topical by the day. I adored it. 

Emma

Tobias V. Langhoff

A great piece of dystopian fiction. Like all the other great ones, such as 1984, it is an eerie story because of its plausibility. In the near future, the US has become a theocracy and institutionalized patriarchy. Fertility is at an all-time low because of biological warfare and/or irradiation, and fertile low-caste women are slaves who bear women for the upper echelons. The protagonist is one of such “handmaids”, who tells her story in the first person.

I read this to prepare for the upcoming Hulu TV series, which, judging from the trailer, looks very promising. I also listened to this as an audiobook, which was fitting because it’s a recorded story. Claire Danes does a great narration.

Recently, a short piece of addendum material to the epilogue was released: http://ew.com/books/2017/03/29/margar...

eileen sheats

I wasn’t going to read the sequel but after the plot twist in the epilogue I have to

jack

i think this book makes meaningful insights re: epistemology and language under totalitarianism. i also think it is written in a compelling style. however, i think the style limits the effect each insight has on the reader–everything feels forced, basic, and lazy on atwood's end. certain puns and word associations seem like complete stretches for the sake of making a dull point that atwood puts profound emphasis on. gets to be a turn off thru out the book. still an enjoyable read, especially in the context of orwell, lessing, and bradbury.

shadee

liked how it described scenes so cool. but it was just not the book id go crazy for or id really recommend to someone.

One of my favourite books ever. The world-building is insanely good but it had much more potential than what was explored in this book, the sequel and the TV series by Hulu

The Handmaid’s Tale

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