The Republic of Gilead offers Offred only one option; to breed. if she deviates, she will, like all dissenters, be hanged at the wall or sent out to die slowly of radiation sickness. But even a repressive state cannot obliterate desire - neither Offred's nor that of the two men on which her future hangs.
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The Handmaid's Tale follows the life of Offred as she begins her posting at the home of a high ranking official in Gilead. Offred is not there as a secretary, cook or cleaner; she is there to breed. The population of Gilead are struggling to produce healthy babies, in fact they are struggling to produce children at all. The position of Handmaid has been formed in order to combat this. The young and hopefully fertile Handmaids are sent to stay with high ranking men and their wives, where they take part in rituals with the aim of them becoming pregnant. Offred is one such Handmaid and this is her story.
Offred was a fabulous character, I enjoyed her determination to remain true to herself in the face of such horrifying treatment. I liked her from the moment I met her, she came across as a dynamic and independent woman forced into a life of slavery. This created much conflict within Offred and the struggle was evident from the very first chapter. It made for excellent reading as her inner musings became more detailed and eye opening. As the story progresses the reader is made aware of how she came to be in this predicament, and how Offred is now destined to die serving her country in this way.
I enjoyed the story and found it an addictive read. The short, straight to the point sentences make it fast pace, while the descriptive writing makes the story jump off the page. The picture perfect facade of the homes, streets and town hides a very dark and terrifying world. It leaves the reader constantly on edge in the same way Offred is, you can feel the oppression and fear seeping from the narrative. All his combines to make a book that is hard to put down but leaves the reader fearful of the events to come.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.
An excellent book which sends shivers down your spine. As horrifying as it is brilliant, and a story that I highly recommend.
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