Reviewed by thepunktheory on
To be honest, when I picked up this book, I didn't really know what I signed up for. I was in Portugal at that time and in dire need of something to read. At a bookstore I found a copy of The Handmaid's Tale and had a vague memory that there is a supposedly very good TV show about it. Off I went, ready to be impressed.
Margaret Atwood did not fail to deliver. From the first page on I was hooked. Somehow torn between wanting to find out more about this terrifying society Atwood writes about and having an urge to put the book down because it feels very realistic, I just couldn't stop reading.
The characters are very well written, so you'll definitely get emotionally invested. I ended up holding my breath or having to put down the book to simply take a deep breath and let everything sink in. I rather enjoyed how Atwood switched between chapters set in the present day, recounting the day-to-day life of the Handmaid and her memories of pre-Gilead and their rising. Thus, she intensified the feeling how fast this kind of things can happen and that everything can chance without you even being aware.
I especially fancied Atwood's use of certain key sentences that were repeated throughout the book and kept ringing in my head long after I had finished reading.
However, the novel finishes at a new beginning, so I was a bit sad and almost annoyed about not being able to find out how the protagonist's story continues. The final chapter was a nice twist, but I won't add any spoilers here ;-)
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 17 September, 2017: Finished reading
- 17 September, 2017: Reviewed