Rating: 8/10
I'm conflicted over this one. I almost feel like I can respect it for what it was, but I'm unsure how I really feel. I think if it weren't written as well as it was, I wouldn't care for it. Margaret Atwood has a way with words that makes her prose feel very poetic. Before we get into all of this, let's get into the synopsis first, for those who may not be familiar with the book (or the show). The book is set in a post-Constitutional/semi-apocalyptic United States wherein the government and culture has changed rapidly by force. It's kind of like 1984 meets misogyny. In this version of the United States, known as Gilead, people are constantly watched and kept under the thumb of the government. This is especially true of the women. The women are divided into many groups, but the main four are the Wives, the Marthas, the Aunts, and the Handmaids. Each serves their own purpose, but none as important as the Handmaids. The Handmaids are essentially mandatory surrogates for the ruling classes of Gilead. In Gilead, babies are a commodity provided mainly from the Handmaids. Handmaids have strict rules and regulations that they must follow, less they end up sent away to the colonies or worse, dead.
The protagonist of the Handmaid's Tale is known only to the reader as "Offred" meaning "Of Fred" which is her commander. We get an insight into the world in which she lives as well as the world she knew before the takeover of this new government. She's not overly brave, she is afraid of the threat posed to her and she tries to follow the rules (despite a semi-rebellious internal monologue). As the story goes on, she takes more and more liberties. Some of these liberties can have deadly consequences if she's caught by the wrong person. But by the end, she reverts back to her persona from the beginning.
"I don't want pain. I don't want to be a dancer, my feet in the air, my head a faceless oblong of white cloth. I don't want to be a doll hung up on the Wall, I don't want to be a wingless angel. I want to keep on living, in any form. I resign my body freely, to the use of others. They can do what they like with me. I am abject. I feel, for the first time, their true power."
Offred witnesses something deadly, the event a public display of the government's power over the women that are essentially in captivity. The whole story is chock full of examples of the government's power. There is a very solid threat from the government throughout. This is displayed through the different methods by which the government watches the inhabitants of Gilead. This may be through cameras, wiretapping, Eyes (which are essentially spies), checkpoints, Guardians, and even just the indoctrination of the people.
Okay so what am I so conflicted over? Well, first of all, I'm unsure how I feel about the writing style. Atwood has a very poetic style of writing. Which, makes sense given that she's also a poet. It just kind of clashed with the story for me. This story is meant to be a transcription of a recording done by Offred. I highly doubt that anybody would record themselves speaking in such a poetic manner, especially given the danger. It also confused her message at times, because instead of just saying what something is, she talks around it. This goes to say that I do think it's beautifully written, but it can really be a little much at times.
This book is definitely not plot-driven, it's character-driven in a big way. I say this, because there really isn't much of a plot. It's mostly just the daily actions of a woman in captivity complete with a guide of the world she lives in and the constraints of her group. This goes to say, that the book is pretty slow. There isn't much action in the first 200 pages, the majority of that is just spent familiarizing the reader with the world. On the bright side, it is interesting to learn of the world. This society is meant to have taken over in place of our own. So it's crazy to learn of the extreme things that have happened.
Finally, how do I feel about the ending. The end was definitely climactic, but very ambiguous. You have absolutely no idea what becomes of the narrator. The only hints you get are from the little "Historical Notes" section after the last chapter; even then, you're still left with this uncertainty thats very unsettling. To be honest, you don't know a lot throughout the whole story. You only know what Offred knows, and she isn't necessarily one to pry. You realize just how much you don't know when you read the "Historical Notes."
Anyway, I'm conflicted. I didn't dislike it, but I also didn't love it. It's beautifully written, though it's to a fault at times. The end kind of disappointed me, but I also strangely didn't hate it. It was kind of fitting I guess. If you like distopian novels with relatively complex writing, then I think you'd enjoy this book a lot. The main character was largely likable, she was certainly the furthest thing from an overpowered protagonist. She was relatable, I imagine many of us would behave similarly if we were in her shoes. It makes her feel very down-to-Earth. Offred has the temperament and behavior of anybody. She maintains this relatability even in her extreme circumstances. I can respect her overt lack of stupid bravery. I think that this book is worth a read. I think the message it gets across and the story that is told really rings true. This is especially true given the sad truth that womens' bodies are controlled by the government in actuality. Of course, it's nowhere near the extent outlined in the book, but it's very much real nonetheless. I'm giving it an eight out of ten because regardless of my personal preferences, I think it was written very well and it tells a very important story.