The Handmaid's Tale in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Jul 07, 2012 Cheryl rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, book-group, feminist, dystopian

What an exceptional novel. The first time I read it some 7 years ago, I gave it 4 stars. This time 5. I savored every line. It's written so beautifully with such vivid rich descriptions. Also such a timely novel given the current political climate. So many read the classic dystopian novels 1984 and Brave New World (as I just did again this past month), but this book is written IMHO so much better and considers gender as a central focus. Whereas 1984 and Brave New World have major threads of miso ...more

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Jun 05, 2017 Ina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

How can a book be beautiful and terrifying at the same time? I literally woke up each day (while reading this) grateful for not being in Gilead yet petrified at the possibility that, in some way, we might just be in it already.
Read and reflect everyone!

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Jun 08, 2017 Samantha rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I wish I'd read this years ago. I hated the ending, but then I realized the book wasn't supposed to make me feel comfortable, so the ending did its job. ...more

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Jun 07, 2017 neil rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I listened to the Claire Danes audiobook in 2017. I enjoyed the narration; the prose continues to be searing; the book feels uncomfortably relevant in June 2017; I continue to think the first-year Latin joke is ineffective and a bit silly; I continue to wonder about whether the epilogue's necessary (can't June just step up into the darkness, or the light?). But, god, what a book. Atwood just writes these perfect descriptions of misery, and beauty in misery, and I found myself rewinding just to h ...more

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Aug 28, 2013 jenn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiftyfiftyme, 1001, 2013

Another celebrity-voiced audiobook, another win. FOUR FOR YOU, CLAIRE DANES.

The bit at the end was the only thing that didn't work for me - leaving the creeptastic creepy creepshow of the rest of the book gave me a sad, for some reason. Also, the anachronisms cracked me up - a future with no interwebs? But everyone smokes? Whaaahuh?

I read today on twitter (because life is scifi, you guys) that this book is going to be a graphic novel, which is cool, so I can see what my town will look like when ...more

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