Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - The Handmaid's Tale

Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

385 reviews

psychnp's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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marissasa's review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

I read this classic not knowing anything about it other than that it had a dystopian setting that was very oppressive to women, and I feel like that short description sums up the extent of its social commentary. I wasn't really impressed or moved by the narrative, and while there were a few interesting moments and characters, for the majority of the book I was just bored. I felt like there were a lot of questions and not a lot of answers in this story, and even the answers that were given didn't feel compelling or deep. I am writing this review about a month late after I finished the book and the fact I can barely remember details about it just emphasizes how little this book impacted me or left any kind of memorable impression.

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kjwalkerrr19's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This book is a masterpiece of writing and detail. When she says in her introduction of the 2017 rerelease that I read, “God is in the details; but so is the devil”, she meant that shit! I’ve never read a book so capable of uniquely, attentively, and consistently details everything about every setting. Smell, texture, props, history, just truly everything. At times I was getting lost in the detail and zoning out, and I’d have to zone back in.

My hot take for this book is I didn’t find it as shocking as I was expecting to because of the horrors I’ve lived through myself as a woman in the United States the past 3 years, so it made the book more realistic, which is so sad to say. I was disappointed by my lack of surprise from the capabilities of the new government of this book because my own has already let me down so much.

I think Margaret Atwood is a genius for this book, and no wonder it’s a classic and is studied. It is a stunning piece of literature with historical accuracy and religious notes.

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rubyrush's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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chavonnwshen's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is white feminism fodder - the cast is entirely white as literally all the people of color in the book have been exiled. Despite the book's glaring flaws in the light of intersectional feminism, the prose really is beautiful. The plot is tightly woven and the characters are complex. I can definitely see why it's considered a classic. Not the best book I've ever read, but far from the worst.

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