Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale (Continuum Reader's Guides (Paperback)) by Gina Wisker

by Gina Wisker

Margaret Atwood's popular dystopian novel A Handmaid's Tale, engages the reader with a broad range of issues relating to power, gender and religious politics. This guide provides an overview of the key critical debates and interpretations of the novel and encourages you to engage with key questions and readings in your reading of the text. It includes discussion of key themes and concepts - Representation of women's roles, gender, sexuality and power - Language, style and form - Dystopias and genre fictions - Power, control and religious fundamentalism. Combining helpful guidance on reading Atwood's text with overviews of significant stylistic and thematic issues and an introduction to criticism, this is an ideal companion to reading and studying A Handmaid's Tale. >

Paperback Bunko

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Firstly, this book clearly would have benefited from a competent or even marginally attentive copy editor. The errors in and awkward application of punctuation and formatting are pervasive and distracting. Also, a lesson on the differences between irony and satire seemed necessary, as while similar, they are not the same device and the terms should not be used interchangeably.

More importantly, what could have been a useful overview of the critical body of work on Atwood's novel felt instead like an amateur book report and rushed attempt to capture all of the main themes without providing any substantive discussion on any, using the requisite citation here and there to lend authority to the book.

"Disappointing" would best sum up my reaction.

[Laroussebouquine]

A good explanation and analysis of this Canadian classic of literature !