I read the Handmaid’s Tale yesterday, finally. I’m disappointed. I did not like the writing style at all, there was no real story, just descriptions. And then it just ended. No conclusion or anything.
My best guess it’s because the TV show was so intense and well made (at least the earlier seasons), and the book was… Not? Episodes would stay with me for days, but I’m struggling to recall the book already.
Maybe the book is supposed to be unsatisfying to go with the theme. Nothing much happened after Gilead was created, every day just kinda goes by. Sure there was some torture and death, but… Eh.
Maybe I was expecting too much after all the praise it got. It’s my first Atwood book, and way way outside of my usual genre (fantasy, scifi, horror).
What did you all think of it?
In my opinion The Handmaid’s Tale has some truly thought provoking ideas, but the characters and scale of the book don’t really allow for an exploration of those ideas.
To me it was reminiscent of Fahrenheit 451: both stories are set in dystopian worlds that are not too far from ours, both play with some big ideas, both universes cry out for expansion, and both stories end on a bit of a dull note.
There is some expansion on the world and some of the characters in The Testaments.
I assumed there would be, but I haven’t read it yet. It’s on my list, but it keeps getting bumped down.