We slept in what had become the gymnasium.
An edition of The Handmaid's Tale
(1985)
The Handmaid's Tale
by Margaret Atwood
- 81 Ratings
- 1895 Want to read
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The Handmaid's Tale is a radical departure for Margaret Atwood. Set in the near future, in a locale that oddly resembles Cambridge, Massachusetts, it describes life in what was once the United States. Now, however, it has become the Republic of Gilead, a monolithic theocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans, and has gone far beyond them. This regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for women, and for men as well.
The story is told through the eyes of Offred, one of the unfortunate "Handmaids" under the new social order. In condensed but eloquent prose, by turns cool-eyed, tender, despairing, passionate, and wry, she reveals to us the dark corners behind the establishment's calm facade, as certain tendencies now in existence are carried to their logical conclusions.
the Handmaid's Tale is A Clockwork Orange as seen by women: unexpected, funny, horrifying, and altogether convincing. the book is at once a mordant satire and a dire warning. this is Atwood in top form.
--front flap
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brothels, Canadian authors, Canadian fantasy fiction, Canadian fiction (fictional works by one author), Christian fundamentalism, Dystopian fiction, Dystopias, fantasy fiction, Fiction, Fiction, dystopian, Fiction, fantasy, general, handmaids, Large type books, Man-woman relationships, Man-woman relationships, fiction, military dictatorship, Misogyny, New York Times bestseller, nyt:e-book-fiction=2017-01-22, nyt:trade-fiction-paperback=2017-02-26, Old Testament, Political, political fiction, pregnancy, religious fanaticism, revolution, science fiction, Scrabble, Social aspects, theocracy, theonomy, totalitarianism, United States Congress, Women, Study guides, History and criticism, Handmaid's tale (Atwood, Margaret), Roman canadien de langue anglaise, Misogynie, collectionID:EanesChallenge, Romans, nouvelles, Femmes, collectionID:ConroeChallenge, FICTION / Dystopian, FICTION / Political, FICTION / Science Fiction, Teen fiction, World literature, Fiction subjects, Science fiction & fantasy, Comics & graphic novels, adaptations, Comics & graphic novels, literary, Comics & graphic novels, fantasy, DystopianPeople
Margaret Atwood (1939-), Offred, Commanders, Rachel, Bilhah, Aunts, Handmaids, Marthas, Econowives, Moira, Serena Joy, Ofglen, Nick, Eyes of God, Luke, Professor PieixotoShowing 11 featured editions. View all 145 editions?
| Edition | Availability |
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01
La servante écarlate
2017-07, Pavillons Poche/Robert Laffont
Paperback
in French
2221203321 9782221203323
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02
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03
The Handmaid's Tale
2016, Vintage
paperback
in English
- 2016 Vintage edition (4)
1784871443 9781784871444
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04
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05
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06
The Handmaid's Tale
2003?, Anchor Books
Paperback
in Spanish
- 1st Anchor Books ed. (24)
038549081X 9780385490818
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07
The Handmaid's Tale
1998-04, Anchor Books
Paperback
in English
- First Anchor Books Edition (9)
038549081X 9780385490818
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08
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09
The Handmaid's Tale
1986, Houghton Mifflin Company
Hardcover
in English
- 1st printing
0395404258 9780395404256
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10
The Handmaid's Tale
1986, Houghton Mifflin Company
hardcover
in English
- printing (1)
0395404258 9780395404256
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11
The Handmaid's Tale
1985, McClelland & Stewart, McClelland and Stewart
Hardcover
in English
0771008139 9780771008139
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Book Details
Published in
Toronto, Canada
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Work Description
The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, published in 1985. It is set in a near-future New England, in a strongly patriarchal, totalitarian theonomic state, known as the Republic of Gilead, which has overthrown the United States government. The central character and narrator is a woman named Offred, one of the group known as "handmaids", who are forcibly assigned to produce children for the "commanders" — the ruling class of men in Gilead.
The novel explores themes of subjugated women in a patriarchal society, loss of female agency and individuality, and the various means by which they resist and attempt to gain individuality and independence.
The Handmaid's Tale won the 1985 Governor General's Award and the first Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1987; it was also nominated for the 1986 Nebula Award, the 1986 Booker Prize, and the 1987 Prometheus Award.
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Links outside Open Library
- Wikipedia page
- Wikidata
- The Handmaid's Tale - Wikipedia
- sparknotes.com/lit/handmaid/
- Margaret Atwood: The Handmaid’s Tale feels real in 2019, but the solution won’t come from novels
- An analysis of The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
- The Handmaid's Tale | Plot, Legacy, & Facts | Britannica.com
- VIAF ID: 186154411 (Work)
- thegreatestbooks.org/items/1368
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| February 17, 2024 | Edited by ImportBot | import existing book |
| December 19, 2023 | Edited by ImportBot | import existing book |
| December 19, 2023 | Edited by ImportBot | import existing book |
| September 20, 2023 | Edited by AgentSapphire | reverted to revision 53 |
| December 9, 2009 | Created by WorkBot | add works page |