“The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood (Canada)

Review

Most of the members who attended the Book Club had read this book before. When it was first published in the 1980s, its feminist theme came across predominantly. Reading it now at the beginning of the 21st century, the themes of religious fanaticism, tyrannical societies and even fertility issues were strongly felt by the readers. They found it a scary story, which made them think about many issues. They felt that Atwood manages to instill in the reader the fear of the protagonist as she finds herself in a hopeless situation. Some readers liked the science fiction aspects of the book; others liked its dispassionate style. One reader liked the ambiguous ending, which he found fitting for this story. The book averaged an 8.4 out of 10.

Synopsis

The Republic of Gilead offers Offred only one function: to breed. If she deviates, she will, like all dissenters, be hanged at the wall or sent out to die slowly of radiation sickness… Read more

Nicola’s Book Club reading lists

Season 6 – “World Classics (the past is masculine)” (Sep 2007 – Jan 2008)

“A Confederacy of Dunces” by John Kennedy Toole (U.S.)
“Love in the Time of Cholera” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Colombia)
“The Woman in the Dunes” by Kobo Abe (Japan)
“Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe (Nigeria)
“The Master and Margarita” by Mikhail Bulgakov (Russia) *

Season 7 – “Future World Classics (the future is feminine)” (Feb – Jun 2008)

“How Many Miles to Babylon?” by Jennifer Johnston (Ireland)
“Second-Class Citizen” by Buchi Emecheta (Nigeria)
“Eva Luna” by Isabel Allende (Chile)
“Clear Light of Day” by Anita Desai (India)
“The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood (Canada) *

* The book club favourite
In italics, Nicola’s Coup de Cœur

“A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.” – Italo Calvino

The past is masculine;
The future is feminine;
And the present is a
blending together of both.
– Nicola