July 2013 Guest Editor Cath Staincliffe on The Handmaid's Tale...
A story about a terrifying dystopian world, ruled by a military and religious dictatorship which is homophobic, racist and misogynistic. Where infertility is rife, the handmaid’s role is to bear children for the ruling class. This chilling book imagines what a backlash to feminism might lead to and though it is horrifying there is also humanity, wit and humour in the writing.
One of Hardeep Singh Kohli's favourite books.
September 2010 Guest Editor Belle de Jour on Margaret Atwood...
Atwood’s books hugely influenced my reading style (though probably not my writing style!). I love the way she weaves research so seamlessly into her stories. In the hands of a lesser writer, some of her books might be mere dystopian sci-fi, but she makes the characters as real as documentary. The Handmaid’s Tale, in particular, influenced a lot how I think about politics, religion, and feminism.
| Primary Genre | Modern and Contemporary Fiction |
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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER An instant classic and eerily prescient cultural phenomenon, from "the patron saint of feminist dystopian fiction" (New York Times). Now an award-winning Hulu series starring Elizabeth Moss. Includes an introduction by Margaret Atwood.
In Margaret Atwood's dystopian future, environmental disasters and declining birthrates have led to a Second American Civil War. The result is the rise of the Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian regime that enforces rigid social roles and enslaves the few remaining fertile women. Offred is one of these, a Handmaid bound to produce children for one of Gilead's commanders. Deprived of her husband, her child, her freedom, and even her own name, Offred clings to her memories and her will to survive. At once a scathing satire, an ominous warning, and a tour de force of narrative suspense, The Handmaid's Tale is a modern classic.
Look for The Testaments, the sequel to The Handmaid's Tale
The Handmaid's Tale features in the following genres: Modern and Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Dystopian and utopian fiction, eBooks of the Month, General Fiction, Audiobooks of the Month, Speculative fiction, Recommendations, Literary Fiction, Literary Fiction
The Handmaid's Tale is available in Hardback, Paperback, , CD-Audio, Audiobook
The Handmaid's Tale was written by Margaret Atwood and published by Anchor Books an imprint of Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
The Handmaid's Tale has 336 pages
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