Audie Award, Fiction, 2013
Margaret Atwood’s popular dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale explores a broad range of issues relating to power, gender, and religious politics. Multiple Emmy and Golden Globe award-winner Claire Danes (Temple Grandin, Homeland) gives a stirring performance of this classic in speculative fiction, one of the most powerful and widely read novels of our time.
After a staged terrorist attack kills the President and most of Congress, the government is deposed and taken over by the oppressive and all controlling Republic of Gilead. Offred, now a Handmaid serving in the household of the enigmatic Commander and his bitter wife, can remember a time when she lived with her husband and daughter and had a job, before she lost even her own name. Despite the danger, Offred learns to navigate the intimate secrets of those who control her every move, risking her life in breaking the rules in hopes of ending this oppression.
The Handmaid’s Tale is part of Audible’s A-List Collection, featuring the world’s most celebrated actors narrating distinguished works of literature that each star had a hand in selecting.
… friends since I already read it and got to love it! Canadian Author Margaret Atwood depicted dystopian society … I bought this book as a present for one of my friends since I already read it and got to love it! Canadian Author Margaret Atwood depicted dystopian society in this novel, formed because of lack of fertility, where antifeminism has reached its peak. Though the book is pretty dark, it makes the reader think a lot and is very fast to read. Once started, one hardly can stop. It is a remarkable piece.Â
Interesting Tried to read this a couple of decades ago and could not get past the third chapter. Tried watching the movie with the same result, however, the mini series was intriguing and I decided to read this again.Nothing like I remember it at all. Very interesting, a good read and I’m trying to remember what bothered me about this the first time.Maybe it was my own struggle with being female in North America.
What kind of world we could be if we stop valuing the diversity of all people I first read The Handmaid’s Tale around the time it was published in 1986. I was just 22, a sheltered young thing. I recall wondering what everyone was raving about, since only the top story layer of the book connected for me. Now, with decades of life experience behind me, I see that this is a deeply moving, complex book. I’m so glad I decide to read again just at this moment in time.Â