A tale of gloom, particularly if you're a woman, The Handmaid's Tale created a world unlike anything we've ever seen. Or is it? I read a short interview with Ms Atwood where she discussed the TV series about The Handmaid's Tale. She explained how everything in the novel is something that has happened somewhere in our world. In other words, she didn't make anything up. Although it is a work of fiction, the novel reads like science fiction or fantasy.
I thoroughly enjoyed and, as a writer, appreciated Ms. Atwood's creative and descriptive sentences. She painted a vivid picture of the clothes, the living quarters, the environment in which the handmaids lived. It was also very clear through her descriptions of the behavior and mannerisms of the women in this controlling society how psychologically manacled were all women of breeding age.
This book had been on my short reading list for quite some time and with the TV series on The Handmaid's Tale, I knew I had to read it. The novel was a reminder of just one possibility when you live in a dictatorship. Hopefully it will be an eye-opener for all who read it.
I give "The Handmaid's Tale" 5 out of 5 stars.