Anyhow, great review!

As for the Handmaid’s Tale, I read it years ago and found it disturbing on many levels.  Not a fave. 

Give Alias Grace a try.  I read that a long time ago, too, but I remember liking it.

People like to believe these types of events won’t happen anywhere and yet they do.  Take a look at Darfur–it’s the same kind of genocide going on there was in Germany in WWII.

Interesting that you listed a struggle with suspension of disbelief (“this couldn’t happen here”), then connected the historical context in our world (my parents’ generation).

I’ve seen *The Handmaid’s Tale* around quite a bit lately; maybe it’s time for me to pick it up again.

Lisa, I think “horrified” is a good word, and yet I can see how people could love it. Thanks for the thoughts.

Two weeks ago I witnessed an African American women pleading with a man inside the foyer of the clinic. She was on her knees, holding on to his shirt at the sides, looking up and him with tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were huge and she was clearly terrifed. I watched him knock her hands free of his shirt, and with an aggrieved and disdainful look on his comfortable face, he straightened the fabric of his shirt. And then he pointed at the door of the clinic. It made me think of the Handmaiden’s Tale with a twist: this is what happens to women who reproduce without ‘permission.’ They are powerless. (Oh that it was his body the ‘procedure’ would have been done to. Do you know that there are two tiers to the price of abortion? One with anesthetic, one without. I kid you not.)

Some books–some stories–are not there for us to like or dislike. They are cautionary tales, ignored to our peril. They are meant, in fact, to offend.

Come visit my blog, I deal with some related topics you might find interesting. This is a very nice blog, and it is good to read the discussions of books and ideas.

ChainReader, I just didn’t like the point of view, but it was an intriguing writing style and I want to try Atwood again. I wonder, if I ever read this again, if it would bother me as much.

Teresa, I haven’t read the other dystopian novels for years, so I wonder if I’d have the same suspension of disbelief problem with those now. But I think the narrator added to my annoyance.  I think you’re probably right that she was talking about extreme, and it’s interesting how our own beliefs shape our responses to novels.

I should probably read this for myself before forming an opinion, but after your (excellent) review, this particular Atwood has been pushed further down my to-read list

“And then I remembered: 1932. The National Socialist German Workers Party was democratically elected to power. Within six years, non-Nazi leaders and Jewish peoples were being taken to concentration camps.”

I agree, this is a perfect historical example of an extremist group taking over very, very quickly. Hopefully this won’t happen again, but like you said, it’s good to keep it in mind when we feel tempted to be apathetic.

Jessica, that’s what struck me! That similar right restrictions are happening around the world, and what are we doing about it?! Where does one even begin?

Amanda, good point. It’s interesting to me that many people weren’t bothered at all by it? I wonder what Atwood thinks about the narration? Apparently she was satisfied enough to let it be published as it.

Toni, thanks so much for your thoughts. I haven’t read the Road yet. Thanks for going on… I appreciate your insights!

For instance,  when I read “The Road.”  I got chilled and very  depressed because I found some sort of horrid believability to the story… probably due to the lack of details.

Handmaid’s Tale  reminded me of a book I read in one of my book clubs called “A Gift Along the Shore” by M. K. Wren.  In my opinion this book had a more realistic take on
“populating the earth.”  But still there was the certain portrayal of religious groups.  However, there beautiful theme of friendship between women and the preservation of BOOKS!! 

opps..look at me go on and on….. thanks for the review.  AWESOME!!
Toni

One part that really affected me was an offhand reference to societies in London to “Save the Women.”  I feel like there are things like this happening in the world right now (see Darfur), and I generally ignore it because my life is happy.  I’m going to try to pay more attention to such things in the future.

Amanda, I only read the first paragraph, where you said you didn’t like it. Then I thought I’d hold off. Then as I read, I was so bothered by narrator. By the middle, I was so bothered I skipped to the end to see if there is some frame explaining it. The “Historical Note” wasn’t strong enough for me.

I’ve been thinking about the third person perspective. I’m not sure that would have been as powerful to read as Offred’s own thoughts were. But again, the power was diminished by the fact that she never could have written her thoughts like that.

The perspective comparing it to Cuba is fascinating: living where I do makes it hard to believe situations like that. But it happens!

My book club read 1984 this summer, and one person commented that she had the same trouble with suspension of disbelief as you talked about above – how could a society so completely take over in such a quick time and how could people allow it to happen?  There was a new guy at our meeting from Cuba, and he said that 1984 was his favorite book because it did a great job depicting the life in Cuba.  That what the government said there,  you did, you thought, you lived by, even if it was 2+2=5.  Having never lived through that myself, I find it difficult to imagine, but the book was perfectly within the realm of belief for this guy from Cuba.

Perhaps this book is somewhat like that for us?  Maybe it would resonate better with someone who has lived in a religiously-repressed societ (be it Christian or Muslim or athiest socialism or whatever).  I’ve read a lot of books about countries run by religiously-distorted laws, where the people know the holy book (whichever is involved) is being corrupted but they are powerless to do anything but survive.  I thought that Offred’s need to survive but also to stay emotionally alive was one of the most powerful and realistic parts of this book.

But I’m with you.  I would recommend other people read it, but I definitely wouldn’t read it again myself.  I was disappointed.