Product Description

'Compulsively readable' Daily Telegraph

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #272 in Books
• Published on: 1998-01-03
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Synopsis
The Republic of Gilead offers Offred only one function: to breed. If she deviates, she will, like dissenters, be hanged at the wall or sent out to die slowly of radiation sickness. But even a repressive state cannot obliterate desire - neither Offred's nor that of the two men on which her future hangs...

About the Author
Margaret Atwood is Canada's most eminent novelist, poet and critic. Her books include The Edible Woman, Surfacing, Lady Oracle, Alias Grace, Cat's Eye, which was short-listed for the Booker Prize and The Handmaid's Tale, which won both the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Science Fiction and the Governor-General's Award, was short-listed for the Booker Prize and made into a major film. She lives in Toronto with the writer Graeme Gibson and their daughter.

Customer Reviews

Almost fabulous
God that was depressing! The author does a good job of bringing her character to life and describing the bizarre circumstances, it's just a shame that the end is so rushed and that it's not really finished.

What is all the fuss about?
I really don't understand why so many people gave this book five stars- in my opinion a five star book is 100% perfect, good story and good writing- this is not one of those books. I had to read this for A level literature and despite being an avid reader I really did feel this was a struggle.
I can admit that the story, the concept, is a good idea. The themes are interesting, so how did it turn out to be such a boring read? Probably because of the writing, its awful and boring, it drags and I just could be bothered to read it, so much so that I skipped and skim read large parts despite having an exam on it.
In conclusion, good idea, rubbish to read.

I don't get it...........
The Handmaid's Tale.

I don't get it. I'm sure it must be one of the greats because everyone seems to rave about it......but it just does nothing for me. I feel for Offred because of the situation she finds herself in and it's harsh, but it wasn't enough to make me want to keep turning pages to see if she'd be ok.

Hmmmmmm. I feel like I'm missing out on some secret or something. I wanted to love it :(