I read the Handmaid’s Tale yesterday, finally. I’m disappointed. I did not like the writing style at all, there was no real story, just descriptions. And then it just ended. No conclusion or anything.
My best guess it’s because the TV show was so intense and well made (at least the earlier seasons), and the book was… Not? Episodes would stay with me for days, but I’m struggling to recall the book already.
Maybe the book is supposed to be unsatisfying to go with the theme. Nothing much happened after Gilead was created, every day just kinda goes by. Sure there was some torture and death, but… Eh.
Maybe I was expecting too much after all the praise it got. It’s my first Atwood book, and way way outside of my usual genre (fantasy, scifi, horror).
What did you all think of it?
You have to remember, it was written in a time when all of this was just a warning of a possible future, not everyday reality. The Gilead people haven’t won yet in the US but they’re damn close.
It must be terrifying living there (in the US) right now, which probably makes it scarier if you’re that close to it as well.