The Handmaid’s Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1) in Overdue Podcast

Jun 23, 2012 Anita rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audio

Dystopian is one of my top favorite genres, and I am a raging feminist so it is pretty embarrassing that I haven't read this book before now. It did not disappoint. It is a wonderful example of dystopia. I liked it even better than George Orwell and Aldous Huxley, but not for the reasons that you'd expect. What I think this story does best is that the "new" society is still in living memory of the old one. So through flashbacks it documents the turnover. How through a combination of fear mongeri Dystopian is one of my top favorite genres, and I am a raging feminist so it is pretty embarrassing that I haven't read this book before now. It did not disappoint. It is a wonderful example of dystopia. I liked it even better than George Orwell and Aldous Huxley, but not for the reasons that you'd expect. What I think this story does best is that the "new" society is still in living memory of the old one. So through flashbacks it documents the turnover. How through a combination of fear mongering and power grabs at the right time as well as the complacency of a nation's citizens focused purely on their own daily lives this group of basically domestic terrorists were able to take over the country.

If you ever read a review or hear a teacher say that The Handmaid's Tale "could happen now" I really do not think that they mean the horrendous policies against women and their "proper place" that is the bulk of the novel. I really think they mean how through fear mongering a group in power could basically persuade a nation to hand over all their freedoms in order to feel safe and protected and they would not see the end game until it's too late to stop it because they're already too powerless.

Unlike 1984, a society that has no intention of ever relaxing the dictatorship, the book shows the mentality that I think is a very real one in that a bunch of rules are put in place with extremely harsh punishments with the promise that "it won't always be this way." We just have to govern the evil impulses out of you, but our children, who won't have known any other way, will be better and can reap the benefits of our new society in peace.

Yeah nope. It never works out that way, does it? I think that same concept is why dystopia exploded in YA, telling the stories in the perspective of those children who never knew the before. And of course the dictatorship is always alive and well, hundreds of years later.

I loved how 10 years later (or whatever) even the ones at the very top, who should be living large, were completely miserable in the brave new world. It also reminded me of how in Prohibition, so many groups, especially the ones in power never stopped drinking, never even intended to quit, because to literally everyone who supported Prohibition it was to deny access to some other group. ...more

Like · see review

Jul 10, 2013 R rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-reads

I read Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin and I have to say that I enjoyed this book so much more than I thought I would.

On one hand, I was biased from the last book of hers I read. However, I find that I was more prepared for her writing style, so I was not as thrown off by the back and forth time changes and the ambiguity of the whole story. I tend to avoid dystopian literature because in my personal opinion, I find that the themes of modern and contemporary as cliche, there's no original th I read Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin and I have to say that I enjoyed this book so much more than I thought I would.

On one hand, I was biased from the last book of hers I read. However, I find that I was more prepared for her writing style, so I was not as thrown off by the back and forth time changes and the ambiguity of the whole story. I tend to avoid dystopian literature because in my personal opinion, I find that the themes of modern and contemporary as cliche, there's no original thought and in my mind dystopian literature is not merely a world where everything is totalitarian and ruled by a tyrant, rather, dystopias that I consider to have more impact are criticisms of the present time, of events that could possibly happen if anything were to go amiss or differently.

I have to say, that despite this book being fictional, I was almost believing that this was an autobiography, I almost believed this was written by an oppressed women in the futuristic United States of America, or Gilead. I could almost believe the radical group that killed the President and overthrew Congress. I almost believed the horrors of this period because of the possibilities that this world displayed. In fact, it is entirely possible that all of this can come true, and that is what I find to be good dystopian literature.

Of course, this is all a personal opinion because I just don't find much enjoyment in YA novels of late. However, I found this novel to be an exception because of how realistic it was. Particularly in the last pages, the reports and the conference made it seem as though this Gilead Period was in fact, in the past, a dark time of history for Northern Americans.

Offred, I found was an interesting character. She was a woman on the brink of being broken, despite trying her hardest to remain sane and above all, strong for herself and for any sort of hope in the future. However I know there are questionable aspects to her overall self, but then it brings this question forth: if you were in her position, what would you do? I realized that after attempting to answer this question that I would not be so different from her, that her choices were made so she could live and possibly see a better day. In a sense, Offred is the woman in all of us and the one who does what is innate: survive.

Similarly, the whole concept of this entire period being very recent came as a pleasant surprise to me. Often in novels, the characters that are introduced are ones who have grown up in this dystopian society, and so they know little to nothing of the past. Offred however mentions how she can recall the time spent with her husband and their daughter, the life she had before the group took over and how different it is now. This type of internal criticism is not found in many dystopian novels, so this comparison made it seem all the more real and graphic to me, because here was a woman who can remember what it feels like to have a job!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would. Margaret Atwood, you've waved a magic spell over me once again. ...more

Like · see review

Mar 09, 2013 Liz rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Very intriguing read. Ending was open ended- a little frustrating, but bearable. Lots of thought provoking themes like marriage, relationships, childbirth, power, autonomy, self awareness, choices, and family.

Like · see review