Paul DeSantis
The Handmaid's Tale is an increasingly relevant novel that discusses the experience of women in a post-USA Christian fascist country called Gilead. Much of the way society is run in Gilead could be implemented in a short time if people are not careful-- relegating women & people of color to the absolute bottom of society, rejecting technology & literature, frivolous use of capital punishment-- the list goes on. In some ways you wonder how Gilead could have become that way, but in reality America inches closer all the time.
I praise Margaret Atwood's world building with Gilead and I think she does a lot with a very reasonable length book. I believe some of the characters are a bit underdeveloped, and I think it's an improvement made in the Hulu series based on the novel and in the sequel, the Testaments. So much time is taken to discuss the different classes in society, the government, and the history of the world that there wasn't enough room to explore how the characters relate to each other. For example, Moira's actions before and after becoming a Handmaid are touched upon in the novel, but her character's personality and motivations are really fleshed out in the series. It more than evident that Moira and Offred are best friends, where the book isn't able to explore their relationship as much.
I would definitely recommend this book and it's sequel. I hope it can open some people's eyes to how women deserve to be respected and to feel safe in our world.
The Handmaid's Tale is an increasingly relevant novel that discusses the experience of women in a post-USA Christian fascist country called Gilead. Much of the way society is run in Gilead could be implemented in a short time if people are not careful-- relegating women & people of color to the absolute bottom of society, rejecting technology & literature, frivolous use of capital punishment-- the list goes on. In some ways you wonder how Gilead could have become that way, but in reality America inches closer all the time.
I praise Margaret Atwood's world building with Gilead and I think she does a lot with a very reasonable length book. I believe some of the characters are a bit underdeveloped, and I think it's an improvement made in the Hulu series based on the novel and in the sequel, the Testaments. So much time is taken to discuss the different classes in society, the government, and the history of the world that there wasn't enough room to explore how the characters relate to each other. For example, Moira's actions before and after becoming a Handmaid are touched upon in the novel, but her character's personality and motivations are really fleshed out in the series. It more than evident that Moira and Offred are best friends, where the book isn't able to explore their relationship as much.
I would definitely recommend this book and it's sequel. I hope it can open some people's eyes to how women deserve to be respected and to feel safe in our world.