*Magnify*
SPONSORED LINKS
Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/product_reviews/pr_id/113449-The-Handmaids-Tale
ASIN: 038549081X
ID #113449
The Handmaid's Tale   (Rated: 18+)
Product Type: Book
Reviewer: Jayne
Review Rated: 18+
Amazon's Price: $ 9.53
Product Rating:
  Setting:
  Story Plot:
  Characters:
  Author's Writing Style:
  Length of Book:
  Usefulness:
  Overall Quality:
Summary of this Book...
Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale is a first-person account of Offred, a first-generation enslaved breeder, after the country reverts to a perverted biblical interpretation of living, following humanity’s fertility crisis.
This type of Book is good for...
Fans of Atwood, fans of dystopian fiction
I especially liked...
The concept of the book, and some of Atwood's prose is incredibly breathtaking.
I didn't like...
The uneven writing in the book. My biggest issue with Handmaid, and Atwood is general, is her writing style. It saddens me to say that, because she moments of beautiful, poetic writing – the thought of Offred “feeling like the word shattered” is heartbreaking, poignant and beautifully written. But then Atwood provides other descriptions that solicit an eye-roll for being so over-the-top and terribly rendered, it just felt forced. Which is how I find much of Atwood’s writing: Forced. Contrived. Dated.
When I finished reading this Book I wanted to...
Do a bit more research. n terms of the feminist undertones, and feminists grabbing onto the book as though it were Gospel, I have seen that Atwood originally stated it isn’t. She doesn’t seem to be being coy about the whole thing; yet viewed from the current context of events, with a new push in politics to usurp women’s advancements, I can see how one would shake their head at Atwood and think: how can this not be a feminist novel? Atwood has clarified her position since the Handmaid miniseries aired, stating that her intent in writing was more in line with contemporary feminism, where she states that she didn’t intend for it to reflect an ideology where women are victimized to the point of rendering them unable to make choices, but instead wanted to demonstrate that the right of women reflects human rights, and their experience is central to the plot. Ok, then. It’s a contemporary scifi-dystopian feminist novel. Glad we cleared that up. It also smacks of a convenient double-play of marketing for different time-periods.
This Book made me feel...
Atwood did a particularly good job of rendering the 'flatness' of Offred's life.
I recommend this Book because...
If you're a fan of Atwood, it'll be right up your alley.
I don't recommend this Book because...
The book deserves it's place in history, therefore I do recommend it as title to put in your queue. I advise to take the hype with a grain of salt, but the book can be respected for what it is.
Further Comments...
The concept of the book is solid and frightening. It’s place in history, and to a lesser extent, the new life it breathes makes sense to me. The underlying themes are well worth exploring. Yet as written word, the thing from which I read to make that concept come alive, sputters, frustrates, and fails – by breaking the fourth wall. If I must stop and ask, “Atwood, what on earth are you doing?” the book becomes about her, not Offred. Which is unfortunate, as I know Offred had a more important story to tell than Atwood did. Instead, the book, like Offred’s life, left me feeling flat.
Created Nov 20, 2017 at 8:24pm • Submit your own review...

You Could Send Gift Points, But You Don't Have Any Gift Points To Send!
Remember, Gift Points say more than words & encourage Authors to "Write On!". If you need more information on Writing.Com Gift Points and their function, please read: Gift Points Information

Important: All emails are logged! Harassment of other members, by any means within Writing.Com is strictly prohibited, will not be tolerated and may result in account termination.

Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/product_reviews/pr_id/113449-The-Handmaids-Tale