Rating: 
Summary: A well written run-through of the same old dystopian plot
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale". I found the slowly unraveling plot to be exciting and imaginative, and the setting that Atwood creates is simply stunning.
Reflecting back on the book, however, several weaknesses clearly stand out. For instance, the beginning of the book reveals very little of the context of the story, but by the second half most of the story has been revealed, and only the plot (not extraordinarily interesting on its own) is left to be resolved. So by the ending, the only suspense that Atwood has held back is the fate of Offred, and the "conclusion" is somewhat lacking in punch. I personally felt that the denouement was inconsistent from the pacing of the rest of the book, and a little silly.My strongest reservation against this book, however, is the dull subject matter. I don't get it; is it supposed to be political? feminist? apocalyptic? In any case, I felt this aspect of the book was the weakest. Rather than condemning the totalitarian government, Atwood seemed more interested in exploring the torment of Offred, which is where the true strength of the book lies. Besides, how many times have we heard this same futuristic story before? Although I question some of the author's choices, I would not be reviewing this book if I did not sincerely enjoy it. Despite the (at times) overly political themes, the book is never boring. I also whole-heartedly suggest Margaret Atwood's other books, many of which are stronger than "The Handmaid's Tale". ps. In case you don't know how the book ends yet, I suggest you stop reading these reviews!
Rating: 
Summary: Why I did not enjoy The Handmaid's Tale
Review: I am an average reader. I read The Handmaid's Tale as a school project. I found it to be poorly written and incredibly boring. The book doesn't have much of a plot, the character development is amazingly poor, and the author's use of sensationalism was really quite revolting. The author seems to say, "This is what will happen if we let those damn Republicans in office!!" Personally, I don't mind hearing the message once or twice, but it is repeated over and over throughout the 400 pages of this horrible book. I can see how a leftist feminist might enjoy this book, but I don't think it is possible for anyone else (including the entire male gender) to enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Review of The Handmaid's Tale
Review: The Handmaid's Tale was an amazing book. Although it took me a few pages to get hooked, after the initial boredom I couldn't put it down. It is the story of Offred, who is the handmaid for a Commander and his wife, who cannot have children. The book is set in the Republic of Gilead, which used to be the United States. Women in Gilead are forbidden from any pleasure in life. They may not read, or write, have jobs, own land, or even go by their own names. Offred and the other women in Gilead are extremely strong and should be admired. At times the book did confuse me. Offred speaks in a sort of stream of consciousness throughout the novel. That was kind of hard to get used to but it was used to reveal all of her inner thoughts and her personality. She jumps from the present to the past, and sometimes she will give an entire account of an event only to say, "But that's not how it really happened." Some parts of the story were disturbing and I think it takes a mature reader to look past that part of the book and get to the true meaning. Aside from that, the plot of the book is fascinating. I could really relate to Offred and that need for real love that we all have. As I read the book I had many questions. By the end of the book I had found only some of the answers, while others really depended on my own interpretation of the book. I also liked the fact that the world the citizens of Gilead once lived in is the world we are actually living in right now. This made the events of the book hit closer to home and seem more real. Although somewhat difficult to read, it was very touching and was really one of those books that make you think. The book touched me deeply and I would recommend it to anyone looking for something deep and thought provoking.
Rating: 
Summary: What is Past is Prologue
Review: As Shakespeare once observed, "What is past is prologue"--and certainly this holds true for Margaret Atwood's haunting novel. Containing passages that are harrowing in their stark, matter-of-fact delivery, "The Handmaid's Tale" is an almost overwhelming book which calls to mind the oppression suffered by Afghanistan women under the Taliban regime. A book of fierce power.
Rating:
Summary: Science fiction? I think not . . .
Review: I read this wonderful novel in 1997 and even then, I drew immediate parallels with the Taliban's treatment of Afghan women. Atwood creates a real man's world, where women are only vessels for babies. Offred (Of FRED--the name of her master), the narrator, is intelligent and observant, but limited to the narrow confines of the life dicated by the new government. She lives her daily life unaware of the fate of her child and tortures herself by wandering by the execution wall to see if any of the new dead could be her precious husband. This novel presents a life unfathomable to Western women, but I think all of us owe it to our less fortunate sisters to read it, and to try to place ourselves in that world, if only for an afternoon.
Rating:
Summary: Profoundly Disturbing
Review: I first read this book in college, and have reread it a number of times since then. The story is set in the newly-formed Republic of Gilead, what used to be the United States (and more specifically the story is set in and around Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA). Atwood incorporates a number of different and some might say disparate schools of political theory into this dytopia, including communism, Christian fundamentalism, and radical feminism, and shows what happens when normal citizens fail to educate themselves about ideas that may differ with their own. While many reader may consider this novel completely feminist or anti-Christian, a closer look reveals neither to be true. The Republic of Gilead twists Christianity considerably from its true message; in fact there is one passage where Baptists (who a lot of people think of as the "most religious" Christians) are being beseiged by the Gileadean army. And it makes a number of jabs at the goals currently held by some radical feminists, among them striving for a man-free "women's culture". All in all, this is a book that gets off to a somewhat slow start but really grows on you after awhile, and by the time you get to the end, you want to pick it up and start all over again. The scariest but also most imspiring part was thinking about what we as a society can do to prevent this.
Rating: 
Summary: Misinterpreted
Review: I fail to see how people classify this work as a feminist novel. As a matter of fact, there are several places where the author makes some acerbic jabs at feminist theory and actions. The future presented in this book is not necessarily totally a fundamentalist extreme- it also takes feminism to its extreme, with the idea of "protecting" women from everything- even themselves, in the end. The other thing I see often complained about regarding this book is the characterization. I found it to be refreshing in that the characters weren't overly strong or daring- they were normal people, with doubts and fears, anger and loneliness. I could identify with Offred's reactions to certain things, and that made the book, which dragged at times, easier to get through. I think I see this as more of a warning about how all extremes are bad than a feminist or antiChristian rant. You just have to read this one carefully.
Rating:
Summary: Please get me, pregnant!!!
Review: How often do you hear that? NEVER! This book was so intensly facinating that you can't help but keep reading. Sure, it was perverted and there was a lot of swearing, but I think the author was just telling it like it is. Atwood kept the book and me going so strong, I kept thinking this was an actual journal I was reading! I may be 16 years old, and I may have been reading this for a school project, but the teacher suggested it to me. And I suggest it to anyone who has strong points of view of how a "Christiansociety" would work. Believe me, you won't take everything you have for granted any more! And if this book was "too grown up" for you, I suggest you read something else, along the lines of THE GIVER, if that isn't too perverted.
Rating: 
Summary: Propoganda, but readable propoganda
Review: "The Handmaid's Tale" offers an inriguing plot and the characters are vivid enough that one can visualize them as real people. This being said, I cannot say that it is a bad book, but it is one with an agenda. While writing with anagenda can be a very good thing, in this case it simply comes off as ridiculous. In most effective dystopian literature the projected society is either so far removed from the modern world that its evolution cannot be easily tracked (i.e. Brave New World) or the evolution and maintenance of the society is attributable to global human tendencies. In 1984, for example, although the initial revolution was brought about by the English Socialist Party, the society of Oceania was maintained by all the trappings associated with a rightwing dictatorship (i.e., worship of a near-divine dictator, constant war against manufactured enemies both without and within). In "The Handmaid's Tale" a specific villian is quickly and unabashedly identified, Rich White Christian Men (RWCM). Thus, implies Atwood, all we need to do is get rid of RWCM, then this evil society will be avoided and we can all live in peace. While this works if you believe RWCM to be the root of all evil, it comes across as ridiculous if you have the vision to see that this simply isn't true. In addition, this evil society seems to appear overnight, suggesting that its groundwork had been laid long before (by the RWCM no doubt), and its beneficiaries were just waiting for a chance to impose it. Even in 1985 this was absurd, conspiracy-minded paranoia, and in 2002, when women make up the majority of voters, college graduates and church attendants, it is positively laughable. In summary, while "The Handmaiden's Tale" may be an enjoyable piece of propaganda fiction it is not especially thought provoking or profound. While it may be inspiring to readers who share Atwood's paranoid hysteria, it is unlike to chnage minds or hearts.
Rating:
Summary: Books that think are rare.
Review: I have only read this once, so I can't give it a decent dissection. All I can give you are my reactions as a reader. I was disturbed by the things that happened in the book, which I think is great. I was upset by the emotional rollercoaster the character rode on, which I think shows how masterful the writer is. I was skeptical of the realisticness of the society created here, but I saw that it worked perfectly for the story the book was telling. I enjoyed the turn it took at the end, and how that put the entire book in a new perspective. I was disappointed that I did not get to find out certain things, and I recognize that disappointment as being intended by the author. She is a very skilled writer, and this is a fascinating, thought-provoking read. It is not an easy read, or escapist fiction. It is meat-and-pain reading.
|
