The Handmaid's Tale
by Margaret Atwood
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Book Reviews of The Handmaid's Tale
Book Review: The Best Novel I've Ever Had The Experience To Read
Summary: 5 Stars
Since September 2003 Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" is the novel that I have been fascinated with continually. As part of my current English Literature study on the great modern novels, The Handmaid's Tale was the obvious choice, or so though my teacher. I have just finished the book in class. My teacher told me not to read any further than where we were in class because he wanted us to have a surprising ending, but I can tell you that it was a difficult time trying to resist the temptation to see further developments. In class we look at almost every word that is contained within the book and analyse it further and further, and I have an exam on this book in June. My future in English Literature hangs in the balance with this book!In The Handmaid's Tale, our central character is Offred. The book is set in a post 21-Century dystopian society in which the United States has been destroyed from a nuclear war which obliterated large parts of the world. What remains is a strict and harsh barbaric society called The Republic Of Gilead. She is allowed only one function: to breed. Most of the women died and even most of those who managed to survive are contaminated and therefore can no longer reproduce. The few that can successfully do so are called Handmaids. They must give birth like rabbits to boost the population. Their babies are then handed over to the Wives of the Commanders who run the place. The Handmaid's are dressed in long red cloaks, they do not hold down jobs, must do as they are told and forced to live in strict households. They are tortured if they deviate from the 'correct' way of life and are not allowed freedom of speech - the removal of hooks and glass windows in case of the obvious suicide attempts that would reign throughout is a reminder of the harsh ideology.
The Handmaid's Tale is, indeed, not an easy read. It is a difficult book to understand, but then we really aren't meant to. The novel is shrouded in ambiguity and eventual possibilities, which all generate an electric buzz that keeps the reader hanging on, wanting to know what happens to our narrator, Offred. This at times can be extremely frustrating, especially for the casual reader who may give up after just a few chapters. The detail and thought that has gone into this novel makes it a masterpiece in its own right. Atwood uses detail to the max in describing the tumultuous state of mind that Offred experiences throughout her time in the society. In the first few chapters she describes her surroundings and introduces herself.
The characters also form a strong and coherent basis on which the novel is built. Serena Joy is the leader of the group. She is an evil and cold-hearted woman who is desperate for Offred to get pregnant so she can have a child of her own. Moria is the novel's hero. She is rebellious, she objects the system and doesn't care what happens to her if she strays from it. She is Offred's hero and keeps her sane throughout bleak times when suicide is a viable option. Moira's presence in the novel is extremely ambiguous and her downfall towards the end of the novel is genius. Cora, Rita and Nick also have minor roles, but in the end we get to see the bigger picture. The Aunts are like the officials of the household, strolling around with their cattleprods hung from thongs. Janine is perhaps the novel's greatest character in terms of ingenuity. She is a firm believer in the system and is the object to which all other Handmaid's fear becoming. In Chapter 13 we witness a meeting between the Handmaid's and the Aunts. Janine tells the story of being gang-raped aged 14, to which the Aunts yell at her, "But whose fault was it?" The rest of the brain-washed Handmaids chant, "Her fault, her fault, her fault!" It's a terrible scenario to be in, but a week later Janine believes what was being said and admits it was her fault.
The high points in this novel include Offred's first-ever sex scene with the Commander in Chapter 16. The chapter is a purely comical look at stereotypical sex scenes. The shocking and violent language works in contrast with the humorous dialogue and avoids, in this moment completely, falling into the trap of being labelled simply another feminist novel. The outing in Chapter 36, the savage scenes in Chapter 43, Janine's birth scene in Chapter 21 is superbly crafted and Offred's meetings with the Commander throughout are true moments of intimacy which she craves so badly. She doesn't know where her husband Luke from the time before is, nor her daughter. She misses them incredibly, but pushes them to the back of mind because she knows dwelling on them would drag her to the jaws of suicide, and she doesn't want that. She believes in escapism, in a better world - she has the hope and her temporary loss of it in frequent situations makes this a gripping read.
OVERALL GRADE: 10/10
I have to say that The Handmaid's Tale is simply one of the greatest books I have ever read. Some people dislike it - fair enough, but I really think that anyone with an open mind and an eye for fantastic, jaw-dropping and thought-provoking novels should pick up a copy of this. If I wasn't limited to the length of this review, I would carry on for hours and hours about the genius of the novel and the way in which it is an important tool in modern day society, but I can't. However, all I will say is that this is an awesome book that I'm enthralled with. I hope you feel the same.
Book Review: "Mother...wherever you may be. You wanted a women's culture. Well, now there is one. It isn't what you meant, but it exists..."
Summary: 5 Stars
It's sometime in the not-so-distant future, and the United States of America no longer exists. What once was the U.S.A. is now the Republic of Gilead, a nation "under God" where the Constitution has been suspended and society is strictly controlled. Women have neither freedom, nor their own money, nor jobs. They are not allowed to read or write. They are objectified, labeled, separated into groups, color-coded for quick reference. There are the virtuous Wives of the Commanders, who wear blue; the Marthas, housemaids, dressed in green; and the Handmaids, in bright red, whose purpose is the most startling of all. In an age of declining birth rates and sterility, the Handmaids are valued solely for their ovaries, for their ability to bear children. Although they are consistently called "commodities" and the importance of their position is stressed to them again and again, the Handmaids are objectified to the extent that their real names are taken away from them; they are known only as possessions.
Thus, we meet Offred, the heroine of THE HANDMAID'S TALE. Offred remembers a time, not so long ago, when she had a husband, a daughter, a militant feminist for a mother. Now she doesn't even know where her family is; they could have made it across the border to Canada, or they could be dead; they could be in the Colonies--villages that glow with radioactive waste, where people are sent when they're too old to be useful or as punishment for past transgressions. Offred reflects on her past, lives in her memories, and dreads a future of utter despair. Each day begins with nothing to look forward to; each day ends in hopelessness, with a spirit that's a little bit more broken. Offred's story is a stream of consciousness, an account of the days as they pass and of long-ago days in a different world. And the tale this Handmaid has to tell is one of the most thought-provoking, horrifying accounts you'll ever read.
Here are just a few of the words I'd use to describe THE HANDMAID'S TALE, written by Margaret Atwood in the mid-eighties: startling; perceptive; mysterious; terrifying; eloquent; sorrowful; passionate; important; captivating; paranoid; and what is perhaps the most appropriate word of all...POSSIBLE. Just read the book, and then look at our world; I defy you not to see the similarities between the way we're living today and the time Atwood calls "Before," the years directly preceding the formation of the Republic of Gilead. These similarities--the obsession with female sexuality, the importance put upon worldly goods, religious and nuclear war, political unrest--are precisely what make this book so frightening. And Atwood wrote this book twenty years ago; we're closer and closer to this future every day. What if...?
THE HANDMAID'S TALE is utterly riveting and completely unputdownable. Atwood's details keep us relentlessly aware that she's talking about the United States in the future, with references to etchings in the wood of schoolroom desks and televangelists and the Appalachian Mountains. This sense of familiarity increases the gravity of Offred's situation; it's startling, an ominous reminder of what the world has become in the future of Atwood's novel. And at the same time, the novel is intentionally vague; we never really know exactly how the Republic of Gilead came into being; we're just given snippets of the past. This vagueness, the not knowing, makes the book even scarier.
The prose is descriptive and flowing, but Atwood doesn't waste her words; each sentence is heavy with Offred's desperation, with the weight of no hope. But Offred is not to be pitied; she's to be admired for her strength. She's an incredibly human character, one who didn't always do the right thing in her previous life (and doesn't always in her current one). The supporting characters are just as well-drawn and humanized. That's one of the greatest things about THE HANDMAID'S TALE, in my opinion: The government can change the name of the country, they can enforce strict rules and guidelines--but they can't change what it means to be intrinsically human.
The bottom line is this: Atwood is just an ingenious, literary writer. Take our heroine's name, for example, which so poignantly symbolizes duality, a major theme in the novel. Offred can be read as "Of Fred," signifying possession--but it can also be read as "Off Red" (read: off with the red dress), symbolizing freedom.
THE HANDMAID'S TALE would be a perfect read for a book club or a college classroom; there are lots of political, religious, social, and psychological issues to discuss. If nothing else, reading it will make you more appreciative of what you have. Usually stories about women's inferiority in society are antiquated; but in THE HANDMAID'S TALE, Margaret Atwood has given us a shocking portrait of what life could be like for "the fairer sex" in the future. And this future could, unfortunately, happen; I think after you read the book you'll agree. I'm giving THE HANDMAID'S TALE my highest recommendation; it's a definite must read and a book I'll never forget.
Book Review: Republic of Gilead=FUTURE??
Summary: 4 Stars
The Handmaid's Tale proves to be one of the more controversial books in time. Margaret Atwood's dystopia provokes disruption and torment in a totalitarian society. A society where women are treated like animals; only useful for their fertile bodies, men are subdued as the reigning force of society; shovanistic pigs that use their power for the forces of evil, and a society where normal life for all ceases to exist. Life is cheerless; there is no privacy and no room for the once pluralistic society that America had. With Atwood's addition of a suspenseful, mind-boggling plot, developing themes, and interesting setting, she creates a terrifying novel based on actual events and leaves the reader dwelling on what the future really does behold for the world.
The setting of this book is very interesting because it correlates with the issues portrayed. The Handmaid's Tale is set in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Atwood does not come straight out and say this is the setting, but she puts forth clues in the novel to come this conclusion. For example, she mentions Harvard Wall, which is a huge indicator of the location. Atwood chose this small town because this was the first settlement of the Puritans in the seventeenth-century. The Puritans had bizarre rituals and beliefs and much of their religious and traditional values, were the same as that in Atwood's novel. Atwood pieced this information along with clippings from historical sources to put together this satire of how life used to be and could possibly turn into again.
The Republic of Gilead: a place where common people are not allowed, and traditional values and Puritanical beliefs are set in stone. It's a place where men are the dominant figures of society and the women are their property. The population of this small town is dwindling for most women are becoming infertile or having their tubes tied to avoid being forced to have sex. Offred is the narrator of the story. She is a handmaid, placed in a house with the Commander and his Wife. There, her main duty is to become impregnated for the elite couple, for the Wife cannot bear children. While Offred is a part of this crazed household, she becomes close to the Commander. He invites her to play Scrabble and allows her to look at old Vogue magazines, never pressuring her for sex; treating her normal and getting to know her interests without sex. Although this is a change, she must keep it secret for if the Wife, Serena, finds out, Offred can be shipped away and never be seen or heard of again. Offred and the Commander never have sex privately, but they do perform it with the wife, as a ritual. Each sexual act portrayed has no emotion or feeling and is extremely impersonal. There first is a Ceremony to pray for a child and then Offred lies between the Wife and the Commander. While the act is being performed, the Wife pretends it is her who is the fertile one. After the act is done, a Ceremony proceeds to pray for a child. Outside the household, is an even less appealing atmosphere. There are weekly hangings and the government or the "Eyes", allows no privacy for any individual. Everything is monitored and watched closely, and if one breaks a rule, they vanish. People live in fear, women mostly, and from Offred's point of view, no one is doing anything about it.
The sex roles in this novel play in as an important theme. Women have no role in this society. They are not allowed to read, write, gain knowledge, share an opinion, hold a job, own property, or live separately. Their entire lives are planned out for them; they are nothing but a service to men. The men on the other hand created this world. The Commander says, "The problem wasn't only with the women, he says. The main problem was with the men. There was nothing for them anymore . . . I'm not talking about sex, he says. That was part of it, the sex was too easy . . . You know what they were complaining about the most? Inability to feel. Men were turning off on sex, even. They were turning off on marriage. Do they feel now? I say. Yes, he says, looking at me. They do" (p 210). Now they have a society where women wait on them hand and foot. Another theme present is the way government handles itself. They provide no privacy for the women; most men seem to never have to worry about being caught or harassed. They call themselves the "Eyes", and they are always watching. Atwood adds this in because with new technological advances, the government could very well keep surveillance of every citizen, without that person even knowing. Nowadays, anyone can find out personal information about someone else; the world is turning into the "Eyes" where room for solitude and peace will no longer exist.
I recommend this novel to anyone for it makes you think about "what if"; what if the world could turn into this crazed society. This book opens up a lot of controversial issues-feminism, political activities, religion, etc. It is a great book for discussion and allows many opinions to flow.
Book Review: "EYES" on America
Summary: 4 Stars
The Handmaid's Tale The Handmaid's Tale, By Margaret Atwood, focuses on the life of the handmaid, Offred. Offred lives in a futuristic, male-dominated, religious society (reminiscent of Orwell's 1984) where sterility is common. The handmaids are women with healthy ovaries who are rotated through wealthy households, with the goal being a child for the wealthy couple to raise. Offred tells her story directly to the reader focusing on her life in the past, with her husband and child, and her life in the present, in the household with her "Commander" and his wife. This book explores many themes, including religion, totalitarian government, gender roles and sexuality. Overall this book very effectively conveys these themes and I found it very well written.
Margaret Atwood uses many techniques to achieve the ultimate message found in this book. First, Atwood draws the reader into the life of the main character Offred. Offred is a character that most women can relate to. Before the revolution that toppled government as we know it, Offred was a young mother who had recently married. She was an average American woman. When the government is overthrown by the religious group known as the "Eyes," she loses the freedoms she had always taken for granted. Atwood this novel in the style of a recorded diary, the reader is pulled into the story because of the sense of urgency created. "I must be telling it to someone. You don't tell a story only to yourself. There's always someone else" (40).
Another way the Atwood makes this book exciting is through her writing style. The author uses short chapters and mixes memories in with the current action, creating a present plot and a past plot. This shows that the main character was denied any personal time in which she could have made a formal diary. Some of the writing is also a stream-of-conscious style that helps to show the pain that Offred goes through to recount some of her horrible memories. "In Hope. Why did they put that above a dead person? Was it the corpse hoping, or those still alive?" (106). The writing style effectively captures the emotions of a person deprived of all freedom. The characterization of Offred overall conveys Atwood's themes of male-domination and the effect it has on the victims.
Secondly, the author effectively draws parallels between the society Offred lives in and the society of modern America. Americans gained rights during the twentieth century through the civil rights movement and through the efforts of feminist activists. The society in the book represents a backlash on those ideas. The men who run the government (called the "Eyes") are against everything gained in these movements. "It was after the catastrophe, when they shot the president and machine-gunned Congess and the army declared a state of emergency. They blamed it on Islamic fanatics, at the time" (174). The "Eyes" can also be seen as a representation of the "religious right" which is currently gaining support in modern America. There are many people in this country, who, like the government in this book, believe that morals should be enforced through law.
Thirdly, Atwood also uses these societal parallels to attack certain aspects of American society that could ultimately lead to the type of backlash that occurred in the book. One of the problems that the author identifies is credit. Offred describes that in the time before the overthrow of the American government, everyone had stopped using paper money. Everything was paid for on credit. "I guess that's how they were able to do it, in the way they did, all at once, without anyone knowing beforehand. If there had still been portable money, it would have been more difficult" (174). By identifying problems that the reader can relate to, this book stays engaging and conveys the themes of religion and government (and their connections).
Although this book is written very realistically, there are a couple of points that Atwood has glossed over. For example, when she describes the takeover of the government, Atwood does not go into the detail that is expected when compared to the other subjects that she covers in detail. The reason may be that how the government was overthrown is not really the issue; it is what happens afterward that is vital to the book. Still, including the description of the takeover in more detail could have brought up more points supporting her themes including the government and the religious fanatics who end up in power.
Altogether, this book achieves the ultimate goal in literature. It effectively conveys the author's opinions on the themes that she chose to include and keeps the reader's interest at the same time. Atwood does this through her use of characters and the fictional society that she creates. This society is an extreme backlash to the freedoms we enjoy today. This book leaves the reader feeling scared for their own future.
Book Review: Boorish, offensive, politically correct, a waste of time
Summary: 1 Stars
Perhaps the worst book I've ever read. Don't waste your time.
Criticisms of the book fall into these three categories:
1) It is boorish, vulgar, and obscene.
2) It is poorly written. It's not great, or even good literature.
3) It is politically correct, agenda driven literature, with a preposterous plot.
Boorish, obscene, poorly written
Amazon asks reviewers not to use distasteful, vulgar or obscene selections from the book when reviewing a book. Therefore, these quotes are not included in this review. You will have to search elsewhere for examples of these quotes. Nor is one supposed to direct you to the sites, so this information is not provided either. Suffice it to say there is much vulgarity and sexually sadistic imagery, and that this is one of the major problems with the book.
Poorly written
Apart from its boorishness, one can make these observations about the writing: The novel feels contrived throughout; it is a paint-by-the-numbers dystopian fantasy. The characters are undeveloped and poorly defined; one doesn't really care what happens to any of them. There is no suspense. There is glacial movement to the so-called plot. All the sexual relationships in the book involve dominating or using another person: there is no genuine love. The author has the most annoying habit of using commas and periods incessantly. It is so boring! When the author writes on page 267 "...I keep going on with this sad and hungry and sordid, this limping and mutilated story... after all you've been through, you deserve all I have left, which is not much..." she is telling the truth! It is the literary equivalent of listening to the drone of a bagpipe with no accompanying melody.
Politically correct, agenda driven literature
The book is about a future takeover of the U. S. Government by the "religious right" and the imposition of a totalitarian regime. It's pathologically anti-Christian, "Christo-phobic" one might say.
The regime lynches abortionists, homosexuals and pornographers. Women can't own property, read, or receive an education. They are only valued for their ability to bear children. For some unexplained reason, most women are infertile. The men with the power, the Commanders, are given "handmaids" (fertile women dressed in nun's habits). A commander, after reading from the Bible and praying to God for help, ceremonially rapes his handmaid, in hopes that she will "bear fruit."
The author's anti-Christian animus becomes clearer if one adapts the plot:
In this version, the United States is taken over by a phallic cult of male homosexuals who have moved up the ranks of the military. Young pubescent men are held captive, and ceremonially raped by their masters. Catholic priests and pastors who speak out against this are lynched with the verse of Romans 1:27 pinned to their chests.
Wouldn't this adaptation of the book be considered "homophobic"? So too is this book Christophobic.
When one considers that the Godless totalitarian regimes of Mao, Stalin, Hitler and Pol Pot murdered well over 100 million people in the last century, and the continuing forced abortions in China in this century, one has question the rationality of the author's morbid fears of a "takeover" by the religious right. But it is this politically correct agenda, and not the book's literary value, that explains its appeal to leftist intellectuals:
"Among the many third-rate books that English professors waste their students' time on (when they could be teaching truly great English Literature) is Margaret Atwood's 1986 The Handmaid's Tale... The Handmaid's Tale is the quintessential expression of our intellectuals' fears of what a truly Christian culture would look like." (From The Politically Incorrect Guide to English and American Literature, by Elizabeth Kantor, Ph.D., p. 27)
Reading this book is a terrible waste of time. It brings to mind the sign at the beginning of Gone with the Wind: "Do not squander time; it is the stuff life is made of." If you want to read a good "dystopian" novel, try Brave New World. It portrays a society in which people are controlled via sexual and drug induced pleasure instead of brute force, and people's thinking is kept on a material plane by depriving them of "pornography" such as the Bible and the Imitation of Christ. Or read something by someone who's lived in a totalitarian state, such as Alexander Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, or The Gulag Archipelago. Or one might read The Canterbury Tales, for an idea of what it might have been like to have lived in a more genuinely Christian time.