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hilikus_00's review against another edition
4.0
I'm new to Margaret Atwood and definitely not disappointed.
This story screamed feminist dystopia to me. Like 1984 for feminists. I have to say though, that I really didn't find this book too far from reality. Women's bodies in OUR present realities are seen as just reproductive vessels. It isn't as explicit and overt as Gilead but the messages that we all get from society push us to follow a path in life that leads to having children. The patriarchy that we see in Gilead is alive and well in our present realities. An important nuance that maybe I'm silly for not realizing sooner (and am sharing with hesitation so as to avoid showcasing my obliviousness) in the book was the women's names. They are all 'Of(insert man's name)'. Offred, Ofglen etc. I thought that was brilliant.
I really liked Atwood's writing style - like a fictionalized memoir. It's written kind of stream-of-consciousness style which I enjoyed. I thought it gave me more insight into Offred's thought patterns and her inclination to flashback to memories of her life pre-Gilead. I liked the nuances in Offred's character. She was not perfect. Moira was my favourite character; brash and radical, like me.
This story screamed feminist dystopia to me. Like 1984 for feminists. I have to say though, that I really didn't find this book too far from reality. Women's bodies in OUR present realities are seen as just reproductive vessels. It isn't as explicit and overt as Gilead but the messages that we all get from society push us to follow a path in life that leads to having children. The patriarchy that we see in Gilead is alive and well in our present realities. An important nuance that maybe I'm silly for not realizing sooner (and am sharing with hesitation so as to avoid showcasing my obliviousness) in the book was the women's names. They are all 'Of(insert man's name)'. Offred, Ofglen etc. I thought that was brilliant.
I really liked Atwood's writing style - like a fictionalized memoir. It's written kind of stream-of-consciousness style which I enjoyed. I thought it gave me more insight into Offred's thought patterns and her inclination to flashback to memories of her life pre-Gilead. I liked the nuances in Offred's character. She was not perfect. Moira was my favourite character; brash and radical, like me.
wondernikel's review against another edition
1.0
Another novel, in which I don't understand the hype!? The writing was so slow and repetitive. The actual bones to the story are great, but I felt like nothing was happening to keep me intrigued! They must have added quite a bit for the show because I really don't get it!
mreinstadtler's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
sinead_444's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
riestenberger's review against another edition
4.0
I was very excited to read this book after reading [b:Oryx and Crake|46756|Oryx and Crake (MaddAddam, #1)|Margaret Atwood|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1255573547s/46756.jpg|3143431] and hearing about it from others, but I wasn't as impressed as I expected to be. I appreciate the ambiguous ending, but it left a little something to be desired. I think the world was really well constructed, but I wish the narrator was more willing to share her secrets. The one thing I wanted more of was just how the nation got to the point it was at. Most of the information regarding exactly what was going on came from the "Historical Notes" section at the end, which made the entirety of the book seem kind of, eh. I don't know. Maybe after dwelling on it for a few days I'll feel differently.
brandi_sue's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
tarabgm's review against another edition
3.0
J’ai bien aimé ma lecture mais alors, la fin: frustrante. Enfait on ne sait jamais rien. Et elle le dit à un moment que elle fait que des suppositions que c’est seulement les histoires qu’elle se raconte dans sa tête. Mais la fin genre on sait pas ce qui lui arrive. Curieuse de connaître son vrai nom aussi. Je comprend que la fin soit comme ça parce que vu que c’est dystopique, c’est compliqué de faire une fin on tout est expliqué mais c’est frustrant. Même si c’était sur qu’il n’y aurait pas de happy end. Je pense que je suis passée à coté de plein de références. J’ai vraiment pas tout xompris. J’aurais bien aimé savoir ce qu’il se passait au moment où serena a appris pour le commandant et elle et pourquoi le commandant se comportait comme ça. Même si j’ai bien compris que le but était de voir seulement avec des œillères comme Defred, de seulement savoir ce qui lui arrive à elle et de seulement pouvoir imaginer ce que les autres pensent et font.
hollyaf's review against another edition
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0