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| The Handmaid's Tale: A Novel | 
| Author: Margaret Atwood
Publisher: Anchor
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy Used: $1.97
You Save: $12.98 (87%)
New (75) Collectible (3) from $5.42
Avg. Customer Rating:  558 reviews
Sales Rank: 2381
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st Anchor Books
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.7
ISBN: 038549081X
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780385490818
ASIN: 038549081X
Publication Date: March 16, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
In the world of the near future, who will control women's bodies?
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 only valued if their ovaries are viable.
Offred can remember the days 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....
Funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing, The Handmaid's Tale is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and tour de force.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 553 more reviews...
 A 21st century 1984 by George Orwell October 5, 2008
Cambridge, England, June 25, 2195.
Professor James Darcy Pieixoto discusses the findings of a manuscript titled "The Handmaid's Tale" which in its pristine state consisted of a metal footlocker, US Army issue, circa perhaps 1955--an account of the Gilead regime, city of Bangor, somewhere in Maine.
The author's identity can't be authenticated, but her tale is compelling.
"I'm sorry there is so much pain in this story. I'm sorry it's in fragments, like a body caught in crossfire or pulled apart by force. But there is nothing I can do to change it."
The President of the US and the Congress are all assassinated. The US Constitution is revoked. A matriarchal society ensues, where polygamy is justified for the sake of fertility.
The oligarchy in control, most of which is sterile from radiation can acquire "handmaids" for purpose of procreating. The wives rule the house and submit and attend a fornication ritual so that their husbands can reproduce.
The account is by Offred, a handmaid.
She may leave the home of her lord and his wife once a day to walk to the food market. She must lie on her back once a month and pray her commander gets her pregnant, because in a republic of declining births, Offred and the other handmaids are valued only for their ovaries.
Offred recounts the years before , when she lived and made love to her husband, Luke. When she played and protected her daughter that was given away to a powerful commander. When she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge.
"The Fall was a fall from innocence and knowledge," she tells.
Margaret Atwood has created a masterpiece that brilliantly interconnects politics and sex--just like Orwell challenged us in 1984, so will our minds be challenged--and forewarned-- again in Atwood's "Handmaid."
 A little too obvious. October 2, 2008
Considered a modern Classic, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood had been on my must read list for some time now. I checked it out once before from the library and never got past the first couple of pages before I had to return it. I probably should have left it at that, because I'd rather be wishing I read it, then feeling the keen sense of disappointment like I do now.
The story is narrated by Offred- not her real name; which I'll get to later- in the first person. Technically I don't mind first person. There are quite a number of books I've truly enjoyed from that POV. However, for this book, it didn't work for me. Even though it was written from the most intimate of narratives, I still felt like I was watching from afar. None of Offred's true feelings came through to me, which frustrated me completely, because this story demands that we connect with the character.
Here's the lowdown;
The story is set in the not too distant future where a totalitarian state is in control and the women are treated shamefully- right down to forcing the women to wear oppressive clothing.
Something has occurred- which is never quite clear to me- where the nation's birth rate is nil and many women are unable to have children. (The author hints at a nuclear war but she also hints at the low birth rate trend.) Of course, the men in control blame it on the women and not their own sterile likelihood and have set up a system to alleviate the problem.
Enter The Handmaids. They are women who have been ripped from their families- families from 2nd marriages after divorces and "living together" unions- neither of which are valid in the new States' laws.
These women have given birth to children in the past and are therefore considered an effective tool to alleviate the world "problem". They are reprogrammed and subjugated into becoming the "handmaid" for leaders who are unable to begat children on their wives- much like what happened in Biblical Old Testament times when women were barren.
The new names for The Handmaid's are given to them at the time of their programming and they are a connected to the Commanders they will eventually be given too- names such as Of-glen, Of-warren, and for this narrative, Of-fred.
The premise of the book fell apart for me because it was a little too obvious and preachy, and, to make things worse, I couldn't follow Atwood's style of writing. It also seemed scattered and disjointed- which I believe is why I couldn't connect with Offred.
As scary dystopian fiction, this book's as good as any- it's a frightening world Atwood conjures up. However, I'm giving this one 2 out of 5 because it fell flat and failed to hold my interest- I ended up skimming two chapters towards the end!
Great Review September 15, 2008
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
I received the product within 3 business days and the product was in excellent condition.
A typical futuristic tale from Margaret Atwood September 1, 2008
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
An interesting read from Margaret Atwood.
This is definitely a story noire, set in the not too distant future in a dictatorial, 'Orwellian' society . Life is a struggle and one does whatever one has to do, just to get by. And whatever one has to do just to get by, is usually controlled by the state.
I like Margaret Atwood's style of story telling; she takes a decidedly different plot and surrounds it with interesting characters and circumstances. As with most of her books, there are a few twists and turns along the way to keep you on your toes.
Conclusion:
Not a particularly happy story, but intriguing enough to keep the pages turning, IF, you don't mind a somewhat Draconian tale right out of "1984". If you can deal with the subject matter at hand and if you like Atwood's style, you'll enjoy (or at least appreciate) 'The Handmaid's Tale'.
Ray Nicholson
Danger of Theocracy Exposed! August 8, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Even if Ms Atwood claims this book is "main fiction", there is no doubt in my mind that it has all the traits of very good sci-fi.
It is a dystopia depicting a very stark upcoming, but not impossible in occurrence.
In a not so far future, a theocratic government has taken power over USA using violent methods. The new society is shaped as a patriarchal hierarchy, relegating women to a very subordinate position. One step after other this totalitarian government has banned gays, other religious groups and political dissidents.
The story is told by a Handmaid that is to say a fertile woman used as an official concubine by high ranking officials. Women have been stratified in rigid classes: Wives & Daughters, Handmaids, Marthas, Aunts and Housewives. Each class has its codified role and attributes under constant surveillance of males. Males are also stratified: Commanders, Angels, Eyes and Guards. They also are subjected to very strict behavior codes. Any intent of deviation is harshly punished.
The Diary gives the reader inkling into the new society and how it came into existence, but not a detailed and complete picture, rendering the novel very believable and interesting.
Ms. Atwood prose is very ascetic; short phrases devoid of adjectives gives her novel a very special taste. The reader is introduced into this stark universe little by little and the whole image takes some time to be grasped. As a final result a griping tale emerges.
This novel has been compared, deservedly, with Orwell's "1984" and Huxley's "Brave New World" and in my view it stands to par with them.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.
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