From the Bookshelf of Between the Lines…

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

Margaret Atwood

Start date: May 1, 2010

Finish date: May 31, 2010

Discussion: Themed Reading

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Themed Reading

* Suggestions for Monthly Themes
By Beth · 19 posts · 574 views

last updated Aug 25, 2011 03:05AM

*Spoilers possible* The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas - Reading as an adult - interpretations
By Ellie · 2 posts · 66 views

last updated Jul 06, 2012 09:50AM

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What Members Thought

Jun 03, 2012 Arun Divakar rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

The notion of complete safety and security for a lone woman is an alien concept in the world we are in. In my city, this feeling of insecurity is more heightened for a woman cannot go out alone after 9 at night without being stared at, lewd comments passed at or passes being made at. The news papers I read assure me that this occurrence is by no means limited to my little state. Very often I have wondered how it would be if there was a system that would get rid of such filth against women ruthle The notion of complete safety and security for a lone woman is an alien concept in the world we are in. In my city, this feeling of insecurity is more heightened for a woman cannot go out alone after 9 at night without being stared at, lewd comments passed at or passes being made at. The news papers I read assure me that this occurrence is by no means limited to my little state. Very often I have wondered how it would be if there was a system that would get rid of such filth against women ruthlessly and efficiently. In the opening stages of this tale are references to how men now feared making such comments or gestures at women and I thought this is more like it ! Further passages proved how wrong I was and stripped me of my pseudo-righteousness by offering me frighteningly real images of what could come of an overly moral governing system. Echoing in my mind were words Be careful what you wish for, for you may get it !

Shackles that bind a whole society, muffled screams and groans of protest surround you wherever you go for voicing those protests would be as good as signing your death warrant, women are now safe from all kinds of exploitation here : Welcome to Gilead ! There are only three roles for a woman in Gilead : a slave, a vessel that gives birth or as a whore in an underground brothel. Stripped of all liberties and even their identities the women of this erstwhile United States trudge through their days. We see Gilead through the eyes of Offred who is a handmaid and falls into the second category of women that I highlighted above. Offred remembers her past in fragments and is not always an entirely reliable narrator. She remembers her world when it was still an elected government at the helm of affairs, her life with a husband and child, her friends, her mother and the daily-ness of life. I take a bow to Margaret Atwood here for the astounding prose in this book. She wants the reader to do some work in bringing those words to life and does not give us a fully painted picture. It reminded me of an image which I really have to concentrate to make sense of and once I did, I was stunned beyond imagination.

A teenager stays out late at night defying parental norms,an illicit physical relationship that a married man or woman sometimes slips into, getting drunk out of your senses and breaking that withdrawal from alcohol forced on you by someone else...these are some of those little extremities we let ourselves slide into when faced against minor oppression's in life. I kept seeing shades of such behavior in offred's life at the commander's home. As in real life, such impulsive behavior lands her in bigger turmoils than before. Being a handmaid and placed in a roped off and discriminated part of the society and observing a mono theocratic government in all its brutally stifling detail is traumatic for her and all those who are around her. While 1984 was chaotic and as brutal as a fist fight, the story of Offred was more like a restlessness that I could not get rid of. It was like a day when you wake up with a headache and it never lets you go even after a nap or medicines but continues to torment you all through those slow hours of a day.

I am a fan of yours now Ms.Atwood and this book found its way to my favorites list ! ...more

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May 09, 2010 Lou rated it it was amazing

Shelves: end-of-days-dystopian

Review and excerpts to come.

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Oct 12, 2010 Eleanor rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A little uneasy. The story kind of reminds me of the Amish, not sure if it does to anyone else. This is probably due to the way the women have to cover up and how strong certain characters belief in their way of life is, even Ofred's. I'm not keen on how the book is written as though it's a trail of thought, but that's my own personal feeling. Something however is compelling me to read on. ...more

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Jul 03, 2015 flowers in my hair rated it really liked it

This book has proven to stand the test of time, although it was written 20 years ago, many aspects of the book (restrictions to women's right, pollution - infertility) are happening in our current society. AtWood did a fantastic job in portraying a modern dystopia through an intimate and detailed first person narrative. Although I can "feel" this is a profound book, I simply cannot pin point on why it is, it's a slow and enjoyable read overall, would have to re-read this for the 2nd time. ...more

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