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The Handmaid’s Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)

Margaret Atwood

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Nov 13, 2013 Edna rated it really liked it

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Overall, "The Handmaid's Tale" was wonderfully crafted story, highlighting themes of feminism, confinement and identity. Although the book has won several awards, no story is without its faults.
The Republic of Gilead is the outcome of declining birth rates caused by the toxicity of the planet. In a desperate attempt to save the human race, the government has designates the few fertile women left as "Handmaids". Stripped away of their identity and rights, the handmaids serve only one purpose; to
Overall, "The Handmaid's Tale" was wonderfully crafted story, highlighting themes of feminism, confinement and identity. Although the book has won several awards, no story is without its faults.
The Republic of Gilead is the outcome of declining birth rates caused by the toxicity of the planet. In a desperate attempt to save the human race, the government has designates the few fertile women left as "Handmaids". Stripped away of their identity and rights, the handmaids serve only one purpose; to breed.
Right off the start, I loved the book. The use of imagery and metaphor captured my attention and unlike many other authors, Margaret Atwood has a way of linking the scene back to the character's thoughts and circumstances. It also sets an undertone to the story which better describes the world Atwood has created.
" The red gloves are lying on the bed. I pick them up, pull them onto my hands, finger by finger. Everything except the wings around my face is red: the colour of blood, which defines us."
Many authors only describe the scene without any other thoughts which often sucks the story dry.
The true name of the narrator is never revealed. Throughout the book she is called Offred, and like the other handmaid's names, it's derived from the man they are supposed to bear a child to. Offred, Ofwarren, Ofglen. They quite literally mean Of-Fred, Of-Warren, Of-Glen. I thought this was a neat little effect added to book to show the conformity and oppression the handmaids have to live through.
After the first couple of chapters explaining the world of Gilead, Margaret Atwood throws in several events that are just for filler. For instance, the narrator's fellow handmaid Moira runs away from the Centre. After a brief description of how Moira kidnapped an Aunt (a guard for the handmaid's) and steals her uniform, I feel that this event isn't relevant to the story. Although I do understand that Moira is the narrator's best friend and she represents courage and hope for the narrator, her role in the book isn't so important that she has to run away. Even the narrator forgets about her after a brief period of grieving.
Another event in the book is the one chapter dedicated to the Birthing. A handmaid, Janine gives birth to a baby girl. A whole ceremony is devoted to the birth which consists of chanting then the wives taking away the baby and naming her Angela. This does stress the importance of a birth in Gilead but I don't believe it necessary to devote an entire chapter for this scene. Margaret Atwood could have used elaborate on more important events in the story, such as how the Republic of Gilead took over the United States government in one day.
Another little note in the book that I definitely disliked was the lack of quotation marks. If the entire book didn't use quotation marks for dialogue, I would have been fine with it. However, halfway through the book, there's quotation marks again.
After a little section in the book that makes you wonder why "The Handmaid's Tale" is available in school libraries, the Commander (the man the narrator is supposed to provide a child for) invites her into his office one night to play Scrabble. The handmaids are not allowed to associate themselves with their Commander or any man, in the matter or they will be sent to the Colonies (areas so toxic that anyone will die from poisoning).At this point of story, things begin to get interesting. The Commander offers the narrator illegal items such as fashion magazines and pieces of lingerie. After several sessions of Scrabble, the he takes the narrator on an outing to a club. From what we've learned from Gilead, the club should have been illegal. The narrator is surrounded by Jezebels (prostitutes) and after wandering around, she finds Moira. The two sneak off catch up in the bathroom and Moira explains her escape plan and how she ended up at the club. The Commander then delivers the narrator back home safely.
Serena Joy ( the Commander's wife) also befriends the narrator, offering her a cigarette and finds a picture of the narrator's daughter. She does not know the indiscretions that the narrator has committed with her husband. Serena Joy does notice that the narrator is going nowhere in the attempt to bear a child and suggests the Commander is sterile. She proposes that she should try using Nick, their chauffeur, to bear a child.
After a night with the Commander, Serena Joy sneaks the narrator into Nick's room. After a few meetings with Nick, the narrator begins to develop feelings for him and meets him on her own.
The narrator and Nick continue on with their relationship until one day, one of the handmaid's reveal that the narrator's friend Ofglen hung herself because authorities discovered she was part of "Mayday", a secret organization plotting to overthrow the government of Gilead. Shaken and disturbed, the narrator goes back into her house. However, she is stopped by Serena Joy who appears to be upset. Apparently, she had found the pieces of lingerie she had worn when she went to the club with the Commander.
The last chapter is my favourite because it really provokes your feelings and almost puts you in the situation of the narrator. She is waiting in her room, not sure about what is going to happen to her. Thinking about her choices (kill herself, kill Serena Joy, find Nick), she sees a black van approaching. Before she can do anythings, Nick comes into the room and tells her that the van is actually Mayday. The men from the van take the narrator and drive off.
The book ends there, leaving us to wonder if she made it out alive or not. I usually hate cliffhanger endings, especially when there isn't a sequel but I feel that Margaret Atwood was able to wrap the entire story up. All in all, the book was very well written and and if it was without the rushed ending, I would have loved it. ...more

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Nov 14, 2013 Tate Kaufman marked it as to-read

Nov 18, 2013 Jason Avramenko rated it really liked it

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