This next book is one that you have probably already heard of and may have even read already. I know it is both popular and controversial. However, neither of those are why I read it. Ever since I was a teenage I’ve been working my way through this list, “500 books every teen should read” and this book is on there. I’ve only just now found a copy for me to read. Despite its popularity, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is surprisingly hard to find. This book tells the story of a woman, known only as Offred, who is a handmaid though not in the traditional sense. She lives in a society where every person and every role is strictly regimented, at least in public anyways. Her role as a handmaid is one of the stricter ones as she does certain things at certain times of the day on certain days of the week and always in specific certain ways. As a handmaid she also has a lot of time where she does nothing. Time she spends wondering about what-ifs and if-onlies. Where she is faced with her growing numbness to her own reality. Eventually, things start to change but in ways she is not prepared for and not certain she can handle.
I had absolutely no idea what this book was actually about going in. Having read it though, I can see where it may be considered controversial. I don’t agree with people who say it is a bad book or that no one should read it but I can agree with those who say it is a difficult book. This book deals with a lot of different topics and themes, a lot of which are potentially negative. I was not prepared when I finally got to the reveal of what exactly is the role of the handmaid and how they are expected to go about fulfilling it. Even more so for the reveal of what would happen if they failed. That was bad enough but then through Offred’s reminiscing we see bits and pieces of how society wen from what it was before to what it was now. The society before sounds remarkably similar to our own and seems to have been either our time or a time in the not-too-distant future. I am unsure which one. It also seems to take place in what had been the United States. Even without getting a full picture of what exactly happened the idea that our society can turn into that is rather disturbing. I think this is probably one of the biggest reasons the book is considered controversial. The book itself is incredibly well-written and paints a rather sad and compelling story. We see this woman, who was obviously intelligent and fiercely passionate at one point in time, as a woman reduced to using butter as a hand lotion. I think that is one of the worst things about the book, honestly. I find it absolutely heartbreaking to read about a society or culture that is here, in a supposedly modern country, where a woman can be punished for having enough reading skill to play a game of scrabble. It depicts a society where there is very little genuine emotion, beyond maybe boredom, about much of anything. At the same time reading something like this can really open your eyes to the possibilities, good or bad, of where a society or culture can go. I would give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars.
I said earlier that I can see why this book is considered difficult or controversial. It has a lot of mature and dark themes, but ones that hopefully will make you think. I can’t think of a specific group that may enjoy this, unless you enjoy reading dystopian novels, so I am going to suggest that everyone consider trying it. However, I am going to also say that there are some difficult and mature scenes so it should only be read by adults. I do not think it is necessarily appropriate for younger readers without appropriate discussions and contemplation before and after about the content it contains. Even then it is not suitable for kids or younger teenagers. It is a good book though and I hope you will consider trying it. Let me know if you do and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.