"Offred is a Handmaid
in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and
his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures
instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must
lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her
pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other
Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can
remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her
husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she
had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that
is gone now..." (Goodreads)
My Review
★★
Finally
finished it. I was just waiting for this book to end. I didn't like it.
I found it confusing and hard to follow. I sympathized with Offred, but
that was about it. I didn't like or truly care about any of the
characters, except Offred's nameless daughter, who was a blip. There was
no historical context from Offred, and by the time I got to the
epilogue I no longer cared. I was bored. The society of Gilead ties
with, if not overtakes, the society in the Hunger Games. It's a
religious extremist society, which is infuriating. I don't like
religious extremism, especially where women are told what they can and
can't do with their bodies. In Gilead, they're required to have babies.
That's all they're good for. Which is bullshit. I know I'm not supposed
to like the governments in dystopian literature. But hell. Man or woman,
I wouldn't want to live there. At least in other societies, women are
allowed to keep their dignity and independence. But not here.
