Book Review: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood


This book had been on my TBR list for quite a few years, so when I found out they were making a TV series adaptation I was actually kind of annoyed. I always want to read the book before I watch an adaptation, so I knew I was either going to have to bump this one up the list or watch the show without having read the book (inconceivable!), or spend an undetermined amount of time avoiding spoilers until I eventually got around to reading it. Despite it being the riskiest option I took the third path and tried to avoid spoilers. I’m pleased to say I mostly did.

It’s harder to write a review of a book you really enjoyed, because all you want to say is “it was great, if you haven’t read it, you should”. I don’t like to discuss details of the plot for fear of spoilers, regardless of how long ago a book was published.

Atwood has managed to build a dystopian world without bogging the story down with the politics. We’re told enough to know what the situation is and why, but there are no big info dumps with political and historical details. It kept the story moving quickly letting us know that there’s a whole lot going on in the wider world, we just don’t need to know the nitty gritty of it for this particular story. The only thing that really raised any questions for me what how quickly the new world order came about. It seemed a very short period of time from when Offred was happily employed, living with Luke and their child, to being on at least her second family as a handmaid. Would the new way be accepted and ingrained in society that quickly?

My only other real complaint was that occasionally the switch from the present to reverie and back again wasn’t always clear. Offred could be reminiscing about something and then we’re back in the present with no switch. I can see how this blurs the line between what’s real and what’s past for Offred though and was probably fully intended, I just found it jarring on a couple of occasions.

Now that I’ve read the book I can go watch the show. I hear they’re making another season. I hope the TV show will take the time to delve deeper into the political backstory of this universe. While I enjoyed not being bogged down in it while reading, I’m now invested enough in it to want to know more.

5 out of 5 stars.

The Handmaid’s Tale meets criteria 17 for the 2018 Read Harder Challenge.

Have you read The Handmaid’s Tale? Did you enjoy it? Let me know in the comments below!

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