2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

This is the discussion thread for The Handmaid's Tale Chapter 36-46

This is something new I want to do this month, and I'll only state it this one time to keep the conversation positive.
Please by no means let it scare you away. Everyone is welcome! :)

I just ask for everyone to be nice during the month of March. We're here to have a discussion, learn facts, share stories, and still represent our believes without personally attacking anyone.

Happy Reading!

I'm really motoring through this book. I might even get it finished tonight. The further I get into it, the more I feel like I'm reading a completely different book than I did the first time I read it. I don't think I've ever experienced this with a book I'm re-reading. In some ways it's making me feel old the way I'm reacting to this book now versus the way I felt when I was younger. It's a little freaky but also amazing!

Catherine wrote: "I'm really motoring through this book. I might even get it finished tonight. The further I get into it, the more I feel like I'm reading a completely different book than I did the first time I read..."

I'm glad you are stinking around! I was worried there for a moment your coworker talked you out of it! Lol just kidding. Your friend and Sheryl makes a fair point; I took the weekend off from the book and I'm ready to get back into it.

I hope I don't come off as rude, but I think it's fascinating that you're look at this book in a different light! Last year I re read some of my favorite books, and people really do read them differently at different ages. Although, re reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone... I'll always be 10 year old Taylor giggling at Ron getting hit in the head with a broomstick.

I'm feeling drained, accomplished.

I have finished. I apologize (if any take offense) that I read this so quickly. I normally read throughout the month with everyone. It was just so much to handle that I wanted to finish, quickly at that.

I will be around though for discussion, questions, etc.
Thanks everyone for having me as discussion leader!

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Did anyone read the Historical Notes?

Thoughts?
I had many but I'll refrain for the moment lol.

(Mark as spoiler please) :)

I finished this morning! I liked the book, but I didn't LOVE it the way I thought I would. I still feel like there wasn't enough explanation on how/why the world developed so quickly. I also still don't get why you would only have sex once a month if the whole goal is to have a baby. Like how the severe population drop led to a decrease in sex makes no sense.

I liked that the ending was ambiguous. I wasn't sure why the black van showed up though--was just being Ofglen's shopping partner enough to condemn her? Or did Moira tell on her? Or Nick? It said Serena Joy didn't call them. So IDK.

I like the Historical Notes as an unique device, but I felt like it gave me more questions than answers.

I completed it. I thought I could hold off and read so many chapters a week but I thought the book was too good. I don't know if I would say I liked the ending. I did like a lot of turns that the book took. I rated it 5 stars. It was well written and definitely kept my interest and was a thought provoking book. Due to the weight of the oppression in the book I wouldn't say I would read it again. I am excited to see the movie from years ago and the Hulu series coming up.

Emily and Joan-

You finished it like I did lol. I didn't mean to read it that quickly either. I gave it 3 stars. In my review if anyone ever reads it I said don't let the star rating away anyone's decision. I gave it 3 stars because I don't think I'll ever read it again. I don't think I could go through that again lol. It was beautifully written though.

Emily-

The Historical Notes had me throwing my hands up in the air lol! I had more questions too. I couldn't believe how the brothers created it.

I finished the book. I said I was going to take a break after chapters 25 - 35 because of all the emotions that come from reading this book but I had to know what happened. I really am not sure how I feel about the ending. Not sure if what I am about to say is a spoiler or not since this is the last discussion section - so please do not read this if you have not finished the book yet. If Nick had not said what he did to her I would have thought that the black van was a bad thing. However, I now wonder if the men in the black van might actually be on her side? Did Nick send for them to help her since Serena Joy found out about her and the Commander? Was Nick the one who told Ofglen about Offred secretly seeing the Commander? Or is the black van the end for her? Nick told her it was ok to go and Serena Joy did not send for it. I am thinking that the ending is what I want it to be? What I imagined happened? I can make up what happened to Offred whatever I want it to be? I think that an ending like this is why this book will haunt me - there is no specific closure. I will not read this book again - I have way too many books to read - I don't have time to read one more than once.

Gail wrote: "I finished the book. I said I was going to take a break after chapters 25 - 35 because of all the emotions that come from reading this book but I had to know what happened. I really am not sure how..."

I thought there was a postscript that said the van took her to Canada, and that while she was on the run, she recorded her autobiography (the book you just read) onto audio cassettes.

Thanks Phil! I did not read the historical notes or anything after it. That would make sense that she is "telling the tale" as she is on the run. I like to think that is the ending -that she escaped this madness.

The "historical notes" are actually fiction and an important part of the novel. I encourage everybody to read them. They reveal a whole lot.

I read THT when it first came out and several times thereafter. I checked and the last time I read it before this time was 2004! No wonder I couldn't remember it very well.

I really enjoyed listening to it this time. I think because listening is slower than reading print, I got even more of a sense of Offred's enforced boredom. Her desperation to do or experience or read something, anything rang so true for me. It wasn't enough to take her family away, she also had to be robbed of her freedom to think and feel and grow. Terrible to think about, all of it.

I really love Atwood's deliberate writing, and the way the story was slowly built and revealed. I thought it felt real and true the way Offred came to understand things slowly. For example, she didn't pick up at all on the May Day thing from Ofglen. In some crime novels or TV shows, it annoys me when the main character picks up on every little unlikely hint. Real life isn't like that.

In the historical notes, we see that Offred is anonymous in the end. And I think that's how history works. A few people and some incidents become famous, but it's the normal average people in the background just living their daily lives that make up a cultural history. Most of us want to be comfortable and content, and even in her extraordinary situation, Offred came to want the same things. She wasn't proud of it, but Atwood gave us a realistic character in her.

I already knew I loved this book and this latest experience of it didn't change my mind. For me, it's a terrifying, riveting cautionary tale.

This book was a difficult read. There are no quotations to let you know when someone is speaking so I had to read and reread parts for clarity. Also the way the book is written- from in Offred's mind- seems like the blatherings of an erratic person.

I didn't feel like there was any organization to this book. It was up and down the entire book. I kept rereading to see if I missed something! There was no real intro, plot, climax, or ending. It was hard to stay interested.

The ending was abrupt with no real satisfactory ending. There was little to no explanation about the last events. I expected the epilogue to explain what happened, but no such luck. I'm still confused and would not put myself through another try at reading this book.

This book was a difficult read. There are no quotations to let you know when someone is speaking so I had to read and reread parts for clarity. Also the way the book is written- from in Offred's mind- seems like the blatherings of an erratic person.

I didn't feel like there was any organization to this book. It was up and down the entire book. I kept rereading to see if I missed something! There was no real intro, plot, climax, or ending. It was hard to stay interested.

The ending was abrupt with no real satisfactory ending. There was little to no explanation about the last events. I expected the epilogue to explain what happened, but no such luck. I'm still confused and would not put myself through another try at reading this book.

Lindsey wrote: "This book was a difficult read. There are no quotations to let you know when someone is speaking so I had to read and reread parts for clarity. Also the way the book is written- from in Offred's mi..."

I think it's all meant to be like that to put you (as the reader) in better perspective of the narrator (Offred). Offred is erratic which is no surprise, her life and world was turned upside down so suddenly and changed so drastically, I'd be just a little disorientated and possibly deranged too, especially considering what the women have to go through in this new totalitarian world.

The ending reminds me of 1984, the way it's abrupt and unsatisfactory. I think it's common of classical dystopian and really follows through with the typical themes of dystopian literature - often hopelessness.

As for no intro/plot/climax/ending. Well, when you think about it, realistically, life doesn't have an intro, plot, climax, or ending that flows. Life just happens. And that's how the plot works in this book.

Simon wrote: "Lindsey wrote: "This book was a difficult read. There are no quotations to let you know when someone is speaking so I had to read and reread parts for clarity. Also the way the book is written- fro..."

I like everything you have to say but I liked your interpretation about the intro, plot, etc the most! As for myself, I was always waiting for some kind of plot twist (which kind of happened I suppose), but like you said Offred was erratic and I personally wasn't expecting what to happen next. Well, I was expecting a plot, but like many dystopias, it was already set like that so there was no change happening. The world was already set in its ways.

Taylor R wrote: "Simon wrote: "Lindsey wrote: "This book was a difficult read. There are no quotations to let you know when someone is speaking so I had to read and reread parts for clarity. Also the way the book i..."

That is something I like a lot about classical dystopian's plots is that they are so realistic and unpredictable, like life. They don't follow a common formula for plot like so many stories do with a standard intro, climax, and ending. They're erratic, often like the characters, and often like life.

Simon wrote: "Taylor R wrote: "Simon wrote: "Lindsey wrote: "This book was a difficult read. There are no quotations to let you know when someone is speaking so I had to read and reread parts for clarity. Also t..."

I can agree! I find it creative and imaginative from authors that can create a world that has no control over what is happening. It's kind of spooky too. I've only read Anthem by Ayn Rand, so this book came a bit of a shock to me.

Taylor R wrote: "Simon wrote: "Taylor R wrote: "Simon wrote: "Lindsey wrote: "This book was a difficult read. There are no quotations to let you know when someone is speaking so I had to read and reread parts for c..."

I haven't read that but I'll add it to my TBR list. I definitely recommend 1984 by George Orwell, although it is as grim as The Handmaid's Tale.

I just added Anthem to my TBR!!!

Joan wrote: "I just added Anthem to my TBR!!!"

Simon and Joan- I read Anthem as a sophomore in high school, and i still like it! It's short, but some copies of the book have extra material after the story. I don't know what the extra material is, but I highly recommend it :)

Taylor R wrote: "Joan wrote: "I just added Anthem to my TBR!!!"

Simon and Joan- I read Anthem as a sophomore in high school, and i still like it! It's short, but some copies of the book have extra mater..."

The library had it on ebook and it was available so I went ahead and got it. Thanks for mentioning it!

Anthem is public domain, and you can get it for free from Project Gutenberg.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1250

I'm not an Ayn Rand fan by any stretch, but I enjoyed this book of hers.

My all time favorite dystopia is Fahrenheit 451, though.

Joan wrote: "I just added Anthem to my TBR!!!"

We could buddy read it, Joan. Haha.

Mindy wrote: "The "historical notes" are actually fiction and an important part of the novel. I encourage everybody to read them. They reveal a whole lot.

I read THT when it first came out and several times th..."

Great analysis, and I agree on the "Historical Notes" -- they are critical to understanding certain aspects of the society, how past events are understood -- as you pointed out, often the most interesting aspects come from the every day people, not the movers and the shakers -- and actually leaves the reader on a somewhat more optimistic note.

Simon wrote: "Joan wrote: "I just added Anthem to my TBR!!!"

We could buddy read it, Joan. Haha."

If you want to we could. It's pretty short.

I enjoyed this book so much. I thought the Historical Notes tied everything together. Great book!