Name: The Handmaid's Tale
Rating: 4.107423681776133 (2162 reviews)
ISBN: 9780582329188

Margaret Atwood

Coral Ann Howells

Key Features: Study methods Introduction to the text Summaries with critical notes Themes and techniques Textual analysis of key passages Author biography Historical and literary background Modern and historical critical approaches Chronology Glossary of literary terms

Notes

The Handmaid's Tale

Discover the cultural phenomenon behind the award-winning TV series that feels all the more powerful and prescient in a post-Roe vs. Wade world.

'As relevant today as it was when Atwood wrote it' Guardian

I believe in the resistance as I believe there can be no light without shadow; or rather, no shadow unless there is also light.

Offred is a Handmaid in The Republic of Gilead, a religious totalitarian state in what was formerly known as the United States. She is placed in the household of The Commander, Fred Waterford - her assigned name, Offred, means 'of Fred'. She has only one function: to breed. If Offred refuses to enter into sexual servitude to repopulate a devastated world, she will be hanged. Yet even a repressive state cannot eradicate hope and desire. As she recalls her pre-revolution life in flashbacks, Offred must navigate through the terrifying landscape of torture and persecution in the present day, and between two men upon which her future hangs.

Masterfully conceived and executed, this haunting vision of the future places Margaret Atwood at the forefront of dystopian fiction.

'A fantastic, chilling story. And so powerfully feminist', Bernardine Evaristo, author of Girl, Woman, Other.

Basma Ben

The Handmaid's Tale is the story of Offred. In the Republic of Gilead women have their roles assigned to them, and Offred has only one function: to breed. But Gilead cannot take away from her the memories of her earlier life, her hopes of a different life, and a desire for love and human warmth. (Quelle: Buchumschlag verso).

Katy Welyczko

I've discussed this with my husband, and the fact that it doesn't really have an ending doesn't take away from the storytelling. BUT I wish there was just a little more to it. 
I'm so glad I read it though. It's an important read (especially now after this election) that I've neglected to read until now. I'm excited to see the Hulu adaptation this spring.

A chilling look at the near future presents the story of Offred, a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, once the United States, an oppressive world where women are no longer allowed to read and are valued only as long as they are viable for reproduction. Reissue.

roofopiela

my experience of this book was much better than i expected (i’m not a fan of dystopians), however i do support the view that it is slightly overrated. the writing was what won me over. the atmosphere feels otherworldly and perfectly captures dystopian society. atwood has a distinct writing style, turning banal, everyday scenarios into fresh and intimate experiences. objects like shopping bags and red tulips have new meanings and portray how so much of life is temporary. the book stays strong to its political theme, demonstrating how cunningly and quietly a totalitarian government can rise to power. there is genius in how the book makes our present feel like fantasy, because of how distorted the regime of Gilead is described. it’s an eery but relevant read. despite some problems with the general plot, i cannot diminish the fact that margaret atwood is a genius at what she does. in THT, she takes storytelling to a whole new level. her story is well-researched and detailed. her criticisms are subtle but sharp, shown through her unique sense of humour. overall, the handmaid’s tale is certainly worth a read for anyone, whether you steer towards this genre or not.

Elizabeth, monstrous yet pitiable, Nate, her husand, a patchwork man, gentle, disillusioned; Lesje, a younger woman at the natural history museum, for whom dinosaurs are as important as men. A sexual triangle; three people in thrall to the tragicomedy

Life Before Man

ikkychan

It amazes me how something as strenuous and exhausting as an adultery can be written quite as beautiful.

Roman

Der Report der Magd

Hab lange gebraucht reinzukommen, weil ich nicht so richtig verstanden habe worum es eigentlich geht. Erst bei der Hälfte des Buches richtig Interesse am Lesen gefunden. Die Geschichte an sich fand ich aber super interessant :) 

Mira Hill

Greg Talbot

Like 1984, Farenheit 451, or Brave New World, "The Handmaid's Tale" looks at a world where humans rights have been perverted, and a frightening new social order has taken hold. The subjugation of women, and seeing them in terms of fertility objects is frightening, violent, and souless. There are pieces of the nightmare that feel prescient, with today's headlines on the war on Planned Parenthood, women's rights marches, and the increasingly stringent abortion laws. Unfortunately the book did not have a strong hold on me. There were flashes of writing that really brought me in..particualrly the brutal executions described to retain an atmosphere of suspision. I thought the corners of the book were more exciting then it's center. Offred's relationship with the commander, one of domination, also opened insights into the ways they both tried to express their true selfs, even if there was not respect on either side. Moira's story about her escapade and consequences was fascinating too. It's an important book for a lot of people, my sister calls it one of her favorites. Maybe if I read it at a younger age, or when it looked more like fiction, I would have a similar reaction.

ariel

Joana Mae

I read this as part of our book club's banned book selection for March 2025. I initially put the book down in March 2025, but continued reading in April. Now I think I'm in a reading slump. I want to finish this because I find it interesting. The narrative style is very heavy and descriptive. The narrator's dreamlike storytelling makes my mind wander, and I often lose track of where I am in the story. Her complex narration makes it difficult to follow the plot at times.

Nadine MacDonald

“Why don't women have to prove to one another that they are women? Some form of unbuttoning, some split-crotch routine, just as casual. A dog-like sniffing.” My first Margaret Atwood book! Canadian icon. Fantastic book.

NOW A SMASH-HIT CHANNEL 4 TV SERIES WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION FROM MARGARET ATWOOD The Republic of Gilead offers Offred 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. Brilliantly conceived and executed, this powerful vision of the future gives full rein to Margaret Atwood's irony, wit and astute perception.

GET READY for THE TESTAMENTS, the highly anticipated SEQUEL, by reading the BESTSELLING DYSTOPIAN NOVEL NOW AN AWARD-WINNING TV SERIES STARRING ELISABETH MOSS Offred is a Handmaid in The Republic of Gilead, a religious totalitarian state in what was formerly known as the United States. She is placed in the household of The Commander, Fred Waterford - her assigned name, Offred, means 'of Fred'. She has only one function: to breed. If Offred refuses to enter into sexual servitude to repopulate a devastated world, she will be hanged. Yet even a repressive state cannot eradicate hope and desire. As she recalls her pre-revolution life in flashbacks, Offred must navigate through the terrifying landscape of torture and persecution in the present day, and between two men upon which her future hangs. Masterfully conceived and executed, this haunting vision of the future places Margaret Atwood at the forefront of dystopian fiction. 'As relevant today as it was when Atwood wrote it...no television event has hit such a nerve ...The Handmaid's Tale is more relevant one year after the first season' Guardian 'Don't expect to be gripped by a more potent or involving drama this year' Telegraph

Marco yauri 

I will have to read it again for sure, it was a lot to take in and understand.

Margaret Artwood

The Handmaid‘s tale 

This is one of the most powerful books I have read recently. It took me a bit to read this book because I was absorbing all of the information in little chunks. I had heard such great things about this book, and it has proved to be the best classic I have read to date. Still a little challenging, but it wasn't in old English so I could still understand what was happening without picking it apart. Reading the beginning author's note really helped me understand that this was not Margaret's story, it was Offred writing her own story, being a bit clunky and jumping around. A beautifully written book that helps shed light on some themes that are still happening in the world, maybe now more than ever, and an important read for everyone. 

Maggie Hotmer

Loved reading it, but it is scarily accurate how some elements reflect the situations of some countries on topics such as reproductive rights.

Denisse Garcia Ramírez 

Ok, but wth is that ending ??? 

Loved reading it, but it is scarily accurate how some elements reflect the situations of some countries on topics such as reproductive rights.

Now a Hulu Original Series The Handmaid’s Tale is a novel of such power that the reader will be unable to forget its images and its forecast. Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States and is now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans. The regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for the women and men in its population. The story is told through the eyes of Offred, one of the unfortunate Handmaids under the new social order. In condensed but eloquent prose, by turns cool-eyed, tender, despairing, passionate, and wry, she reveals to us the dark corners behind the establishment’s calm facade, as certain tendencies now in existence are carried to their logical conclusions. The Handmaid’s Tale is funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing. It is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and a tour de force. It is Margaret Atwood at her best.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY SUSPENDED THE CONSTITUTION? THEY KILLED THE CATE? WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK. DID SHE DIE IN THE END? FIDNXISFNEJFJ

Susan

Stunning and terrifying all at once. Hard to put down

The Handmaid's Tale Notes

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