The Handmaid's Tale
the book that inspired the hit TV series
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Vintage Publishing
Published:25th May '17
Should be back in stock very soon
In a totalitarian regime, Offred's sole purpose is to breed, facing dire consequences for any deviation. The Handmaid's Tale explores her struggle for autonomy.
In The Handmaid's Tale, readers are transported to the Republic of Gilead, a dystopian society where women are stripped of their rights and reduced to their reproductive capabilities. The protagonist, Offred, is a Handmaid assigned to bear children for the ruling class. Her life is a constant struggle against a regime that views her as property rather than a person. If she fails to comply with her role, she faces severe consequences, including execution or a slow death from radiation sickness. This grim reality serves as a backdrop for a narrative that explores themes of power, control, and the resilience of the human spirit.
As Offred navigates her new existence, she reflects on her past life, filled with love and freedom, which starkly contrasts with her current situation. Her memories of a world where she had agency fuel her desire to resist the oppressive regime. The relationships she forms with the Commander and his wife, Serena Joy, further complicate her reality and illuminate the complexities of human desire and survival in a repressive society. The tension between her longing for freedom and the harsh restrictions placed upon her creates a compelling narrative that resonates with readers.
Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is not just a story of oppression; it is a powerful commentary on the nature of society and the importance of autonomy. With its chilling portrayal of a future that feels all too plausible, the novel remains a vital piece of literature, urging readers to reflect on the implications of power and the enduring strength of hope.
A fantastic, chilling story. And so powerfully feminist -- Bernadine Evaristo
Compulsively readable * Daily Telegraph *
The mother of all feminist dystopian novels * Red *
The novel satirises the strain of evangelical puritanism in American culture and the objectification and control of women's bodies. It is more broadly a contemporary myth of despotic power, and how such power deforms those who are subjected to it * Observer *
The Handmaid's Tale is both a superlative exercise in science fiction and a profoundly felt moral story -- Angela Carter
Out of a narrative shadowed by terror, gleam sharp perceptions, brilliant intense images and sardonic wit -- Peter Kemp * Independent *
Margaret Atwood is a wry and perceptive observer of society as well as an original storyteller * Psychologist *
The images of brilliant emptiness are one of the most striking aspects of this novel about totalitarian blindness...the effect is chilling -- Linda Taylor * Sunday Times *
Brilliantly conceived and executed, this powerful evocation of twenty-first century America gives full rein to Margaret Atwood’s devastating irony, wit and astute perception * Essence *
It's hard to believe it is 25 years since it was first published, but its freshness, its anger and its disciplined, taut prose have grown more admirable in the intervening years... Atwood's novel was an ingenious enterprise that showed, with out hysteria, the real dangers to women of closing their eyes to patriarchal -- Lesley McDowell * Independent on Sunday *
ISBN: 9781784873189
Dimensions: 198mm x 130mm x 21mm
Weight: 237g
336 pages
Media tie-in