review by showhost
The
Handmaids Tale is a strange book full of prose, which I often skipped through
towards the end. I had to finish it to
see what happened but it was a damp squid. What a difference from her
other book I read 'Oryx & Crake' which I loved.
Basically
the world has been taken over by a theological group and women are subservient
in an oppressive society, the Republic
of Gilead. The
world suffered some sort of atomic fallout, families were separated, telephone
lines ceased to function and bank accounts disappeared.
The
handmaids wear the same uniform and their role in each household is to reproduce.
The maker of the child is supposedly the 'commander' who's wife is either past
childbearing age or is unable to produce. Although, if the commander is
past it then desperation could arrange for the doctor or the chauffer to offer
their services. Households who manage to
produce a healthy baby, not a mutant, are considered in a higher esteem than
those that don’t.
You are
forbidden to speak or to have any kind of remnant from the past; magazines,
papers, clothes, makeup, pens, anything. The commander and his wife run
the household. If you speak ill of the establishment or commit any other ‘crimes’
you are either sent to the colonies (which is a radioactive place where you
will die of radiation sickness) or executed on the wall in public with
your head covered.
The story
centres around one handmaid, Offred, her thoughts and her daily life, until the
eye, the dreaded van finally comes for her.
That’s it!
An example
of the type of prose: ‘I sit in my room, at the window, waiting. In my
hand is a handful of crumpled stars. This could be the last time I have
to wait. But I don't know what I am waiting for, What are you
waiting for? They used to say. That meant hurry up. No answer
was expected. For what are you waiting is a different question and I have
no answer for that one either. Yes it isn't waiting exactly. Its more
like a form of suspension. Without suspense. At last there is no
time’.
I found ‘Oryx and Crake clever and amusing but this book
didn’t raise a smile at all.
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