Comments on: The Handmaid’s Tale

By: Alice

Alice — Sun, 06 Oct 2013 11:51:04 +0000

I felt exactly the same! I’ll give Atwood another go as well, but I don’t think my expectations of enjoyment will be as high.

By: DoingDewey

DoingDewey — Sun, 06 Oct 2013 00:40:19 +0000

With a book like this that has so many rave reviews, I’m glad to hear that I wasn’t the only one who didn’t quite fall in love with it. I will definitely give Margaret Atwood another try, because it was so thoughtful and well written, but this one wasn’t the instant favorite I expected.

By: Alice

Alice — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 18:10:13 +0000

It took me a while to finish this one, and as you did I loved the language and the topics it was dissecting, but it just didn’t grip me.

By: DoingDewey

DoingDewey — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 22:39:27 +0000

Wonderful! I’m glad I’m not the only one who felt it was missing that little something. I certainly didn’t dislike it though and will probably read more of her work for all the great things you mention and which I agree with completely

By: Indiscriminate Critic

Indiscriminate Critic — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 15:04:18 +0000

I’ve always had much the same reaction to Atwood’s novels. Beautiful writing, spectacularly realized themes, insanely creative worlds…but all lacking some spark of connection which would make it come vibrantly alive for me. Yet her subject matter and the way in which she presents it always ends up making me feel satisfied, even if I didn’t necessarily enjoy the experience. And as other commenters have pointed out, discussing her novels is always a sheer pleasure.

By: DoingDewey

DoingDewey — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 00:12:40 +0000

Something I took notes on but which didn’t end up in the review was how surprised I was when Atwood presented a plausible way this world could come to be. Unlikely, sure, but at the beginning I thought this could never happen without protesters stopping it. It got to be a much scarier idea when she showed how this could come to be and I think you’re right, that took a lot of talent!

By: Geoff W

Geoff W — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 14:15:30 +0000

I think a big part of this is also when the book was written (1985) and how far women have (or have not) come. Similar to what DDB says in the first comment, that no matter how far women have come, there is still not equality and something as terrifyingly real as what happens in this novel could happen. I think that’s where Atwood shows her mastery in choosing to write about things that are just one step away from where we are now and that is incredibly eerie the more you think about it!

By: DoingDewey

DoingDewey — Sun, 22 Sep 2013 01:59:35 +0000

Wow, that’s an extremely thoughtful way to look at it! I think this would be a great book club book since I feel like the author wrote the book exactly as is very deliberately to make you think.

By: DoingDewey

DoingDewey — Sun, 22 Sep 2013 01:54:58 +0000

I did really enjoy the thoughtfulness of this book. I’d even read it again as a book club read for that very reason. I’m sure it would make for some great discussion!

By: DoingDewey

DoingDewey — Sun, 22 Sep 2013 01:54:12 +0000

Yep, I’m with you – I enjoyed it, but I’m not going to be one of the people who rave about it.