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The Handmaid's Tale cover art

The Handmaid's Tale

By: Margaret Atwood
Narrated by: Amy Landecker,Ann Dowd,Bradley Whitford,Elisabeth Moss
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Publisher's Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.  

Shortlisted for Audiobook of the Year at the British Book Awards 2020.

Winner of Best Audiobook (Fiction) at the New York Festival Radio Awards 2020.

Read by Elisabeth Moss, star of the hit Channel 4 TV series.

Go back to where it all began with the dystopian novel behind the award-winning TV series.

I believe in the resistance as I believe there can be no light without shadow; or rather, no shadow unless there is also light.

Offred is a Handmaid in The Republic of Gilead, a religious totalitarian state in what was formerly known as the United States. She is placed in the household of The Commander, Fred Waterford - her assigned name, Offred, means 'of Fred'. She has only one function: to breed. If Offred refuses to enter into sexual servitude to repopulate a devastated world, she will be hanged. Yet even a repressive state cannot eradicate hope and desire. As she recalls her pre-revolution life in flashbacks, Offred must navigate through the terrifying landscape of torture and persecution in the present day, and between two men upon which her future hangs.

Masterfully conceived and executed, this haunting vision of the future places Margaret Atwood at the forefront of dystopian fiction 

©2011 O W Toad Ltd (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

"As relevant today as it was when Atwood wrote it." (Guardian)

"A fantastic, chilling story. And so powerfully feminist." (Bernardine Evaristo, author of Girl, Woman, Other)
 

"This beautifully produced audiobook version of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale will whet appetites for its long-awaited sequel, The Testaments, released in September.... The several narrators match the powerful heft of Atwood’s elegant, economical prose." (The Times)

What listeners say about The Handmaid's Tale

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Feels like it moves slower than the tv series

I know it's meant to be a story of difficulty, but it's always so detailed and everything described is compared to something else. Too much detail and it becomes grueling by the end.

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9 people found this helpful

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read beautifully by Elisabeth

listening to this book was the reason why I could finish it, because of Elisabeth's beautiful narration and it was also chosen by my bookclub... the story is so morbid and is one where there is little hope, I would not have been able to keep reading it. I kept wondering throughout how the author was able to get her feet out of bed each day whilst being immersed in the writing of this book, it's such a depressing story. It is well-written, with minute details of a sad world.

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8 people found this helpful

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Outstanding performance

I was dubious I would be able to handle the story. But the narration of the story made it human and enticing.

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5 people found this helpful

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Hard Listen

This is really, really hard book to listen to. The narrator's monotone voice makes the book drag and feel like its never ending. It took me months to finish it. But that's the point - This is a depressing, soul destroying story and the narrator executed that perfectly. I will never listen to this again, although I'm glad I persevered and finished it.

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A warning if bigots get a hold

The underlying premise, though extreme, does not appear to be beyond reality when one looks at the fanatical fever of some democracies today. However it is a little too slow for me with too much minutiae and too little scope.

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The Handmaid’s Tale

I tried to read this 20 years ago in uni, and hated it. With all the “hype” - I tried really hard to give it another go.
With a lot more maturity behind me, a pretty good grasp on Intersectional Feminism, some domestic and international politics, degrees in Education, Chemistry and Biology …

I can’t say I didn’t try… I’ve read dystopian novels before; and just read the daily paper, or your Twitter feed for a healthy dose of misogyny … but gee - this just hurt to read. (Too close to home now?) I couldn’t finish it. I made it *just* past “June’s” first Ceremonial Rape with Serena Joy.
Good luck; (or rather, Under His Eye)
Atwood’s writing is just not my cup of tea.

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Awful

Boring & awful. Don't bother with this book. I want my money back. Waste of time

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    4 out of 5 stars
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A little slow but works the imagination

great narrator , in character, good to follow with the feeling attached enjoy your listen.

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Margaret Atwood is a unique author

Margaret Atwood has taken the world and its current problems and extrapolated them to a situation that could occur in a society where men have all the power, the church (any belief taken to its extreme) takes over and tries to impress the will of "God" or substitute that for any divinity takes control and uses the word of the divinity out of context to make women conform.
That sounds terrible but I couldn't think any way of explaining the story without a 2000 word essay lol.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and I really do think that people male or female should read it because it is not out of the realms of possibility.
I am now about to start the next book.
It is read mainly in a monotonal voice but that is purposeful to make us understand the oppression and treatment of women. Even when the character speaking is day dreaming about how life was it doesn't change because she has been worn down to expect nothing, do her duties without question with no escape to another way of life. Even memories are forbidden.
I do recommend this as an excellent book. It may take a little while to get in to, but you can rewind, or go back and listen again.
Enjoy,

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Fantastic

What a brilliant read! I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this and only purchased it because I loved the televised series sooo much, but as strange as it sounds, I actually enjoyed the T.V series a lot more and am really looking forward to the release of the next season.

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