Review: The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood Published by Vintage on 2011
ISBN: 9780099563143
Genres: Dystopian
Pages: 324
Format: Paperback
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GENERAL & LITERARY FICTION. 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. 'Compulsively readable' Daily Telegraph.
Well I totally feel behind the trend on this one, but I decided to give it a go. It’s been on my TBR for such a long time but I’m really not a hyped book kind of person, so I don’t know exactly what I was expecting. It was an eye opener in a lot of ways. I can see a huge amount of significance and realism in the elements of the book. In such a technologically advanced world I shouldn’t even believe that things could manifest itself into the events of The Handmaid’s Tale, but there you have it. Women have no rights. No sexual rights to do with their body what they see fit. Sex has now become the exact opposite of what it should be. No affection, no love and no right to refuse. They are treated less than human, men are their superior, their god, their reason for being. The Handmaid’s tale examines the life of one such woman. Unfortunately, I just closed the book and had feelings of meh! Other readers have seemed to hold this book in high regard, but I just felt that I had read something else entirely.
This was a completely new author for me. Atwood is regarded as a national treasure. The matriarch of Dystopian fiction, why wasn’t I getting what she was selling? I wistfully opened the first page and started hoping I could add myself to the ranks of becoming a fan just like so many others…In good conscious, I just cannot. There were just so many issues I had with the book. Firstly, though I want to talk about the positives because there were some and I have to give credit where credit is due.
The idea behind the plot is a classic, unfailing one. It did feel like an extension on from Orwell’s 1984. It examines a world that will inevitably become our reality if we constantly ignore political groups/individuals that threaten our very social and democratic freedoms that we do indeed take for granted. It’s living in fear and changing our very way of life after right wing groups threatening it. Atwood certainly captured the fear and shock of how a life such as that could affect us all. It was bleak and uncaring, and I think I would rather die than live my life like that day in and day out. The wistfulness of the girls reminiscing of their past lives. Imaging what their husbands are doing now? Children still alive or enduring a fate like theirs? It was real and dark and not a happy picture in one’s mind.
Okay…deep breath. The Negatives (I actually hate writing negative reviews, but I want to be honest to my readers). This is the second book I have read this year that doesn’t use punctuation marks to distinguish different passages of speech. Why the heck not? I thought this was just basic 101 in the rules of writing. I’m a bit slow in the morning, I need it to be obvious to me. This just wasn’t a good start. Secondly, why on earth does the author feel the need to have exuberantly long sentences. Even the tortoise would have beaten it in a race. This wasn’t just a one off, it occurred several times throughout the novel. The story felt disjoined and unmatched and I felt the flow could have been so much smoother. There was an undercurrent of staccato highlighted throughout the book. It was an immediate turn off.
I wanted to enjoy this book I really did. I just didn’t think it worked. I know I am in the minority there and I’m swimming in an ocean of frenzied fans that threaten to pull me under, but I need to be honest. It is an important topic and one that needs to constantly have a strong voice, but The Handmaid’s Tale is not it. 1984 shouts louder in my opinion.
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12 Comments
Emer @alittlehazebookblog
WOO HOO YASSSSSS. Someone else who is irked by the punctuation in this. I couldn’t abide it AT ALL!!! Don’t know why Atwood chose to write like that. I’ve read three books by Atwood now (this, the testaments and the Penelopiad) and honestly I’m at a loss as to why she is so revered as a writer. I freely give her credit for writing about important women’s issues and for that she deserves a lot of praise. But I just don’t actually ever like her writing, I find her narrative style a bit too heavy handed with not enough nuance and subtlety. She leaves very little open to reader interpretation I think. Great review!! So nice to not feel so alone in my underwhelmed feelings about this book.
Yvonne
Yeah it just completely put me off. The writing was so disjointed. Glad it’s not just me, most people seem to rave about her.
Angie
I am definitely in the camp that really loves this book – but, I also really love Atwood’s writing style.
I also love 1984 and Orwell in general, though. But they’re both so vastly different in their styles and stories – I feel like they don’t really share any commonalities outside of being dystopian.
Anyway, it’s nice to hear an opinion that differs from the majority’s. Without them the world would be an incredibly boring place. 🙂
Yvonne
Thank you!
alisbooks
Glad to know I’m not the only one that didn’t love this one.
Yvonne
I’m glad to hear that. Thanks for commenting.
YariGarciaWrites
I read it because it’s a classic and it was on Kindle Unlimited. I didn’t love it. Like yourself, I thought 1984 and even Fahrenheit 451 spoke louder. The Bible is also terribly misused in Handmaid’s Tale, and it only “works” if one is unfamiliar with its teachings.
I also gave up on the show when I read that there is no planned final season, and I cannot enjoy such a horrible world for years at a time! x-D Season One covers the entire book.
Glad I wasn’t the only one who didn’t care for it! :-p
Yvonne
Yeah absolutely agree with you. The bible was extremely problematic, I did wonder if it was added in because it fit the theme. I haven’t seen the show but I wouldn’t watch it especially now. Thanks for commenting your views.
carhicks
I started this one twice and just couldn’t get into it. Nice honest review Yvonne.
Yvonne
Thank you Carla, glad I’m not alone in that.
Ste J
I didn’t finish this book, I tried to but I found the protagonist too passive.
Yvonne
Yes absolutely agree. This definitely wasn’t for me… Glad I’m not alone.