The Handmaid's Tale

Woman's World, 1984 Style

By Margaret Atwood
Canada, 1985
Dystopian, SciFi, Speculative


Main Attractions

1. Dystopian world for women
Margaret Atwood2. 1984, from a woman’s point of view
3. You can’t unread this book
4. Atwood’s descriptions will seep into you
5. Well - crafted story
6. Characters play off each other well
7. It’s so real sounding!
8. Gritty descriptions
9. Lots to think back on
10. Nothing to celebrate, it’s bleak.

Cuisine & Delicacies

Ranked as: Ghost Pepper BBQ Ribs 
By now, you can see how disturbed I was by this book!  It was well worth the journey though.  It reminds us how important community is, that bond women can have develop with each other and how fleeting love can be.  I think it can toughen up readers so they can be open to a wider variety of books and genres.  It can inspire some folks to become activists or simply to hold their families a little tighter.  

Like 1984, Hunger or Lolita, it’ll never go away.  It’s so disturbing and gripping that it’s a story to stay with you forever, creeping up and reminding you of what’s important.  Maybe exploring why it’s important and just how frail it is. 

Off the Beaten Path

Trailer for the 2017 Hulu Adaptation! It looks amazing!  And it’s filmed in Toronto, how appropriate for a Canadian book.



Travel Advisory:

It’s a very haunting book.  It can be a prepper for reading Lolita because they both have very gritty, real descriptions.  Both books will haunt you forever.  Handmaid’s Tale is every woman’s fear.  Lolita is every mother’s fear.  

Packing List

✓ Something comforting to pull you out of this book when necessary
✓ Hand cream, just having it will make you feel better
✓ Scrabble, magazines, and a dictionary
✓ I’m sure I’m missing something.


Recommended Resources:
Alternate Books
1984 By George Orwell (1949)- Well-known and told from a man’s point of view, comparable to Handmaid’s Tale in it’s eeriness.  
✓ Really tough to suggest other books right now.  This one very chilling and unique.  Feel free to recommend some.

Film Adaptation
2017 Hulu✓ The Handmaid's Tale (1990) Directed by Volker Schlondorff - It’s a bit dated, but has the same creepy vibe as the book.  It’s pretty true to the book also.
✓ The Handmaid's Tale (2017) MiniSeries by Hulu, Filmed in Toronto! - The trailer looks promising. 

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