Rating: 
Summary: Chilling morality tale
Review: I could probably make a case for the implausibility of the concept that the book puts forward, but only if I got specific, the situation where people (men or women) are used as merely property and not allowed to have any rights of their own still happens all over the world, whether you like it or not. Ms. Atwood is too smart to try and predict what the future might bring, instead she merely illustrates what happens when you stop regarding people as people, when rights of a few take precedence over the rights of everyone else (for the sake of expediency, alas). In this wacky world, women aren't allowed to read or write due to an ultra-Christian (?) (they quote from the Bible) takeover of the country. Women are divided into Aunts, Marthas, Wives and of course the Handmaiden's, who exist to have children and are given to various Commanders to try and make kids. The novel concerns itself with the story of Offred (Of Fred) and it flips back and forth between her life before the takeover, during her education in those dark days before the present time and her current life as a Handmaiden. Atwood protrays all of this in very poetic language, the words she chooses are sometimes breaktaking, but mostly it's in the images she puts forward and in the general aura that the novel is given. There's a sense of inevitable helplessness, Offred isn't going to change the world by herself and the world isn't going to change in the next day, she realizes that and still wants to fight but isn't sure how. The flashbacks are all rendered quite nicely, and given the right sense of eerie timelessness. The story is never given a date so it could happen anytime but the point illustrated is more important than the details. Some might find her a bit too immersed in the concept, the story tends to float blissfully along but she never gets preachy and even though has the country taken over by an orthodox Christian group, she's not bashing Christainity, just about any religion has buried in it somewhere the same primitive attitudes about women. But for me, it's about more than women, it's about people and what happens when all of a sudden people are property, how it dehumanizes everyone, even as you try to remain as human as you can. A fine story, with the people brought vividly to life, warts and all, and one gives one pause to think. Also, don't skip the historical section in the back, it's a bit wordy and academic and doesn't really explain the cliffhanger ending any better, but gives a better glimpse in everything. All it takes is a little perspective, I guess.
Rating:
Summary: horrifying
Review: This book scared me more than any story from Stephen King or Dean Koontz ever could. It was difficult to read because a voice in the back of my mind kept whispering, "This could really happen, this could really happen." Even in America, where we feel so secure in our freedom, we are only steps away from a society like Gilead. The religious right, with their cries for a Return to Morality and their efforts to bring prayer back into school, bring us ever closer to Gilead each time they attempt to diminish the separation between Church and State. Other things Atwood mentioned in The Handmaid's Tale are actually occuring NOW: the controversial list on the Internet of Abortion providers, "for a future reckoning." Dr. Laura, who could be Serena Joy, preaching the value of women staying at home and being the obedient sex. If there's anything we should take away from Atwood's book it is a sense of caution, and a will to fight every loss of freedom no matter how small or inconcequential it may seem. Societies do indeed fall in degrees.
Rating: 
Summary: A Well Written Novel
Review: The Handmaid's Tale is a very interesting book that offers a different perspective on the relationships between men and women. Offred,the handmaid who is the main character of the novel, lives with her Commander and his wife Serena. Her job is to get pregnant by the Commander, give birth to the child, then give it up so that the wife can raise the baby as her own. The novel follows the thoughts of suicide, scandal, and betrayal that Offred has throughout her journey. The society in which the book takes place is fairly new, Offred can still remember life before it. It is very difficult to obtain items that would indulge any vanity. The only way to go about finding things like lotion, magazines, lingerie,etc. is on the black market. Offred and some of the other handmaid's who she meets along the way wish to corrupt the society and break down its very structured walls. Read the book to find out if she succeeds. I thought that this novel was very suspenseful about what Offred would encounter. It kept me reading. This was a challenging book to understand, filled with lots of symbolism, etc. I would reccommend it to anyone who wants a change from the everyday love story.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Novel I've Ever Had The Experience To Read
Review: Since September 2003 Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" is the novel that I have been fascinated with continually. As part of my current English Literature study on the great modern novels, The Handmaid's Tale was the obvious choice, or so though my teacher. I have just finished the book in class. My teacher told me not to read any further than where we were in class because he wanted us to have a surprising ending, but I can tell you that it was a difficult time trying to resist the temptation to see further developments. In class we look at almost every word that is contained within the book and analyse it further and further, and I have an exam on this book in June. My future in English Literature hangs in the balance with this book! In The Handmaid's Tale, our central character is Offred. The book is set in a post 21-Century dystopian society in which the United States has been destroyed from a nuclear war which obliterated large parts of the world. What remains is a strict and harsh barbaric society called The Republic Of Gilead. She is allowed only one function: to breed. Most of the women died and even most of those who managed to survive are contaminated and therefore can no longer reproduce. The few that can successfully do so are called Handmaids. They must give birth like rabbits to boost the population. Their babies are then handed over to the Wives of the Commanders who run the place. The Handmaid's are dressed in long red cloaks, they do not hold down jobs, must do as they are told and forced to live in strict households. They are tortured if they deviate from the 'correct' way of life and are not allowed freedom of speech - the removal of hooks and glass windows in case of the obvious suicide attempts that would reign throughout is a reminder of the harsh ideology. The Handmaid's Tale is, indeed, not an easy read. It is a difficult book to understand, but then we really aren't meant to. The novel is shrouded in ambiguity and eventual possibilities, which all generate an electric buzz that keeps the reader hanging on, wanting to know what happens to our narrator, Offred. This at times can be extremely frustrating, especially for the casual reader who may give up after just a few chapters. The detail and thought that has gone into this novel makes it a masterpiece in its own right. Atwood uses detail to the max in describing the tumultuous state of mind that Offred experiences throughout her time in the society. In the first few chapters she describes her surroundings and introduces herself. The characters also form a strong and coherent basis on which the novel is built. Serena Joy is the leader of the group. She is an evil and cold-hearted woman who is desperate for Offred to get pregnant so she can have a child of her own. Moria is the novel's hero. She is rebellious, she objects the system and doesn't care what happens to her if she strays from it. She is Offred's hero and keeps her sane throughout bleak times when suicide is a viable option. Moira's presence in the novel is extremely ambiguous and her downfall towards the end of the novel is genius. Cora, Rita and Nick also have minor roles, but in the end we get to see the bigger picture. The Aunts are like the officials of the household, strolling around with their cattleprods hung from thongs. Janine is perhaps the novel's greatest character in terms of ingenuity. She is a firm believer in the system and is the object to which all other Handmaid's fear becoming. In Chapter 13 we witness a meeting between the Handmaid's and the Aunts. Janine tells the story of being gang-raped aged 14, to which the Aunts yell at her, "But whose fault was it?" The rest of the brain-washed Handmaids chant, "Her fault, her fault, her fault!" It's a terrible scenario to be in, but a week later Janine believes what was being said and admits it was her fault. The high points in this novel include Offred's first-ever sex scene with the Commander in Chapter 16. The chapter is a purely comical look at stereotypical sex scenes. The shocking and violent language works in contrast with the humorous dialogue and avoids, in this moment completely, falling into the trap of being labelled simply another feminist novel. The outing in Chapter 36, the savage scenes in Chapter 43, Janine's birth scene in Chapter 21 is superbly crafted and Offred's meetings with the Commander throughout are true moments of intimacy which she craves so badly. She doesn't know where her husband Luke from the time before is, nor her daughter. She misses them incredibly, but pushes them to the back of mind because she knows dwelling on them would drag her to the jaws of suicide, and she doesn't want that. She believes in escapism, in a better world - she has the hope and her temporary loss of it in frequent situations makes this a gripping read. OVERALL GRADE: 10/10 I have to say that The Handmaid's Tale is simply one of the greatest books I have ever read. Some people dislike it - fair enough, but I really think that anyone with an open mind and an eye for fantastic, jaw-dropping and thought-provoking novels should pick up a copy of this. If I wasn't limited to the length of this review, I would carry on for hours and hours about the genius of the novel and the way in which it is an important tool in modern day society, but I can't. However, all I will say is that this is an awesome book that I'm enthralled with. I hope you feel the same.
Rating:
Summary: Scrutinizing the Future of America
Review: The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood, is a very unique and interesting novel. This thought provoking novel makes the reader think about life and what is to come in the future. Briefly, The Handmaid's Tale is about a handmaid's life, her efforts to have a child for her Commander, and her continuing survival in a changing world. This novel provides both an interesting read and new look at what life could be like.
The background information concerning the novel is extremely important. It is set in what is now the United States in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In the novel, this country is the Republic of Gilead. The Republic of Gilead has many new laws that are looked upon now as sexist and restricting. Some women only have the job of conceiving and giving birth to children; at this time infertility is vast. Women at this time do not have rights, or at least compared to today's society, this includes not being allowed to read. This information is essential in understand The Handmaid's Tale.
The Handmaid's Tale is a story unlike any other. The novel is about Offred, a handmaid, whose only job is to conceiving children. Offred lives with Serena Joy and the Commander. One day the Commander invites Offred into his office, which is a very risky situation as it is forbidden to have unnecessary contact with each other. "My presence here is illegal. It's forbidden for us to be alone with the Commanders. We are for breeding purposes" (136). This quote helps to exemplify the fact that this contact is dangerous and that her sole purpose in society is for breeding. In the Commander's office, the two of them do various things that are considered illegal, but in today's society are not. One day Serena Joy confronts Offred about her desire to have a child. The two, even though they have an extreme dislike for each other, conspire a way to make it more likely for Offred to become pregnant. Serena Joy says to Offred, "'Maybe you should try it another way'" (205). Offred questions, "'What other way?'" (205). Serena Joy replies, "'Another man'" (205). One evening, the Commander takes Offred to Jezebel's, an old hotel where prostitution and drinking occurs. Here Offred runs into an old friend and has sex illegally with the commander for the first time. Serena Joy's efforts to find another man work out and Offred sees him, which leads to an interesting and unsuspected ending.
The Handmaid's Tale is an extremely good book that keeps the reader on edge and constantly wanting more. The book achieves its goals of making the reader think about what could happen to the United States and if something to this effect could actually take place. This novel is a lot like George Orwell's 1984 and The Giver, by Lois Lowry. By far, The Handmaid's Tale is the best, but is in the category of novels with extreme changes in society. Atwood writes the novel in a very convincing manner. It seems as though these events really did occur. The Handmaid's Tale is a book that keeps the reader on edge and is something that everyone should read at some point in life.
Margaret Atwood's, The Handmaid's Tale, is a thought-provoking novel that exhibits changes in a society. A different type of lifestyle is looked at through the eyes of what is considered the person that makes the society run. Without these handmaids there would be no society. The Handmaid's Tale is a novel that everyone should read whether it is for enjoyment or learning purposes.
Rating:
Summary: A dystopian view of a very possible future for America
Review: Atwood's story of an America taken over by Christian fundamentalists in the not-very-far future is chilling. It's chilling because, unlike similar novels, such as Orwell's 1984, "The Handmaid's Tale" is not very far fetched. In fact, it's a very possible result if the current trends in America continue. We see the very dire consequences of anti-American trends such as "The Patriot Act" and the breaking down of the barriers between Church and State. The future described by Atwood here is the natural extension of these trends. Atwood wrote this novel 20 years ago, yet she was visionary enough to see the trends. Atwood slowly reveals the "mystery" about what is going on. This technique holds our attention and builds our sympathy for Offred (the handmaid) and the other oppressed women in Atwood's post-Ashcroft/Bush world. We see things from Offred's point-of-view. We also have access to her memories of a not-so-distant past when Americans still could enjoy such things as liberty, religious freedom, privacy and safety of life. The victimization of women; the dire consequences of destroying the environment to the extent that the very ability of the human race to procreate is jeopardized; the tearing down of the boundaries between religion and government -- the result is future that is dark for the individual. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Well, those in power take a bad situation (that they,themselves, created) and turn it to their advantage. They make lemonade for themselves and spit the pits back at the citizens, particularly at fertile women. Right-wing religious fundamentalists turn democracy into theocracy. The ironic result is a perversion of the very Christian values that, today, fundamentalists impose on people who may have different religious beliefs than they have. Part of the power of the narrative is the revelation that the events leading to this dark, dystopia are recent events. The characters have lived in a free America and remember it. The transformation happened, if not overnight, very quickly. "Temporary" laws are passed that limit certain freedoms but, not only are these "temporary" laws never repealed, they become increasingly totalitarian until even having thoughts about freedom and rights becomes a crime. (You are either on the side of those in power or you are evil, on the side of "bad guys" and do not deserve to live.) Although Atwood created this fictional world decades before the "Patriot Act", she paints a world that is ruled by laws that, like the "Patriot Act, are designed to eliminate liberties and put the quality of American lives at risk. We live in the times that preceded the changes remembered by "Offred" (the handmaid). Our children and grandchildren may very well live in the times that Offred and the other handmaids find themselves in. "The Handmaid's Tale" is a moving, gripping story, but also a very important story.
Rating:
Summary: The Handmaid's Tale, an unexpected delight.
Review: The Handmaid's Tale, is a chilling story of a woman owned by the government. After leading a normal life with a Husband and beautiful daughter, all is ripped away. A new government called Gildead has arisen. Now women everywhere are subject to men's will. Reversing centuries of hard work in the equality of women. Now she must be a Handmaid, a women who's only role is to produce children to repleat the lack in that society. After many twists and turns the final day approaches. Wether she will be discovered for her trespasses against the state or saved by an unexpected hero, only reading the thrilling novel will reveal.
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing original in this book. Poorly written.
Review: I can see that many people liked this book. If this is the first book of this kind that one reads, I could see why. It's not the worst book ever written. But it's pretty far down that list. There is nothing original about this book, unfornuately. George Orwell's 1984 was written much earlier than this book and yet still surpasses it in foresight, complexity, and language. Atwood's only claim to fame is her incessant hatred of the politics of the "religious right" as she sees them. She really didn't have to write this ridiculous book to get across the point that religious views are damaging when taken too far. Anti-religious views can be equally taken too far. They can lead to long drawn out and boring books that teachers use to punish students with. A bad book was made into an even worse movie. Please save 2 hours of your life and never see it. Attwood's writing style is what perhaps makes this book hardest to stomach. It's bad enough that she basically rewrote George Orwell and still managed to do less of a job. Her plot and character development is so poor, and her command of the written word so trite, that anybody who reads avidly will wish they had picked something else off the shelf. For those who like this book, I respect your opinions. Please read A Clockwork Orange by Burgess, or 1984 or Animal Farm by Orwell. Those are futurama books that are not only written by much better writers, but also much more original and meaningful.
Rating:
Summary: Very Interesting
Review: A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is an amazing book! This book is a very good read, and keeps you on your toes. This book describes things that we only fear. The mere thought of all of these horrible events happening in real life, is what keeps you involved in this book. This book is not an easy book to read. You have to be avidly reading to catch some of the vital clues in this book.
Atwood describes some of the most horrible treatment that a woman would have to go through. She does it in such vivid detail that it catches you off guard. As Offred, an oppressed Handmaid, lets her mind travel through time, you see the events that are happening right now in real life. However, when she comes back to reality you see how horrible life for her really is. Offred explains how our society becomes such a horrible place. You get to see all of the things that we take for granted each day are what Offred wants the most.
Rating:
Summary: Scary as hell, because it's almost real
Review: Do NOT read this book on a cold, grey day. Read it when all is right with the world, and you just feel the need for some sober enlightenment. It'll shock, depress, and scare the life out of you. This tells the story of Offred ('of fred') who works as a 'handmaid' for a wealthy family. This is a time when most women are barren, and the few who might possibly reproduce are forced to be handmaids, women who bear children for powerful families. Offred calmly, almost coldly narrates the horrifying tale of a society that has stripped her of her family, her freedom, and her position as a citizen. She's literally a walking pair of ovaries. We watch Offred do her 'work', dream of the past, and possibly become involved in an underground freedom movement called Mayday, people who will either free her or destroy her. What's really frightening here is that this situation is almost happening now. While it's set in the near future, Atwood brilliantly shows us a moment where Japanese tourists, outfitted in modern, stylish clothing, gawk at the peculiar habits of the veiled American women. Switch a few things around here, and we've got a scene that could've taken place on any street in a Middle Eastern country. Women who exist basically to procreate running around behind heavy veils, being stared at by American tourists. It's something that has happened many times before. Things may be changing now, but there was a time when Atwood's description of the situation was almost flawless. We live in this world. Atwood just changed names and dates. As I said before, don't read this if you're depressed in the slightest. You won't want to get out of bed for a week. The world created here will frighten you, and when you realize that the goings on are practically a reality for many people, it will upset you even more.
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