The Handmaid's Tale is a radical departure for Margaret Atwood. Set in the near future, in a locale that oddly resembles Cambridge, Massachusetts, it describes life in what was once the United States. Now, however, it has become the Republic of Gilead, a monolithic theocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans, and has gone far beyond them. This regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for women, and for men as well.
The story is told through the eyes of Offred, one of the unfortunate "Handmaids" under the new social order. In condensed but eloquent prose, by turns cool-eyed, tender, despairing, passionate, and wry, she reveals to us the dark corners behind the establishment's calm facade, as certain tendencies now in existence are carried to their logical conclusions.
The …
The Handmaid's Tale is a radical departure for Margaret Atwood. Set in the near future, in a locale that oddly resembles Cambridge, Massachusetts, it describes life in what was once the United States. Now, however, it has become the Republic of Gilead, a monolithic theocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans, and has gone far beyond them. This regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for women, and for men as well.
The story is told through the eyes of Offred, one of the unfortunate "Handmaids" under the new social order. In condensed but eloquent prose, by turns cool-eyed, tender, despairing, passionate, and wry, she reveals to us the dark corners behind the establishment's calm facade, as certain tendencies now in existence are carried to their logical conclusions.
The Handmaid's Tale is A Clockwork Orange as seen by women: unexpected, funny, horrifying, and altogether convincing. the book is at once a mordant satire and a dire warning. this is Atwood in top form.
Stejnojmenný seriál mě zaujal, takže jsem si zákonitě musel přečíst i knihu. Ta odpovídá jen prvním dílům seriálu. Popisuje dystopický svět, kde se přestaly rodit děti a moc převzali muži, kteří z některých žen udělaly jen nádoby na plození dětí. Napsáno je to poutavě, čtivě a přitom člověku v hlavě naskakují různé otázky. Doporučuji.
Una novela interesante por tratar una serie de temas en intersección: cuestiones feministas que la propia autora matiza en la introducción a la obra y que dan pie a debates interesantes; la hipocresía y la fragilidad de la masculinidad; los peligros del autoritarismo leído bajo el claro prisma de la Guerra Fría y que ahora muta en la forma de las distopías. Leer esta obra permite que todos estos temas sean tratados y que las conclusiones formadas al respeto sean plurales y no por ello menos interesantes.
Tras toda la expectación generada alrededor de este libro, quizá me esperaba otra cosa. Abordé esta lectura sin haber visto la serie, por lo que iba completamente en blanco respecto a los detalles de la trama. La narración abarca un periodo más breve de tiempo de lo que esperaba y, en mi opinión, podría haberse aprovechado para hacer reflexiones más profundas, dar un mayor trasfondo a todo lo representado. En cambio, la acción se centra en torno a una protagonista a la que nunca llegamos a conocer del todo (y, en mi caso, tampoco a encariñarme). En general, la historia me ha resultado plana y no me ha dejado con un regusto intenso. El planteamiento es, por supuesto, muy interesante, pero no me ha resultado una lectura enriquecedora y, en cierto modo, me he sentido decepcionada.
