The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.
I have had The Handmaid’s Tale on my kindle for over a year. I kept putting it off because I watched the series and have a mild book addition, so kept putting others in front of it.
As a part of my personal growth, I signed up for Master Class. (So far it has been fantastic.) The first class I took was Margaret Atwood’s class on writing. The class was beyond valuable for me and hit on every raw writer’s nerve I possess. So, I made a commitment to read The Handmaid’s Tale. I am so glad I did.
The series is very similar to the book, with a few notable exceptions. I think a person can enjoy them both independent of one another, although I do suggest reading the book. Something about Margaret’s writing style pulls you deeper into the story than when watching it on screen.
You feel it, every painful detail.
The story picks up after the United States has shifted politically, religiously, and with regard to personal freedoms. The primary narrator walks you through the changes as she experienced them unfold in her life. You watch her plummet from a woman we would all recognize today into a woman controlled and monitored for what her body offers others.
It is a gritty and deeply disturbing story. Margaret Atwood does not pull a single punch, and they land HARD. This one is a challenging read. It made me so angry a few times I had to put down, but that is the best part about great books. They make us feel and see in ways that we do not always like in the moment, but love later.
I also purchased The Blind Assassin, by Margaret Atwood, looking forward to reading it soon.