The Handmaid's Tale in Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

Mar 29, 2017 CrystalIsReading on StoryGraph rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, dystopian, social-justice-issues, feminist

I suppose it's shocking that I've taken this long to read a highly recommended dystopian novel. The Handmaid's Tale has been on my list for awhile. It took some very unexpected political developments to finally motivate me to read this, though, and I'm glad I did. I wouldn't call this book enjoyable, but it was brilliant and engrossing and engaging and horrifying. Atwood's writing technique reinforced the disorienting claustrophia of the handmaid Offred's life, as we learn through disjointed fla I suppose it's shocking that I've taken this long to read a highly recommended dystopian novel. The Handmaid's Tale has been on my list for awhile. It took some very unexpected political developments to finally motivate me to read this, though, and I'm glad I did. I wouldn't call this book enjoyable, but it was brilliant and engrossing and engaging and horrifying. Atwood's writing technique reinforced the disorienting claustrophia of the handmaid Offred's life, as we learn through disjointed flashbacks the changes that changed our free country into this religious fascist "Republic of Gilead". Does it seem over the top unlikely and ridiculous? Maybe sometimes. Then again, the repeating lesson of history for those who forget it is that things can change so quickly. Tyrants rise. Religions put in control of government oppress. And life is rarely pleasant for those on the losing side, at least those with no money. Offred's story broke my heart a little. I hated the commander by the end, although Offred helped me see his humanity while doing so. His hypocrisy and abuse of power. His wife's. Then Offred's inability to trust those around her--were they allies? Enemies? Spies? Or simply allies that could turn to enemies with the slightest bit of provocation? Like I said, the story, in tone, technique, and content, was claustrophobic and horrifying, as well as thought provoking. Gave me flashbacks to my own oppressive religious upbringing. That's the sign of an effective book. Now if we can only heed it's ever-more-relevant message...

"It was after the catastrophe, when they shot the president and machine-gunned the Congress and the army declared a state of emergency. They blamed it on the Islamic fanatics, at the time.
Keep calm, they said on television. Everything is under control.
I was stunned. Everyone was, I know that. It was hard to believe. The entire government, gone like that. How did they get it, how did it happen?
That was when they suspended the Constitution. They said it would be temporary."

"There were marches, of course, a lot of women and some men. But they were smaller than you might have thought. I guess people were scared. And when it was known that the police, or the army, or whoever they were, would open fire almost as soon as any of the marches even started, the marches stopped. A few things were blown up, post offices, subway stations. But you couldn't even be sure who was doing it. It could have been the army, to justify the computer searches and the others ones, the door-to-doors....I didn't know many of the neighbors, and when we met, outside on the street, we were careful to exchange nothing more than the ordinary greetings. Nobody wanted to be reported, for disloyalty." ...more

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May 17, 2012 Slynne Howell rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book is a brilliant imagining of a single version of what could happen if an extreme religious right faction were to take over. The characters are beautifully flawed as they face the challenges involved living under such an extreme.

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