Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived …
Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now...
Brossura, 315 pagine
lingua English
Pubblicato il 10 Settembre 2019 da Anchor Books.
Je ne savais rien de ce roman – je n'avais pas vu la série – si ce n'est que c'était une dystopie. Et j'ai été impressionné par la qualité et la profondeur de l'écriture. Ça confirme ma conviction qu'il vaut toujours mieux lire un livre avant d'en voir une adaptation.
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.
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).
I read this classic just two years ago. It felt more relevant to the present than it may have been when it was written. This book is a revolutionary milestone in speculative fiction and probably feminist literature as well, but I found equally interesting that the text is based on progressive loss of innocence. The final chapter is incredible and left me very satisfied.
I read this classic just two years ago. It felt more relevant to the present than it may have been when it was written. This book is a revolutionary milestone in speculative fiction and probably feminist literature as well, but I found equally interesting that the text is based on progressive loss of innocence. The final chapter is incredible and left me very satisfied.
Anche qui forse 4,5 e non 5 - ma comunque un libro davvero bello, forte e evocativo. Una distopia adulta, vista dall'"interno" (non dal punto di vista di un eroe) dove l'associazione di cui avevo sentito parlare con 1984 non suona così improbabile.
Prima di questo libro (precedente e non poco come stesura) avevo letto Vox (che affronta aspetti simili, con un tono e uno stile però davvero molto differenti) ma se di quel libro avevo avuto riserve de Il racconto dell'ancella il consiglio di lettura è assolutamente certo e scontato.
Molto bello. Scritto con pacatezza, quasi distacco, affronta temi importantissimi sulle donne e i regimi totalitari e avvince il lettore con l'attesa di qualcosa che aleggia nell'aria e sembra sempre in attesa di colpire. Tutto scorre lento e scandito da ritmi precisi. Il racconto descrive un tentativo quasi delirante di creare una società migliore, descritto dalla stessa protagonista, quasi come se lo vivesse dall'esterno o in un altro tempo. E in un certo qual modo ciò è vero, come si scopre alla fine del racconto. Ci vogliono un pò di pagine per farsi coinvolgere, ma il risultato è raggiunto!
