The Handmaid's Tale

A lot has been written about this book. It's on number 37 of American Library Association's list of 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000, and that's 'challenged' as in 'banned on certain schools' too. There has been lots of feminist discussion of the book as well -- both favorable and unfavorable. The content of this books mixes sexuality, hardline religion, totalitarian politics, reproductive oppression and American culture in one explosive cocktail: perfect tinder to kindle a debate among the participants of the culture wars.

I don't have the time nor the energy to contribute a lot to those debates. Atwood seems to have written a book that makes people think, and I can't object to that. As far as the feminist debate goes, I'll only say this: I have the feeling this book neither vilifies men nor simply victimizes women, and as such I think it's intelligent and balanced.

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I'm not sure the book worked for me.

It does succeed -- masterfully even -- to evoke an atmosphere. In that respect, the first person narration of a woman who is reduced to someone whose sole purpose is breeding works very well. The novel has a claustrophobic atmosphere, and just as the protagonist is kept uninformed and shielded off, the reader too only gets glimpses of the totality of the world and times the book is set in.

The prose is excellent, poetic even. Atwood manages to evoke a lot without that many words, and for me this is her true strength. The book is only 324 pages, but it's not a light, quick read, as one needs the concentrate in order not to miss anything.

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