Sunday, December 11, 2011

The Handmaid's Tale Written by: Margaret Atwood

Never before,...a moment please. Never before have I been so appalled and lured into a story with such passion as I was with this book. The story of Offred the main character in this book was maddening and had me fighting the story every step of the way. I actually found myself in the real world rebelling just to do so simply because in this tale Offred, whose name isn't actually her true name. This novel brings forth some of the darkest possible futures for our present and future society. The writing was so real, I felt like the author became her story rather then told it. I am not familiar with other works by Margaret Atwood, but it was just so real, and perfectly written. I kept wanting to tell myself none of this would ever be possible, but being a female myself and having seen how history has subjected women to such ways of life before, there was a nugget of doubt that grew as I read this book. It happened in the past to so many women, why could it not happen to the future of a once enlightened society? The fact she takes issues of today, the author I mean, and takes them to logical and disconcerting conclusions that I pray never become possible. I have not done this yet, but I am going to read what the book jacket says about this story only because I picked this book up almost a year ago and was so disgusted I wouldn't read it, but I picked it up finally and once I did I kept reading and could not stop even when I wanted to rip the pages from this book and burn them simply because I needed to rebel. I was disgusted with how easily some people just gave in, but would I rather submit than take the risk? The risk of what? Sometimes death is an actual freedom as we've learned throughout history. Here is what is written on the books jacket.

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now...

You can see why I could barely bring myself to read this book, the cover is so odd in the fact it looks like it could be the cover of a fairy tale, or folk lore. How odd such a simple cover could contain so much vulgarity. I praise this book in its creativity and will probably purchase my own copy as it was a very...I don't know, but it was certainly something this book. I will also probably seek other works by Atwood. Also, I must yet again thank my husband for putting up with my mood changes due to a book, he is awesome.

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