The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Set in a present-day dystopian society, the United States underwent a regime and was renamed Gilead; the purged country became a theocracy, a society ruled by religion, and the entire country has to abide by God’s laws. In what used to be near Boston, a Handmaid named Offred experiences dark thoughts about society and observes and recalls her story of living in the terrifying society. Throughout the book, Offred tells shocking moments that could indicate her rebellion against such a totalitarian society.

The Handmaid’s Tale was published in 1985 and has hints of Fahrenheit 451 and George Orwell’s 1984; all of them resembling an almost unrealistic future dystopian society, but still seems scarily accurate. Made into a Hulu TV show just last year, the Handmaid’s Tale is an excellent read and a great show to binge-watch. Atwood does a great job of writing a novel in her own style. With a lot of proverbs and wise sayings, she creates a sense of a sort of “propaganda” by incorporating religion greatly. I would highly recommend both the book and the show- they’re both outstanding!

Book review by Diana Ho