Four Star review, originally posted here on June 10, 2016.
Well this book is absolutely fantastic. My review is really more 4.5 stars, but I rounded down to 4 because there is an epilogue that I just hated because it felt forced and juvenile after what otherwise felt like a smart and well-thought-out book.
I had to go back and double-check the publication date a couple times because I could not believe that it was not written in the super recent past, as a reaction to super recent events. It’s a feminist 1984, describing a world that is both over-the top far-fetched, and also completely possible and too real. Where I think Atwood’s writing was most powerful, to me, was in describing the very simple joys in life that we (women living in free societies) now take for granted. The larger losses (family, jobs, income, etc) in Atwood’s future are pretty obvious, but the subtle ones really got me. Wearing sundresses. Smiling. Having a personality.
Anyway, this book will depress the shit out of you and make you want to punch a wall. You should definitely read it.
Helga without the H 