First, I want to preface this post with the fact that I enjoyed Atwood’s writing; her syntactic style was unique and interesting to read, making for a smooth and enjoyable time. Also, some spoilers below:
I was prepared to love this book, often touted as an important piece of feminist writing. And while I believe the warning of what can happen in a patriarchal religious country is important, I just feel like the message lacked any… subtlety. At no point did it seem like this rapid change to life was remotely possible, which completely pulled me out of the world. Also, there seems to be a male-savior vibe going on at the end that I didn’t quite understand. Of course, I recognize that I’m a man; thus, there are more informed opinions out there that I would love to hear!
I really enjoyed the prose and figurative langauage. I thought some passages were just beautiful. However, other passages felt like exposition dumps (Moira at the little speak-easy thing, for instance). I think the book could’ve used some more pages to flesh out the world a little more. Obviously, I’m aware that the book entirely depends on a sequel, so some questions I have might be answered in the following novel. I don’t read series very often, so I don’t love cliffhangers.
I’d love to hear other thoughts on how everyone feels about the book/ whether or not the sequel is worth a read. Thanks!
by OTO-Nate