What do you think?
Rate this book
NEW-Handmaids Tale, The
Brand New Deliver In 6-18 Working Days
- GenresDystopia
325 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2000
48 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 15, 2023
Absolutely gorgeous in so many ways.
To be honest going into this book i was sure i wouldn't enjoy it so much, as this type of dystopian contemporary lit usually isn't what i gravitate toward. HOWEVER I might have judged too soon because the further into the book the more obsessed i became with it.
I applaud Atwood for finding her own voice and writing style. I've never read anything alike. I will say you need a couple pages to get accustomed to the writing bit once you've given yourself to the writing it sucks you in completely.
The story line isn't overly complicated and rather seems to follow the ambition of an honest and sober recounting. The writing supports this sternness which seems to be half character and half state of shock.
The narrator grapples with the reality she's been forced into and grieves her own self. She isn't overly brave or morally perfect, but instead : human. Although we never find out her name she winds herself around our hearts so tightly.
I really enjoyed this book
To be honest going into this book i was sure i wouldn't enjoy it so much, as this type of dystopian contemporary lit usually isn't what i gravitate toward. HOWEVER I might have judged too soon because the further into the book the more obsessed i became with it.
I applaud Atwood for finding her own voice and writing style. I've never read anything alike. I will say you need a couple pages to get accustomed to the writing bit once you've given yourself to the writing it sucks you in completely.
The story line isn't overly complicated and rather seems to follow the ambition of an honest and sober recounting. The writing supports this sternness which seems to be half character and half state of shock.
The narrator grapples with the reality she's been forced into and grieves her own self. She isn't overly brave or morally perfect, but instead : human. Although we never find out her name she winds herself around our hearts so tightly.
I really enjoyed this book
February 3, 2025
Not my cup of tea. Turns out I like books with plots. The whole story just felt too boring, a historical account of a fictional world - I get that that's the point but it just isn't my thing. More or less nothing happens throughout, the most interesting parts were the glimpses into the past and her perspective as the world was undergoing drastic change. Something almost happens at the end, but then boom - cliffhanger. I think if the book had more of the establishment of the regime I would've found it more gripping - I would be more invested in the main character if I really understood the shock of going from "freedom" to oppression overnight.
Also, one aspect of the story that was completely absolutely unrealistic: ain't no way she's dishing out those words on her first day of Scrabble after not reading and writing for years.
A note on the writing style: please just use goddamn quotation marks. I don't care if you're trying to do some fancy "unreliable narrator" literary device or whatever, the emotion you're evoking in this reader is annoyance more than anything else. Having just got through Dante and dealing with the same issue, I just want it to be explicitly clear when people are talking and when people are no longer talking. Thank you.
I also wasn't a fan of the flip flopping between present, slight past, far past, further past, etc. with no clear delineation. I mean, people do think like that, but I don't need the reminder that brains are chaotic - since I am the owner of a perfectly dysfunctional brain myself.
Anyways, love it or hate it - worth trying out the classics and seeing if they live up to the hype.
Also, one aspect of the story that was completely absolutely unrealistic: ain't no way she's dishing out those words on her first day of Scrabble after not reading and writing for years.
A note on the writing style: please just use goddamn quotation marks. I don't care if you're trying to do some fancy "unreliable narrator" literary device or whatever, the emotion you're evoking in this reader is annoyance more than anything else. Having just got through Dante and dealing with the same issue, I just want it to be explicitly clear when people are talking and when people are no longer talking. Thank you.
I also wasn't a fan of the flip flopping between present, slight past, far past, further past, etc. with no clear delineation. I mean, people do think like that, but I don't need the reminder that brains are chaotic - since I am the owner of a perfectly dysfunctional brain myself.
Anyways, love it or hate it - worth trying out the classics and seeing if they live up to the hype.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2025
Non potevo non fare un'analisi più approfondita, e già mi sono controllata. Ci sono talmente tanti temi di cui parlare che se ne potrebbe fare un paper accademico. Per chi non volesse eventuali spoiler, sappiate semplicemente che è un libro che va ASSOLUTAMENTE letto, per i temi trattati, come vengono trattati e lo stile di scrittura.
Ora, una mia prima, superficiale e inesperta analisi.
Un libro che si presenta come distopico, ma che a ben guardare, non si allontana molto dalla realtà di oggi. Il fatto che tutto accada negli Stati Uniti, il paese della libertà per eccellenza secondo la sua stessa narrazione propagandistica, è già di per sé un paradosso geniale, soprattutto considerando certe derive politiche e sociali che abbiamo visto negli ultimi anni, ultimo fra tutti Trump.
È poi uno specchio di quanto accade in alcuni paesi odierni (si pensi, per esempio, all'Afghanistan o l'Iran) in cui le donne non possono pressoché uscire di casa, non possono mostrare il loro viso o il loro corpo, non possono andare a scuola, non possono leggere, non possono avere indipendenza economica. Tutto questo è ciò che viene raccontato proprio nelle prime pagine di questo libro. L'unico momento in cui le ancelle possono uscire, è per andare a fare la spesa, e devono farlo rigorosamente in coppia, con la testa abbassata, di modo che il copricapo nasconda il loro viso agli altri.
Un lavaggio del cervello religioso che non si allontana più di tanto da alcune retoriche che sentiamo oggi, da governi occidentali. Una parvenza di protezione verso la donna non attraverso un'educazione culturale rivolta soprattutto al genere maschile della popolazione (suona familiare, cara Italia?), ma nascondendo le donne, soggiogandole. Tutto per la loro "protezione".
Un lavaggio del cervello che colpisce anche persone istruite, come la nostra protagonista, Offred - di cui non viene rivelato il nome vero - che proprio nelle prime pagine, riferendosi a un gruppo di turiste giapponesi con minigonne, sandali con tacco e rossetto rosso, pensa "They seem undressed. It has taken so little time to change our minds, about things like this.
Then I think: I used to dress like that. That was freedom.
Westernized, they used to call it." (p. 34)
O quando una collega ancella, Janine, viene picchiata dopo aver raccontato di essere stata stuprata prima dell'ascesa di questo regime. Viene picchiata perché è stata colpa sua, è colpa sua se ha svegliato il desiderio negli uomini che poi l'hanno violentata. Una retorica che sentiamo tutt'oggi in certi tribunali, nei commenti di Instagram sotto notizie giornalistiche di questo genere.
Un lavaggio del cervello che porta la protagonista a non vedere la "Cerimonia" come un atto di stupro, poiché si tratta di una pratica legalizzata e regolarizzata, ai fini di un ripopolamento.
E gli uomini comuni non sono liberi da queste regole: non possono guardare le donne, non possono toccarle, non possono avere rapporti, relazioni con loro. Se non i comandanti e i ricchi, a cui, esattamente come nella vita reale, tutto è concesso.
Un libro che è assolutamente da leggere, soprattutto considerando i tempi che stiamo vivendo.
Ora, una mia prima, superficiale e inesperta analisi.
Un libro che si presenta come distopico, ma che a ben guardare, non si allontana molto dalla realtà di oggi. Il fatto che tutto accada negli Stati Uniti, il paese della libertà per eccellenza secondo la sua stessa narrazione propagandistica, è già di per sé un paradosso geniale, soprattutto considerando certe derive politiche e sociali che abbiamo visto negli ultimi anni, ultimo fra tutti Trump.
È poi uno specchio di quanto accade in alcuni paesi odierni (si pensi, per esempio, all'Afghanistan o l'Iran) in cui le donne non possono pressoché uscire di casa, non possono mostrare il loro viso o il loro corpo, non possono andare a scuola, non possono leggere, non possono avere indipendenza economica. Tutto questo è ciò che viene raccontato proprio nelle prime pagine di questo libro. L'unico momento in cui le ancelle possono uscire, è per andare a fare la spesa, e devono farlo rigorosamente in coppia, con la testa abbassata, di modo che il copricapo nasconda il loro viso agli altri.
Un lavaggio del cervello religioso che non si allontana più di tanto da alcune retoriche che sentiamo oggi, da governi occidentali. Una parvenza di protezione verso la donna non attraverso un'educazione culturale rivolta soprattutto al genere maschile della popolazione (suona familiare, cara Italia?), ma nascondendo le donne, soggiogandole. Tutto per la loro "protezione".
Un lavaggio del cervello che colpisce anche persone istruite, come la nostra protagonista, Offred - di cui non viene rivelato il nome vero - che proprio nelle prime pagine, riferendosi a un gruppo di turiste giapponesi con minigonne, sandali con tacco e rossetto rosso, pensa "They seem undressed. It has taken so little time to change our minds, about things like this.
Then I think: I used to dress like that. That was freedom.
Westernized, they used to call it." (p. 34)
O quando una collega ancella, Janine, viene picchiata dopo aver raccontato di essere stata stuprata prima dell'ascesa di questo regime. Viene picchiata perché è stata colpa sua, è colpa sua se ha svegliato il desiderio negli uomini che poi l'hanno violentata. Una retorica che sentiamo tutt'oggi in certi tribunali, nei commenti di Instagram sotto notizie giornalistiche di questo genere.
Un lavaggio del cervello che porta la protagonista a non vedere la "Cerimonia" come un atto di stupro, poiché si tratta di una pratica legalizzata e regolarizzata, ai fini di un ripopolamento.
E gli uomini comuni non sono liberi da queste regole: non possono guardare le donne, non possono toccarle, non possono avere rapporti, relazioni con loro. Se non i comandanti e i ricchi, a cui, esattamente come nella vita reale, tutto è concesso.
Un libro che è assolutamente da leggere, soprattutto considerando i tempi che stiamo vivendo.
September 4, 2024
if this book were to be a person it would be a killer.
as depicted in the narrative, the handmaid is a slave-woman with a gestational surrogacy role, whose sole value is her uterus. offred's story takes place in an authoritarian society - the usa turned into a totalitarian regime, where infertility is widespread, and men have the upper hand. to sum it up: a theocracy nightmare.
what was offred’s alternative? to work in the radioactive wastelands where she would most likely die in 3 years (max).
so, she stays on as a handmaid in the hopes of producing a child by fred to be raised by him and his wife. once she fulfills her duties, she'd be passed on to the next man and his wife.as a result, we are forced to read as she is systematically raped by fred on her fertile nights.
the book is brutal and artwood knows her way around a sentence. the writing is rich and she weaves quite a narrative around the life and times of such a woman.
as depicted in the narrative, the handmaid is a slave-woman with a gestational surrogacy role, whose sole value is her uterus. offred's story takes place in an authoritarian society - the usa turned into a totalitarian regime, where infertility is widespread, and men have the upper hand. to sum it up: a theocracy nightmare.
what was offred’s alternative? to work in the radioactive wastelands where she would most likely die in 3 years (max).
so, she stays on as a handmaid in the hopes of producing a child by fred to be raised by him and his wife. once she fulfills her duties, she'd be passed on to the next man and his wife.as a result, we are forced to read as she is systematically raped by fred on her fertile nights.
the book is brutal and artwood knows her way around a sentence. the writing is rich and she weaves quite a narrative around the life and times of such a woman.
Read
October 16, 2025Good, Margaret Atwood uses a fictional world to convey patriarchy and the treatment of women in this world.
May 31, 2025
This book is a book that will most likely stay with me for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, unlike most dystopian novels, the future portrayed in this book is very believable. With the current state of our government and the increasing popularity of anti-abortion supporters, this book should serve as a warning to what our future could look like if we don't do something to protect the rights that women have now. It also gives an important message about the importance of non-complacency and preventing our selves from just being bystanders. As we see in the book, bystanders are able to survive but at an arguably worse cost than those who stand out against the oppression that takes place. I would recommend this book to people are looking for a good feminist novel but I would exercise caution starting this novel for the first time because it covers some pretty heavy themes and it is definitely not for the faint of heart.
April 17, 2025
This book remains a chilling and powerful warning that feels disturbingly relevant in today’s world. Through the dystopian lens of Gilead, Atwood skillfully explores themes of authoritarianism, the erosion of women’s rights, and the dangers of state-controlled identity and reproduction. As global political climates shift and regressive policies resurface in various corners of the world, the novel’s stark portrayal of the consequences of silence and complicity becomes ever more urgent. It is not just a work of fiction—it is a call to vigilance, resistance, and the defense of fundamental human freedoms.
***
Il libro resta un monito potente e inquietante, sorprendentemente attuale nel contesto del mondo di oggi. Attraverso la lente distopica di Gilead, Atwood affronta con straordinaria lucidità temi come l’autoritarismo, l’erosione dei diritti delle donne e i pericoli di un’identità e una maternità controllate dallo Stato. In un’epoca in cui il clima politico globale si fa sempre più instabile e politiche repressive riaffiorano in varie parti del mondo, la rappresentazione cruda delle conseguenze del silenzio e della complicità si fa ancora più urgente. The Handmaid’s Tale non è solo un romanzo: è un appello alla vigilanza, alla resistenza e alla difesa delle libertà fondamentali.
***
Il libro resta un monito potente e inquietante, sorprendentemente attuale nel contesto del mondo di oggi. Attraverso la lente distopica di Gilead, Atwood affronta con straordinaria lucidità temi come l’autoritarismo, l’erosione dei diritti delle donne e i pericoli di un’identità e una maternità controllate dallo Stato. In un’epoca in cui il clima politico globale si fa sempre più instabile e politiche repressive riaffiorano in varie parti del mondo, la rappresentazione cruda delle conseguenze del silenzio e della complicità si fa ancora più urgente. The Handmaid’s Tale non è solo un romanzo: è un appello alla vigilanza, alla resistenza e alla difesa delle libertà fondamentali.
November 19, 2024
So much has been said about The Handmaid's Tale. I didn't know what to expect. I've had Margaret Atwood's books in my collection for decades. This is the first time I've read one. Not because I didn't want to; other books simply got in the way, distracted me. I have to admit - I was afraid that i might find her writing boring - she is Canadian after all! Wrong. The Handmaid's Tale doesn't feel or read like fiction. It felt as if Atwood was taking me to a horrible place that has been festering in our conscience for a long time. Twenty years ago the Republic of Gilead may have seemed like a far-fetched stretch of a writer's fertile imagination but not today. Nothing coming out of the USA at the moment would surprise me, including a coup d’état by some crazy fundamentalist Christian group. I haven't experienced this sort of reaction while reading a book since reading Michel Houellebecq's Soumission. Time to wipe the dust off of my other Atwood novels.
December 9, 2024
Even though this was not my cup of tea 🫖 I can understand and see why people appreciate if. Me, myself, kinda just wanted it to be over.
I have not yet seen the tv show “handmaids tale” but I knew briefly what it was about before starting this book. I found myself way too often drifting away in my own head while reading and sometimes I did not even bother to reread whatever I did not register the first time. Am I entitled to even write a review then?
I am not native English speaking (however 9/10 books I read are English) which probably affect my opinion. I also have ADHD which sometimes affect my focus. And to me, the book was far too messy.
The storyline - good. The way it was written - not for me.
Honestly just happy it’s over.
I have not yet seen the tv show “handmaids tale” but I knew briefly what it was about before starting this book. I found myself way too often drifting away in my own head while reading and sometimes I did not even bother to reread whatever I did not register the first time. Am I entitled to even write a review then?
I am not native English speaking (however 9/10 books I read are English) which probably affect my opinion. I also have ADHD which sometimes affect my focus. And to me, the book was far too messy.
The storyline - good. The way it was written - not for me.
Honestly just happy it’s over.
March 6, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
This is the second time I have read the book. The first time was after the first series on TV. The book is beautifully written and very thought provoking first time and second time reading.
The book is very powerful due to situations the world is currently facing. It felt like a glimpse into the possible world if a few people have their way. The book needs to stay a fiction book and not become a non-fiction book.
This is the second time I have read the book. The first time was after the first series on TV. The book is beautifully written and very thought provoking first time and second time reading.
The book is very powerful due to situations the world is currently facing. It felt like a glimpse into the possible world if a few people have their way. The book needs to stay a fiction book and not become a non-fiction book.
November 8, 2025
I began this book with some trepidation because I don't normally read this type of story. I'd seen part of the TV series and thought it on the vulgar side. I was somewhat surprised to find the book much more tame than the TV series. This story points to a bleak future that tugs on the heartstrings of all mothers. The ending leave us to conjecture what happened but still feels like a satisfying end.
December 30, 2025
I will be honest, at the beginning of the book, I was unsure if I liked it or not, mainly due to the pacing and writing style, not content. But, once I continued through, I realized that I could not put it down. This book is filled with beautiful symbolism that speaks to the female reality. Regardless of gender, everyone needs to consume this novel to put themselves in the shoes of others to ensure this book only remains a warning and not a reality.
July 24, 2025
Not what I expected. I understand the importance and there were MANY moments that were haunting due to what is happening in the world today.
However, I found it to be more about sex and lust more than I expected. Also, not sure why most of it the dialogue had no quotations but then some did.
Overall, I am glad I read it to understand the hype around it, but I didn't think it was that great.
However, I found it to be more about sex and lust more than I expected. Also, not sure why most of it the dialogue had no quotations but then some did.
Overall, I am glad I read it to understand the hype around it, but I didn't think it was that great.
June 26, 2024
I did find it pretty hard to get into just due to the storyline from the tv show. The books well written. Wish I read this before the show though as I found myself picking bits out that wasn’t similar etc.. I did enjoy though and would rate as a 3.8 star.
October 3, 2024
My review is based on the fabulous writing skills of Margaret Atwood. This dystopian story is truly evocative and jarring in the same breath. We must fight for women now and not repeat the failures of the past by coming together.
May 22, 2025
I found this such a difficult read. What once was science fiction now seems like an extreme everyday news broadcast . The most uncomfortable and believable aspect is the level of acceptance and lack of resistance to what the government orchestrates
July 23, 2025
i absolutely loved this book, it was one of the first books i ever fully got immersed in and felt like i was actually apart of that world
the language and detail really stuck with me i felt so connected to all the characters and couldn’t put it down
the language and detail really stuck with me i felt so connected to all the characters and couldn’t put it down
August 7, 2025
Easily in my top 3 dystopian novels. I absolutely loved reading this from Offred’s perspective, especially how much they leaned into her thought process. It’s messy, bleak, and just feels so raw the way it’s told.
What an amazing read!
What an amazing read!
September 22, 2025
brutal, thought provoking and sadly extremely on time still.
definitely not an easy read. take it slow and really think about every sentence.
should have trigger warnings for all things concerning brutal misogyny, slavery and totalitarian regime.
definitely not an easy read. take it slow and really think about every sentence.
should have trigger warnings for all things concerning brutal misogyny, slavery and totalitarian regime.
March 9, 2024
A modernly written novel. The story progression is easy to follow and the idea of this new society is interesting and asks the right social and environmental questions of our time. A good read!
June 16, 2024
At first I thought it was too much hype about this story due to the success of the TV show. Now I know it's not too much, it's deserved. Well deserved.
July 10, 2024
so good.
December 9, 2024
immediately running to buy testaments
December 17, 2024
Disturbing
January 21, 2025
So well written, it was hard to put down.
February 24, 2025
Absolutely incredible.
July 7, 2025
Are we allergic to quotation marks or something?
The Plot was somewhat interesting, the characters were okay, I guess, but the writing style made my head hurt.
The Plot was somewhat interesting, the characters were okay, I guess, but the writing style made my head hurt.
July 8, 2025
A disturbing look at a possible future. Some of this is happening now.
April 22, 2025
Not used to the way this type of book reads was a bit difficult to get used to, but it was still good once I got in the flow -Bone chilling how similar it is to what the world could become today🙃
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews