The Handmaid's Tale

Margaret Atwood's amazing feat, The Handmaid's Tale, is set in a dystopian America in the 1980s. It follows the life of its narrator, a Handmaid named Offred. 

Offred is in her late twenties when a group called the Sons of Jacob attacks the White House and kills the President. Immediately things begin to change in Offred's world. She can no longer use her credit card, only her husband can. She is no longer allowed to work, that's only for men. Once she and her husband realize how bad the situation has gotten, they try to flee the country, but are quickly caught and separated. 

Offred is presented with a choice, become one of three things: an Aunt, a Martha, or a Handmaid. If anyone refuses to fulfill these roles, they are marked as an Unwoman and sent to "the colonies" where they are exposed to a large amount of radiation. As a Handmaid, Offred lives with a Commander and his wife, but there's a catch. The Commander and his wife are unable to have children, and that is the purpose of the Handmaid. Once a month, she is to participate in a ritual with the Commander that will hopefully get her pregnant. If she does become pregnant, and the baby is born without complication, she has done her job, and is sent to another Commander's house for the same purpose. 

We quickly learn that Offred's name wasn't always Offred. Her name changes with each Commander she is sent to. For example: Ofwarren, Ofglen, Ofpeter, etc. Even though we never do learn her real name, we, as readers, can feel her pain. She experienced a life before the world became cruel to women. Before women weren't allowed the luxury of reading, using lotion, marrying the man they choose, and leaving the house without a companion. The only thing keeping her going is a phrase carved into the floor of her closet by the previous tenant: "nolite te bastardes carborundorum." A simple translation, "Do not let the bastards grind you down." 

All-in-all, I really enjoyed this novel. It was enthralling from the very beginning. I felt everything Offred was feeling. She had gone through so much, she had a husband, a child, a life, before all of this happened. I wanted her to rebel so badly! When she found that carving, it felt like a sign. She was about to give up, then she found her will to live again. I rooted for her throughout the entirety of the novel. I really could not have enjoyed Atwood's interpretation of a dystopian society more. However...

I'm sure you'll hear me say this many times throughout this blog. It is so, so very hard to END a novel or book of any sort. Unfortunately, Atwood's epilogue was not successful in my opinion. It was lengthy, wordy, and did not follow the format of the rest of the story. It was very generic and felt like it came straight from a History textbook published in 1925. I believe Atwood tried to use technical wording in the epilogue to separate it from the rest of the story. I just feel like she did it unsuccessfully. I think if she had left the epilogue out and ended with her last chapter, I would have given the book 5 stars--no contest. 

Still, I feel that The Handmaid's Tale is something everyone should read. It explores gender biases and forces the reader to think in way that they never have before. It is rare for a book to accomplish what this one does. The characters beg to empathized with, the plotline flows flawlessly (if you discount the epilogue), and the reader ends the book feeling as if they experienced everything right along with Offred.

I give this novel 4/5 stars.


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