The Handmaid's Tale

I'm very happy to say that I really enjoyed The Handmaid's Tale! I admit, it took me a little bit to get used to the writing style since it's very different from what I am used to reading. However, I soon found that a stream of consciousness was the most effective way for Atwood to get her points across.

The characters were intriguing. Each played an integral part in the course of the novel, and it was fascinating to see how each contributed to the conclusion. One important thing to mentioned is the apparent lack of character development. Personally, I felt that the only character who experienced any remote development was Offred. In my opinion, this novel was much more plot-driven so this didn't bother me, but it is certainly something to note, especially if you are more of a character-driven reader.

The relationships between the characters were also satisfyingly complex, and yet they were not so overdone that the reader was unable to imagine some details as well. Personally, I found the relationship between Offred and Nick to be the most interesting, especially when looking at the way in which it evolved throughout the novel.

I love the premise of this novel. I feel like it is very original. While I don't believe it would ever happen in our own society- and I sure hope not as well!- I enjoyed reading about this theocracy. Atwood seems to have labored over creating this society. It seems so detailed and multifaceted. I also commend her for the few, if any, plot holes that are present within this novel.

Despite the fact that the ending made me mad due to its loose ends, I understand why Atwood wrote it the way she did. As a reader, I often prefer to have my endings cemented and in stone, but I do believe that this was an effective means to end this book. Open endings are only bad if they are done incorrectly, and I must say- this was done very well.

Really, the only thing holding me back from giving this five stars is the beginning. It was extremely slow and took me so long to get into. It was also a bit confusing and jarring since you are directly thrown into this world with no explanation. Of course, you later receive this explanation, however I think a short prologue at the beginning with a brief explanation of what had happened would have been beneficial. After all, I began reading this novel with little to no prior information on it.

Would I recommend The Handmaid's Tale? Of course. I would also love to get my hands on the Hulu television series and see how it holds up against the novel.