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The Handmaid's Tale

The iconic Sunday Times bestseller that inspired the hit TV series

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The Handmaid's Tale

By: Margaret Atwood
Narrated by: Amy Landecker, Ann Dowd, Bradley Whitford, Elisabeth Moss
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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.

** THE SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER **

Discover the dystopian novel that started a phenomenon.

Offred is a Handmaid in The Republic of Gilead. 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.

'A fantastic, chilling story. And so powerfully feminist' Bernadine Evaristo

‘As relevant today as it was when Atwood wrote it’ Guardian

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

 Classics Dystopian Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Science Fiction Women's Voices World Literature
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Critic Reviews

A fantastic, chilling story. And so powerfully feminist (Bernadine Evaristo, author of GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER)
Compulsively readable
Out of a narrative shadowed by terror, gleam sharp perceptions, brilliant intense images and sardonic wit
The Handmaid's Tale is both a superlative exercise in science fiction and a profoundly felt moral story (Angela Carter)
Moving, vivid and terrifying. I only hope it's not prophetic
The images of brilliant emptiness are one of the most striking aspects of this novel about totalitarian blindness...the effect is chilling
Powerful...admirable (Robert Irwin)
It's hard to believe it is 25 years since it was first published, but its freshness, its anger and its disciplined, taut prose have grown more admirable in the intervening years... Atwood's novel was an ingenious enterprise that showed, with out hysteria, the real dangers to women of closing their eyes to patriarchal oppression
Turned 25 this year and...worth re-reading. As you grow, such books grow with you
Fiercely political and bleak, yet witting and wise...this novel seems ever more vital in the present day
All stars
Most relevant
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.

Fantastic

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This book is literally the best book I’ve ever read, listened to, experienced. It was absolutely breathtaking in the way it was written, giving the reader insight and over explanation but with also enough vagueness to keep a reader thinking. It’s honestly the best book I’ve ever read. The scary reality of this book in this modern world is incredibly realistic and pray it’ll never come to be but the way it’s portrayed makes the reader feel like it’s really happening to them and feeling all the pain and hurt surrounding the characters. Absolutely brilliant 10/10

Incredibly brilliant and breathtaking, 10/10

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I loved that the actress from the TV show was the narrator of the audiobook. It made the whole story flow well from book to tv show when I watched/listed to both. Very engaging.

I really enjoyed it.

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What a concept! A male dominated world where women are treated as mindless baby makers. Oh wait......isn't that what we've got already?
Seriously though, this is a very well written and narrated story. Highly recommend it.

fascinating!

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I’ve seen the show and decided to give the book a crack. It’s a very slow burn kind of story compared with the show, but the point is that it’s offreds introspection and reads like a monologue, which is why Elizabeth moss’s narration is perfect. Loved every minute, very thought provoking indeed

An introspective monologue

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