At first, I had trouble picking a book for the creative project because the titles did not really capture my attention. However, when my friends and I met at the library to discuss student council issues, Jenn started telling us about how interesting and weird The Handmaid’s Tale was. The scenes she described were very graphic and I became curious as to what the book was about. I ended up borrowing the book from the library before I went home.
Unlike other times where I find the beginning to be a bit boring and dry, I was actually hooked on the book immediately. The plot somewhat reminded me of 1984 with the totalitarian government and anti-government group. The language was not hard to understand and dark tone and mood of the story captured my attention. It actually motivated me to finish the book because I really wanted to know what happened to Offred at the end.
Although I enjoyed the book immensely, I am not sure if I would recommend this to others. If I did, I would only recommend The Handmaid’s Tale to adults. The book was a bit too heavy and dark for me. There were too many instances and allusions to sex and suicide. It was so hard for me to read through some of the vulgar scenes that I ended up only skimming them.
However, the book was very interesting and I learned how much a totalitarian government can affect a person. Moira, who was a very independent and fierce character, ended up as a broken, hopeless prostitute despite courageously escaping the Red Center.
Overall, though it was a bit different from the usual summer reading books, I really enjoyed The Handmaid’s Tale. I don’t regret picking this book at all.
