The Handmaid's Tale | Book Review (Spoiler-Free)

Author: Margaret Atwood

















Author: Margaret Atwood
Pages: 311
My rating: 5/5
Published: 1998

Goodreads Description 
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...

Review

As I started reading this book I thought it was fictional and that the world that was created before my eyes were dystopian. I did not think that such things could be real. I would not believe it. That is why I was surprised to find out that story is actually based on several historical events. For example, the handmaids had to were red dresses and white wings on their heads as to separate them from the rest of the population. The Marthas wore green and the Commanders' wives wore blue. This can be compared to the way Nazi Germany marked their Judes with the star of David. Another parallel to Nazi Germany is the fact the handmaids were stripped of their liberties, their rights, and even their identities, as were the Judes during the Holocaust.

I really liked the characters in the book. Offred describes herself as weak compared to the other handmaids several times, but I think that it is strong to live in such a horrible society. It is strong of her to do that and not be tempted by death, even though that might seem like a good option. She cannot stand up for herself. She cannot control her life. Still, she lives. Other characters as the Commander and his wife seem like they have a lot of power because they stand higher than the handmaids, but I think that even they are being controlled. Serena Joy still has to obey rules and so does the Commander. 

The Handmaid's Tale is an excellent book that talks about the unfair treatment of women in Gilead, a futuristic North America where women have been stripped of their rights and identities. Gilead is completely controlled by the harsh government. In the book, the world has gone from a rather modern society in which the women had many liberties to a historical time period in which they did not. 


It is not only the historical references that make this book great, but also the fact that it concerns bigger subjects, freedom, justification and basic human rights. The story is not trapped in the past but contains many similarities to the modern society. The world is not perfect, people still have no liberty in some parts of the world. Women still get treated unfairly. There are many concerns about Trump as a president, especially with the banning of abortions increasing. Therefore it was just a matter of time before this phenomenal book would affect the modern protests. A book of such strong opinions about something as important as women's rights, human rights, should not be silenced. It was meant to influence the world.