The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

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Title: The Handmaid's Tale

Author: Margaret Atwood

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Science Fiction

Length: 311 pages

Published: 1998

Publisher: Anchor Books

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now...

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

I kept hearing how great this book was, so I finally picked it up to read. Holy cow! They were right! It was excellent! The story is told by Offred, and intermingles remembrances from her past before everything changed and the present day. 

The story unfolded slowly about Offred's past and how the world came to change, through small glimpses. I loved how you got just enough at just the right times to tell you what you needed to know to keep reading. It was definitely like listening to someone tell a story, divulging just enough, skipping around to other matters. That was one of my favorite things about the novel. 

At several points Offred mentions that "this is a reconstruction" about a particular scene, leading the reader to believe that she's telling this later on, after the fact - but just to whom is unknown. She inserts her desires of what happened into the narrative, as well as what actually happened. You find yourself hoping she can find some way to get out of her situation. 

I definitely recommend you pick this up. And when you do, make sure you read the "Historical Notes" section after the narrative ends. This is really important to read to help understand the story.

You can purchase The Handmaid's Tale through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Handmaid's Tale? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.