The Handmaid's Tale - BoundCovers

308 pages

Published Feb. 1, 1993 by Heinemann Educational Publishers.

ISBN:: 978-0-435-12409-0

(1 review)

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.

Also contained in: Novels

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.

Also contained in: Novels

33 editions

gabriel reviewed EL CUENTO DE LA CRIADA by Margaret Atwood

De las distopías más interesantes

5 stars

Content warning Spoilers de “El cuento de la criada”

El género de libros que más me ha interesado han sido los libros distópicos, el hecho que expliquen el mundo/país muy a lo futurista con tecnología diferente (“Un Mundo Feliz”) es muy interesante, contando con el punto de vista de un hombre que quiere cambiar o piensa diferente al resto; pero esta novela no se va a lo futurista y usa elementos de su actualidad, en el libro “1984” se puede decir que todas las personas eran víctimas al no tener pensamiento propio, en esta se centra en específicamente el maltrato que hacen hacia las mujeres, separándolas mediante su fertilidad o infertilidad; haciendo que las mujeres fértiles solo sirvan para concebir mediante una “ceremonia” que implica la la criada, la esposa y el comandante haciendo un acto horrible. Lo que no me gustó tanto, pero a su vez es un punto favor hablándolo narrativamente, son los flashbacks que cuentan antes de Gilead y la experiencia con las “Tías”; lo mejor fue saber poco antes de la protagonista (Offred/Defred) la cuál hablan sobre su familia y cómo fue el cambio tan repentino al poner la ley que las mujeres ya no pueden trabajar y no tienen control de su propio dinero. A mi opinión ocupa más mérito y hasta me culpo de no haberlo leído antes.