Review: 'The Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Atwood

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

'The Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Atwood, 295 pages - Instagram @c_reads_books

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The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is a dystopian novel narrated by Offred, a handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. In Atwood’s dystopian world, the sole purpose of a woman is to give birth. As a handmaid, Offred is required to lie on her back once a month, hoping that the Commander makes her pregnant. Offred and the others are told that life is better this way, but Offred remembers her life before. She remembers having a job and a family, and prays for her husband and daughter, with only her memories of them keeping her going in a life without freedom. Constantly struggling with living a life dictated by everyone but herself, Offred must find hope, or else she will end up in a fate worse than death.

I really liked this book. As far as dystopian novels go, I would have to say my favorite is still 1984 by George Orwell, yet I did like this book in that it was different from other dystopian novels I’ve read. Although the story was undeniably dark and depressing, it was very interesting to read. I frankly cannot imagine a future like the one Atwood describes, which is part of why the story is so intriguing. My main complaint with this book is the ending. The ending wasn’t necessarily terrible, it just felt like such a big cliff hanger, which I’m not a fan of. I know the sequel was released in 2019, yet I’m still undecided as to whether or not I want to read it. I am interested to know where the story goes, but I’m not sure how much I really care to read the entire sequel. Overall though, I did enjoy this book, and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good dystopian novel, like myself!