The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is a leap away from her usual writing style into the realms of science fiction, however it is a no less thoughtful, provocative and engaging work. The story is told from the first person perspective of 'Offred'- 'of Fred'- who lives in the Republic of Gilead during the twentieth century. The Handmaids Tale was published in the 1980s, yet Atwood has a sharp vision of what the future might hold. It is no surprise that she won the Arthur C. Clarke award for this novel, yet it is not as inaccessible a read as many sci-fi novels tend to be. Gilead is a ... more

--Introduction-- The Handmaid's Tale written by Margaret Atwood is an amazing insight into a possible future outcome in a dystopian totalitarian society. It is based around nowadays but written in the 1980s, there is a society called Gilead. It used to be a state in America but religious fanatics took over. Women were stopped from working and any woman who was not high in the social hierarchy lost their child, their family, everyone and became a Handmaid. --Storyline-- A Handmaid is a surrogate mother to a husband and wife at the top of the social hierarchy. The novel is from the perspective ... more

Having read this book for the third time, I feel an urge to read it once more, and I might in fact read it after that again! The reason behind my compulsion to read 'The Handmaid's Tale' is that I gain a different understanding and insight into the book with each read. The novel envisages how society might develop when power falls into the wrong hands and presents this dystopic community through the eyes of Offred, a Handmaid who is trapped in the Republic of Gilead. The first person narrative brings Offred to the centre of the novel and draws on her personal experiences and feelings. Every ... more