Tag: The Handmaid’s Tale

The Power by Naomi Alderman

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I picked this up in one of my favourite bookshops ever – it is a little Oxfam Bookshop which always has the most wonderful collection of titles, and you feel like you are doing a little bit of good whenever you donate or purchase from this little establishment.

So, on a very cold November Saturday morning, I popped in and found a bargain unread copy of ‘The Power’ and I could not leave it on the shelf. I had been asked by a few friends if I had read it and I had kept saying no so I thought it was about time I turned that answer to a ‘yes’. I had also spotted that Hayley (Hayley from Home) had picked up a copy, so I felt inspired.

I found the idea of this novel fascinating; from the title to the story, there is so much in this book that I am not sure I can do it justice in a blog post. I am not often stuck for words with a book that I have enjoyed but I feel that this is the sort of book that you need to be able to have a very informed discussion about. So, I am just going to give it my version of a review.

Immediately, I was gripped by the idea of the role-reversal in society and, in fact, what an impact that would have on the world. It is ridiculous to think that women having ‘power’ should be such a dramatic tale as we grow up in the 21st century but, sadly, I think it would be a shock to some of those in the world. In fact, ‘power’ was such a significant word throughout the novel because it took on so many different meanings throughout the book, strength and control being just two of them.

I was fascinated by the way that it addressed the interpretations that people can have of the same information. The religious ideas in the tale suggest that if things had been interpreted differently, would it be a woman that would be found to be central to the beliefs and ideas in the world?

The structure of the tale, looking at how ‘The Power’ impacts a variety of different figures, makes the novel a page-turner, as you are keen to see what awaits each character. I did on occasion find that some of the tale was a little longer and my attention was not always focused, but I was still keen to know what would happen next. I have not read many tales like this one, other than ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ (which I read earlier this year), but I am ready to seek out more tales like this one as I find that they really do make you think and challenge the world that we are in. I enjoy being made to think about the world we live in and question what we know as fact.

Have you read ‘The Power’? How did you find it? Any other books you would recommend along these themes?

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

So, I have finally picked up this book – I know I am very late to the party with ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’.

I have heard so much about this book and Hayley from Home is a huge fan, so she inspired me to finally pick it up and give it a go (as well as it being the title for this month’s #BookClub140). I had a bit of an idea of the plot and, to be honest, I think that put me off for a while as it seemed a little bit depressing. However, I was so wrong; I could not put the book down and it really appealed to the history geek in me.

It is true that it is a rather hard-hitting storyline and there are clearly influences from our history that have helped form the plot, but I actually found it fascinating and thought provoking. It really does make you realise that we take an awful lot of our freedom for granted and that it is a delicate balance that avoids us slipping into such a terrifying reality.

The narrator’s voice is perfect throughout the novel. You empathise with her from the first line and you have a continuing desire to find out what her story is and where it may go; this is certainly what kept me turning the page. The characters were incredibly rounded and fascinating, considering their roles were so carefully defined in society. You do feel resentment towards those characters that appear to be privileged in society but they all, also, have demons that seem to be haunting them. There is the fear of not fulfilling the role you have been placed in, as well as the constant memory of the past and what may have been. The cliffhanger ending really does leave you with your imagination going off in all sorts of directions, never really knowing which are correct.

The final ‘chapter’ that suggests that this society is being studied is something that had really caught my imagination as a teacher. It left me thinking about the way we teach about societies of the past and when we may have been close to similar situations in our past.

I did not find this a difficult or harrowing read, but I am not sure that I am quite prepared for the television adaptation as this is taking the story out of my own safe imagination and possibly bringing it closer to reality.

Have you read any other of Margaret Atwood’s books? If so, where would you recommend me to venture next?