Strong Female Reads book club discussion

Thread for discussing The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.

*SPOILERS*

I finished this today! I loved it. I found the ending a little weird but kind of relevant- a bit like how we look back on things like Anne Franks Diary etc.

It's quite scary how relevant this book is to the current political climate especially in the US. Not necessarily against women completely but in relation to minority groups and their right to movement, the freedom of rights to marry and of choice (in relation to contraceptives and abortion). It feels like all the modern and forward thinking changes that everyone fought so hard to obtain over the past 100+ years are being wiped out in the matter of months and this is book is becoming great a weird and horrible foreshadowing of the future to come.

It's interesting to see a female character so aware that she needs to rebel against the system and remembering the freedoms that we currently posses. But also the moments in the later section of the book where she becomes worried about upsetting the status quo and wondering if this is really all that bad- isn't it better than the alternative. But still rebelling all the same.

I cannot wait for the tv series of this!

Apologies again for my ramblings as I find it difficult to write down my thoughts on things- much bette at chatting in person! That's a thought- once we grow a bit perhaps we can have meets :)

I read it just before Christmas and a lot of it has stayed with me, which is usually the sign of a good book. It's quite a haunting story really, especially seeing things from Offred's point of view - I often found myself wondering what I would do in her situation, whether I would have the strength to make some of the decisions she makes or whether I would simply abandon all hope.

I agree that it is scarily relevant. I'm an evangelical Christian (although, I hasten to add, not of the Westboro Baptist Church type!) so for me it was interesting to see how the leaders of Gilead used things that I hear talked about often - reclaiming 'Biblical womanhood etc - as an excuse for the mass subjugation of women. Like a lot of Christians, the leaders take Bible passages out of context and twist their meaning to suit their own agendas, and it's scary how often I have seen American politicians in particular do this.

The way the handmaids have their entire identities subsumed (i.e. Offred has to give up her name and become, literally, 'of Fred') is something else I think it very relevant. How often do we hear women referred to as "so and so's wife" or "so and so's mum", as if that's all they are? That really made me think.

I'm also looking forward to the TV show and glad I read the book first. It'll be interesting to see how they deal with the flashbacks and whether they change the ending to make it more of a 'happier ever after'.