The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood deserves its place in the pantheon of all-time great dystopian novels. The system of oppression is unique and deserves it's own kind of cautionary tale, but even more important is the way the characters behave within the system.
Published in 1985
Brent: 4 stars. An unbelievable view into a deeply disturbing dystopian world of theocratic control and misogyny. The only thing holding me back from a 5 is I kept waiting for more to happen within the plot arc of our characters.
Cody: 5 stars. The Handmaid’s Tale is a quintessential dystopian story that will always remain relevant because of Atwood’s deep understanding of human nature and her ultra realistic world.
Here's the setup:
The story is told via the diary of a Handmaid - a young woman living in Gilead, an extremely repressive, patriarchal society that has taken over the United States. We explore the dark world through her eyes, and follow her struggle to express herself, escape, or just take control back over any part of her life.
The narrative is also intercut with flashbacks, which bring home the true horror of what has been done to the Handmaid. Those flashbacks also illuminate on how Gilead came to power, and serve as some of the strongest cautionary moments in the novel.
Will the Handmaid be caught for her minor transgressions of the social order? And will she ever see the people she loves again?
Hugonauts' Thoughts:
The characters all feel real - even the minor ones. You get a sense for them and create initial judgments quickly, just like you do people in the real world. But sometimes those quick judgments aren't correct - again, just like in the real world.
Those characters ground the story and help it show us many different perspectives on life in this repressive society. Some people seem to be true believers, but in fact are actually trying to just make their lives as cushy as possible in the situation. Others focus on extremely small things to try and still have hope about the future. Others are ready to tell the secret police about any transgression - sometimes because they believe in the ideology, but sometimes because they just want to feel like they have power over someone else. The state has permeated every aspect of the relationships between people, and made it almost impossible to trust other people.
It's also extremely interesting that a book about a repressive theocracy also manages to have a really nuanced view on religion. The horribly dehumanizing government is built on religious teachings and uses them to justify its actions, but at the same time most of the people who are willing to subvert the system and help others are religious people whose beliefs give them the fortitude to risk their own lives and trust others.
The one thing holding the book back is the abrupt ending. In many ways this is a story of a regular person trying to survive in this repressive society, but right at the end something very exciting is about to happen in her life - but the book ends just before it happens. It almost feels like the book skipped its own climax, which I personally felt kind of frustrating.
If you haven't read it yet - do yourself a favor and try it out! This is one of those books that is famous for a very good reason. Whether you like literary fiction, sci-fi, or just thinking about how to keep society from going off the rails, there is a lot here to love.
Related Books
If you loved this one, you might also like:
1984 - George Orwell
1984 is the most read dystopian (and sci-fi) novel of all time - and for good reason. It is a timeless, gripping, cautionary tale about the power of totalitarian regimes.
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
A different kind of dystopian society - one where the masses are controlled by fulfilling all their hedonistic desires so they don’t question the power structure. An extremely interesting take on the genre.
Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro
An emotionally devastating story about accepting one's lot in life set in a plausible near-future. As is typical, Ishiguro focuses on the story of the servant class and an overarching mystery to make a larger point about the cruelty of progress and society.
The Testaments - Margaret Atwood
The sequel to Handmaid’s Tale. Just as compelling as the first book, while also providing a satisfying addition to Atwood’s world, and conclusion to the Gilead saga.
Watch or listen to the full The Handmaid's Tale discussion:
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