The Handmaid's Tale


The Handmaid's Tale

Author: Margaret Atwood
Publication Date: March 16, 1998
Source: Gifted via Books n Bloggers Swap
Summary from Goodreads: 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...





 
Rating: Did Not Finish

Review
This book had been on my to read list for a really long time - it sounded like something that was right up my alley, but I just can't continue reading it. The first thing I noticed was a unique writing style, it feels like the main character, Offred, is talking directly to the reader. Normally, I would love this, but the author does not use quotation marks, which made conversations extremely confusing. I also found Offred to be a bit boring.  The other major issue I had with the writing style is the frequent switch between past and present. Usually this non-linear style does not bother me, but the transitions were unclear and confusing. I also struggled with the purpose of these switches, I'm sure the author felt that there was something happening in the present to jog Offred's memory, but that connection was not always clear. Finally, I felt that about halfway through the book NOTHING happened, like there was no plot. And then there was a scene that felt like it was included solely for the shock factor, and the way it was told felt so unlike the character that it just didn't work. I preserved, hoping to learn more about the world Offred lives in, hoping to learn more about her and how she got where she was, but I just can't suffer through it anymore.

6 comments:

  1. Oh this has been on my TBR since I started Goodreads! I'm kind of sad to see that you didn't like it. Though the narration style does sound weird. Oh, I think I'll read a few pages on the Goodreads preview and see what I think about the writing.

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    1. let me know what you think for sure:)

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  2. I just finished reading this a couple weeks ago and am still putting together my review. I totally agree with you on the past and present switches as well as the quotation marks. It made everything really confusing and I thought that sort of style was wholly unnecessary. In the back of the book, it's cool how the author makes it seem like it's the future and they just found these audio recordings that they translated into the journal but if they adapted them into the journal and it wasn't 'written' like that, I feel like the more educated people would have added the formatting. But that's just me. I enjoyed the concept although I have to agree that the formatting was confusing. I hope you like your next read better!

    Laura @BlueEyeBooks

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    1. I had no idea about the recordings being transcribed, but you're so right then these educated people who transcribed them should know grammar!

      I also felt like it was strange that it was supposed to take place in the future, but I didn't feel like it was in the future.

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  3. So glad to find out I'm not the only one who didn't finish this! Although I was listening to the audiobook and thought maybe it was just slow being read. But your review here makes me think I was probably right to stop. Great review!

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    1. Thanks, it makes me feel better to know I'm not the only one who felt this way about the book

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