After I finish reading a book, I always go online and start trying to find what other readers (or critics) have written about it. That's sort of my go-to way of "discussing" my feelings with the rest of the reading world--the Internet as a book club.
Anyway, I finished The Handmaid's Tale on Wednesday night and yeah, it blew my mind. This is just an incredible book. Terrifying, gripping, wildly funny in places--but given the context, the kind of humor that makes you laugh out loud and then clamp your hand over your mouth because really, nothing in the book should be a laughing matter. Probably the best dystopian literature I've ever read. It also taught me the difference between Sci-Fi and speculative, at least as Margaret Atwood sees it: sci-fi involving technology and things that cannot exist in present day or the past; speculative being more of a "social science fiction" in which technology is existant or realistic but social structures are of the future. Atwood has said: "I made a rule for myself: I would not include anything that human beings had not already done in some other place or time, or for which the technology did not already exist. I did not wish to be accused of dark, twisted inventions, or of misrepresenting the human potential for deplorable behaviour." (Guardian article linked below) It's chilling that she found a precedent for all the details.
Once I finished, I dove into Googling and Goodreads-ing to find commentary. Then, in todays' YA Highway Field Trip Friday (which is the best part of a Friday morning, IMHO--well, aside from coffee and the promise of Friday night), there is a link to a piece in the Guardian by Margaret Atwood about the writing and reception of The Handmaid's Tale: Haunted by the Handmaid's Tale. Perfect timing! It's wonderful to get a chance to see what Atwood's experience as author of the book has been, and her thoughts on its creation and reception.
Have you read this one? What did you think?
11 comments:
I love this book!!! My favorite of Margaret Atwood's books by far, and one of the books by which I sometimes can't help measuring other dystopian novels.
I love this book also...probably on my top ten list of all-time favorites.
Thanks for linking the article...I do get her reasoning for the no-tech rule, and I'm not sure her book would be as timeless w/o that rule...but I love sci-fi and speculative because of the social messages, tech or no.
I still haven't read this Atwood book. Growing up in Canada, and going to an all-girls high school Margaret Atwood and Margaret Laurence were kind of the big two Canadian authors we had to read. We ended up reading THE EDIBLE WOMAN by Atwood, which I didn't enjoy at all. I kind of blame it for not seeking out any of Atwood's other works. But THE HANDMAID'S TALE has intrigued me for quite some time, largely because of the subject matter, and because it's dystopian (I love a good dystopian story). Will have to make sure I check it out now :-)
Yay, I'm so glad you loved it! Isn't the writing gorgeous? This and Never Let Me Go brilliantly straddle the literary/genre fence. Both have sci-fi leanings, but the focus of both is on the main character and her emotional journey. So, like you, this book helped me to see why certain books get classed the way they do. Off to read the Guardian article now!
I loved The Blind Assassin, but I've always been a little afraid to read The Handmaid's Tale! I know, it's time. And I agree, Field Trip Friday is great!
The writing is gorgeous! I just fell into the prose; it was really beautiful. I thought the voice was perfect for the story, too.
This is such a good book-- so glad you liked it. And I totally agree with Sophia's comment about Never Let Me Go-- such good books. Beautifully written, and I love that they're genre-based.
I need to read Never Let Me Go--also because I want to see the movie but figure this is one where I should read first.
I haven't but now I want to. Thanks for sharing about it. :)
You mentioned this on my blog the other day, and I have read it! I really enjoyed it, but it was definitely a scary thing to read. I'm eager to read that Guardian article now!
I loved this book and it completely scared the crap out of me. There is one scene that stays with me so vividly and, as a woman, is more scary than any monster or horror book could ever be. I think every woman should read this book.
Post a Comment