The Handmaid’s Tale Review

“A rat in a maze is free to go anywhere, as long as it stays inside the maze.”

The Handmaid's Tale is like no other. One of the biggest and most controversial books in the world, tackling difficult topics head on and has stayed in the media mainstream for decades. Atwood has written a novel that has broken boundaries and has led to it being one of the most censored books in the world.

Atwood’s work aims to show how a government led by a fundamentalist regime would pan out. She is a master in creating this world and giving it a realistic and understandable structure. It’s chilling, it’s believable, and the narration makes it even more so.

It’s hard to offer any new insight to a book that has been so meticulously read and studied over the years since it was published. It features description and imagery that pairs perfectly with the emotion-ridden narrative to create a harrowing view of this oppressive new world.

Despite its relatively slow pace, Atwood’s frequent use of flashbacks that only begin to truly make sense as you piece all the little nuggets of information together make for a fascinating – and horrifying – story of what the world could be like if we allowed patriarchal values to dominate society after the progress of feminism in the last century or so.

There are so many interesting qualities that this book has to offer, but to look at it from a purely book-lover’s point of view, it encapsulates this sense of wistful resentment that isn’t really alleviated until the very end of the story, and even then you have to read the historical notes to be sure that your frustration is released.

It is a famous book for a reason. If you’re after a political, gripping novel that captures your imagination through intricate detail more than thrilling action, then this is definitely one you should pick up.

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