The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Handmaid's Tale
by Margaret Atwood
(Audio)
So many people have recommended this book over the years as the definitive dystopian novel that I built it up in my head to an incredible height. And while I liked it very much, I kept waiting for something bigger to happen.
The situation the main character finds herself in is interesting, as is the society Atwood has created. There is such concern about the inability to procreate, the wealthiest/most powerful men have live-in mistresses. These mistresses (handmaids) are raised up by society with religious backing and strong morals... which is pretty much a formula for something to go terribly wrong and against the grain. Naturally, our main character buys into the society half-heartedly. She can still remember what society was like before the birth rates dropped and religious groups took over. She still remembers her husband and daughter, who was taken away from her and given to a "better" family. So when little cracks in society present themselves to her, she slowly takes advantage of them. It seemed like a natural progression, as details unfold and possibilities change her.
I loved the writing as well, presenting little pieces here and there and leaving it up to the reader to make the connections and fill in the evolution of the society and the character's personal story. Not every puzzle piece is given, but the puzzle comes together well enough. The ending, an academic conference keynote presentation analyzing this character's journals, fills in a few more of the gaps (but not all of them). It was a neat and realistic way of wrapping things up. Not to mention the fact that Margaret Atwood was keynote speaker at my conference a few years ago. So that made me smile.
I'm frankly having a hard time writing this review. The book was good--very good. I finally earread it because Claire Danes was the narrator, and I love her. She did a fantastic job. It didn't have anything that blew my mind, though, and I was expecting that. Maybe I've read too many dystopias that this one didn't feel fresh and ground-breaking to me. I loved a lot of aspects of this book and could definitely believe my current society would quickly evolve to this if faced with a problem like low birthrates jeopardizingthe future of the human race. The main character is likable but flawed and the way the story unravels from her perspective was so beautiful to read through. I loved the style and word choice. I loved the writing. But nothing about this book changed my life or expanded the way I see the world and its possibilities the way good speculative fiction tends to do.
I am glad to have finally read it, and I enjoyed the experience. Around disc 4 of 9, I was thinking the story was so-so and there would be no way to carry on for the second half of the book. But, like so many books, I was drawn in and sad when it was over. I wanted more. But I enjoyed it as a story and not much more than that. I had hoped it would be more. I feel like maybe it would have been more powerful if I'd read it 15 years ago.