Finished up the Handmaids Tale, by Margaret Atwood. It was o.k. I enjoyed reading it, but it didn't live up to the hype. It was creepy, but I sometimes felt like the reader was being strung along by the author. By strung along I mean the following; sometimes there are details missing initially, which are not available until later in the text, even though it seems awkward and unnatural that they aren't included until later. I liked the theme of what happens when people and/or government become perverted into very strange entities sometimes with very good motivations. I liked the theme of power and subservience. The sex scene still creeps me out when I think about it. It doesn't replace George Orwell's, 1984 as far as I am concerned. It doesn't even come close. Perhaps I just didn't like the style and pacing. The end was a really unique twist on the age old, "I found this diary in the attic" meme.
I give it three of five stars. I enjoyed reading it. I am glad I borrowed it instead of buying it. I don't think I would read it again unless there were no other books.
It might make for a good movie.
June 2008
Ephemera
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This page contains a single entry by tim published on July 9, 2003 6:10 PM.
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'tis a movie, though not particularly good:
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0099731
I find it difficult to critique the style of books of the 1984/Brave New World/Clockwork Orange/Handmaid's Tale/Fahrenheit 451 genre. This was my teenage obsession, and I'm still endlessly fascinated by the sheer pessimism. Eat it up like candy as long as the imagery is good enough to scare me.
I'd make a horrible editor.
i thought it was a really interesting book. i thought that maybe it used to much details to describe some parts. The ceremony was a very interesting chapter...or concept.