The Handmaid’s Tale left me cold. What did I expect? Some degree of outrage? Depression? Shock? Empathy? As it happened none of these reactions materialised. After all I had heard about this novel, this surprised me greatly. So what didn’t click?
Part of the reason for my reaction, or lack thereof, was the protagonist, Offred. I couldn’t connect with her at any level. To me she didn’t come across as a real person. Mostly, she felt like a tool, which the author uses to illustrate different aspects of the dystopian society. Offred is solely defined by her role as a handmaid and by the tasks she has to perform. I suppose this may be the author’s point. Atwood shows us that in this society, females are not human beings. They are not allowed to own property, to have a name of their own, to make money or to be independent or individual in any way. They are a function. If this was the author’s intention, I guess it worked, but it didn’t contribute much to my engagement in the story.
The other explanation is the dystopian society itself. Most of the building blocks are well-known from fundamental religion or from trends in our modern society: women’s bodies being objectivised, women using their bodies to get a decent life (at least more decent than the alternative), abortion doctors being punished, women having to cover up, rank and status determining quality of life, hierarchy. Nothing new. Well, I suppose the concept of blinkers for women is inventive; as far as I know they are only used for horses today. The idea of what these well-known phenomena can lead to if taken to the extreme might horrify some people. I just thought, ‘yeah right, haven’t we seen it all before’.
I might be cynical. No, let me rephrase that, I am cynical. In the past, however, that hasn’t prevented me from being deeply affected by dystopian literature. I couldn’t help thinking of other stories, which have made a much stronger impression, in particular Never Let Me Go, which pretty much left me as an emotional wreck.
Anyway. Despite of my reservations, I didn’t dislike The Handmaid’s Tale. It fell short of my expectations, which admittedly were high, but I am still glad to have read it. Margaret Atwood includes a range of sharp observations and interesting ideas, which are worth spending time on.
Normality
Normality seems to be a recurring theme in the novel, as illustrated by Offred’s meeting with a group of tourists.
We were fascinated, but also repelled. They seemed undressed. It has taken so little time to change our minds, about these things. Then I think: I used to dress like that.
This seems in perfect accordance with the indoctrinated message from the aunts.
Ordinary, said Aunt Lydia, is what you are used to. This may not seem ordinary to you now, but after a time it will. It will become ordinary.
Atwood’s take on normality is spot on, and something I often think about when traveling to countries with different norms, habits and dress codes. Being a stranger in such a country makes me observe myself and the Western world through their eyes. I suddenly see how horrible some of our habits may seem to them. Sometimes we take for granted that women all over the world strive for the freedom and rights of the women in the Western world, including the right to dress in next to nothing and run around drunkenly in the streets at night. I can easily see though, why that is not the reality. Their norms are just different.
The speed with which our sense of normality can be changed, leads me to another of Atwood’s dominating themes.
Adaptability
The Handmaid’s Tale has been labelled feminist dystopia and I guess it may have awoken a feminist spirit in some readers.
Humanity is so adaptable, my mother would say. Truly amazing, what people can get used to, as long as there are a few compensations.
But at its core this is a story about females, who adapt to their circumstances, rather than object against them. The Commanders wife, who has no influence in society as such, find joy in running the household as her own little kingdom. The aunts enjoy the power they have over the handmaids. Offred refuses to spy on the commander, she doesn’t want to give up the few benefits, she has achieved. Even between the handmaids you observe limited sister solidarity. One scene which did make an impression is a lesson, where a handmaid confesses, she has been raped.
But whose fault was it? Aunt Helena says, holding up one plump finger. Her fault, her fault, her fault, we chant in unison. Who led them on? Aunt Helena beams, pleased with us. She did. She did. She did. Why did God allow such a terrible thing to happen? Teach her a lesson. Teach her a lesson. Teach her a lesson.
Of course this is all part of the human condition. We may all have our principles, but when it comes down to life or death, we are surprisingly good at adapting. This is necessary; the people and companies which fail to ‘survive’ are typically the ones without the ability to adapt.
I discussed this theme in my review of The Tattooist of Auschwitz as well and I do find it fascinating. I sincerely hope, I will never have to test the strength of my principles against survival. You don’t know, where your limits are, until you have been there.
Survival
Also at a collective level, the human sense of survival seems to be strong and Margaret Atwood’s concept of systematic breeding does have some merits. If reproducing should ever become a major problem, I believe humans would find a way to systemise breeding, although hopefully in a more humane (and more efficient) way than the one featured in the novel.
My Verdict
I enjoyed Margaret Atwood’s writing and the audiobook was beautifully narrated by Elisabeth Moss. Aspects of the story appealed to my intellect, but emotionally, I didn’t connect. Despite of my attempt to rationalise this, I still find it a bit strange. Whether I will pick up The Testaments remains to be seen.
Title: The Handmaid's Tale [1985]
Author: Margaret Atwood
Format: Audiobook, narrated by Elisabeth Moss
Genre: Dystopia, Literary Fiction
Brilliant review! I tried reading this book and listening to a sample of the audiobook ages ago and it’s never grabbed me. Whether I’ll try again sometime I don’t know. I’m glad you shared your review as I don’t feel so inclined to try, probably not a book for me.
Thanks Nicki! It is one of those stories, I thought was bound to make a huge impression on me, but it just didn’t happen. If you already had to give up once, I would probably leave it. I didn’t think that it suddenly picked up and became more interesting later in the book.
that’s great advice thank you! 🙂
Great review! Given this book’s reputation as a modern classic, I was also underwhelmed. It makes some great points, and Atwood can certainly write, but I felt there were several underdeveloped threads, and its take on feminism lacked intersectionality.
Yes, exactly, underwhelmed describes my experience as well. Not sure why it has achieved modern classic status. Of course its reputation affected my expectations and it is a lot easier to become disappointed, when your expectations are sky high. I had to google intersectionality – still thinking about that one 😉
This is a beautiful analysis and review. I think you helped me pinpoint why this didn’t work for me. I never was connected to the story and its characters. You have tempted me with the audio, especially read by Moss, however! 😊
Thanks! 😀 To be fair Moss did an amazing job with the narration. And yet, it didn’t really work for me either. I wanted to love it, but alas… no such luck.
Great review! I am happy I chose to watch the show, there’s something about the book that doesn’t appeal to me, and I don’t know what it is!
Thanks Meggy! I haven’t watched the show, but I think I would have enjoyed that more than the book.
I’m personally not a fan of this book, so it doesn’t surprise me that it left you cold. I don’t think it’s easy to connect to the mc. I’m not crazy about the world building either (I think what you said about the “what’s new?” side partly applies to how I felt about it- although I also just thought it wasn’t justified/well developed enough imo) Also, Never let me go also made me a wreck as well, so clearly we have similar tastes 😉 Great review!
Yes, it does sound like we are on the same page (so to speak) regarding this one. I also agree, the world building could have been better developed and personally, I would have liked to read more about the transition from the old to the new world. The bits included about this transition were quite interesting. Thanks! 😀
I completely agree with you! No problem! 🙂
Wonderful review! I haven’t read the novel but totally loved the tv series. Offred might not have been able to act a lot (there are a few things though where she’s taking risks and she’s definitely the leader, you can feel that) but you can see the resistance in her eyes alone. I saw the actress in other series but she’s brilliant here. I’m sorry this one didn’t work out for you. I hope you get a chance to watch it and compare then.
Thanks Inge!😃 I am willing to give the tv series a go. Elisabeth Moss (the lead actress from the tv show) was narrating the audiobook and I thought she did an excellent job. I don’t think, I have ever seen her on screen, but I could imagine she would be good as Offred.
I am so glad that I didn’t miss this review – such a great analysis! I read this soon after it was published and again a couple of years ago. And on both occasions it left me cold, just as you describe. I re-read it in the hope that I could see what made it such a great novel to so many others and certainly I appreciated the quality of the writing more but I was still left cold. In part, I think that it is a ‘cold’ novel: the tone is detached and even. Offred is distant. But perhaps because she has effectively been stripped of her original identity so far as she is seen by others and perhaps because she must constantly suppress outward display and her memories for her own self-protection. I started watching the tv adaptation but gave up. Too slow, too self-contained. And I doubt that I’ll try The Testaments. (Elizabeth Moss btw, is a brilliant actress and ideal to play Offred. She has a self-contained presence in everything I’ve seen her play.)
Thanks Sandra. Yes, I see what you mean, it is a ‘cold’ novel. And it is true about Offred as well, it might be a natural consequence of her circumstances that she is so difficult to connect with. But my favourite books, shows, paintings etc. all have in common, that they appeal to my feelings as well as my intellect and that was not the case for The Handmaid’s Tale. At this stage, I think it is highly unlikely I will pick up The Testaments. I am willing to try the tv adaptation though.
Appeal to the feelings as well as the intellect… Absolutely! If you try the tv version, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
An incredible analysis of The Handmaid’s Tale – I really enjoyed reading this! I also completely understand where you are coming from regarding not connecting with Offred, and looking back I have no real connection to her as a character, other than obviously the huge feeling of sympathy for the situation as a whole. Even though she is our narrator she does detach herself from the story a bit, but I saw this as a coping mechanism for her during the retelling, if that makes sense?
I am so glad you enjoyed the review! It makes completely sense, if Offred’s detachment is some sort of coping mechanism. But it makes it more difficult for me to enjoy a story, when I don’t connect with or at least feel something for the protagonist. I am clearly in the minority in not liking The Handmaid’s Tale and I am glad you enjoyed both that one and The Testaments. Perhaps, I will make an attempt on The Testaments, when I have recovered from being somewhat disappointed with The Handmaid’s Tale.
Great review. It’s hard to come to book like this that has been so successfully adapted and talked about ans still see it without preconceptions and fresh eyes. Will you bother with the sequel?
Thanks! You are right – so much has been said about this book and everyone has a view on the book and/or the television adaption. I wonder, if reading it without knowing anything in advance would have been a better experience? Certainly, my expectations wouldn’t have been as high as they were. I don’t feel inclined to read the sequel at this stage, but perhaps in the future. Thanks for stopping by!
I’m surprised you didn’t find this more impressionable. I think it’s such a great novel and Atwood writes brilliantly in the voice of Offred. Have you watched the TV series? 😊
Trust me, I was surprised as well. But then again, I guess it’s a good thing, we don’t all like the same books. I haven’t watched the TV series yet, but I am willing to give it a go. Thanks for stopping by!
Often, it isn’t a good idea to have expectations. They distract our focus (or can and sometimes do distract our focus) from what an author is trying to say. After reading your review I was even more of a mind to reread The Handmaid’s Tale. I should have done so before I read The Testaments. However, I read the latter with no expectations other than “It’s margaret Atwood!”, and I enjoyed it immensely.
Yes, it is much better without expectations! But how do you manage that with a novel such as The Handmaid’s Tale, which everyone has been talking about? Even without any expectations, I doubt it would have become a favourite. I just couldn’t get emotionally involved at all, which to me is only a good thing, when I read nonfiction. I am glad, you enjoyed both The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments, that seems to be the case for most people. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your opinion!