First published in 1985, The Handmaid's Tale is a novel of such power that the reader is unable to forget its images and its forecast. With more than two million copies in print, it is Margaret Atwood's most popular and compelling novel. Set in the near future, it describes life in what once was the United States, now called the Republic of Gilead. Reacting to social unrest, and a sharply declining birthrate, the new regime has reverted to -- even gone beyond -- the repressive tolerance of the original Puritans. Offred is a ...
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First published in 1985, The Handmaid's Tale is a novel of such power that the reader is unable to forget its images and its forecast. With more than two million copies in print, it is Margaret Atwood's most popular and compelling novel. Set in the near future, it describes life in what once was the United States, now called the Republic of Gilead. Reacting to social unrest, and a sharply declining birthrate, the new regime has reverted to -- even gone beyond -- the repressive tolerance of the original Puritans. Offred is a Handmaid who 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 she is only valued as long as her 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. Funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing, The Handmaid's Tale is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and tour de force.
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Add this copy of The Handmaid's Tale (1st U. S. Paper Cover) to cart. $38.50, very good condition, Sold by Gene W. Baade Books on West rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Renton, WA, UNITED STATES, published 1986 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good. 1st printing of U. S. edition in pictorial wraps. 311pp. Once you wade through all the listening of big box mass market booksellers who don't actually know how to describe their copy, you get down to a few booksellers who know that they're talking about and have the book in hand. This copy "in hand" and vg+.
Add this copy of The Handmaid's Tale to cart. $57.00, very good condition, Sold by Brazos Bend Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Houston, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1986 by Houghton Mifflin.
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Seller's Description:
Near Fine in Near Fine jacket. Book Second printing of first American edition. About Near Fine in like dust jacket. Brief (non-authorial) gift inscription on half-title page. No other marks. Corners sharp, binding tight. Jacket is free of any chips or tears. Publisher's $16.95 price intact on front flap. 311 pages.
Add this copy of The Handmaid's Tale to cart. $57.27, very good condition, Sold by Zubal Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Cleveland, OH, UNITED STATES, published 1986 by Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company.
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Seller's Description:
First edition, first printing, with the complete number row; 311, [1] pp., hardcover, very good in an edge-rubbed, price-clipped dust jacket. -If you are reading this, this item is actually (physically) in our stock and ready for shipment once ordered. We are not bookjackers. Buyer is responsible for any additional duties, taxes, or fees required by recipient's country.
Add this copy of The Handmaid's Tale to cart. $58.00, good condition, Sold by Singing Saw Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Portland, OR, UNITED STATES, published 1986 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Add this copy of The Handmaid's Tale to cart. $62.00, very good condition, Sold by Collins Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Seattle, WA, UNITED STATES, published 1986 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good in Very Good jacket. 311pp. octavo hoardbound. tight binding. faded boards, light cover wear. previous owner's name on front paste-down. interior clean throughout. dj: faded, lightly worn.
Add this copy of The Handmaid's Tale to cart. $72.00, very good condition, Sold by Argosy Book Store rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from New York, NY, UNITED STATES, published 1986 by Houghton Mifflin.
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Near fine in fine jacket. [8]. 311 pages. 8vo, blue cloth-backed boards, d.w. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, (1986). First edition, third printing. Pages are a bit toned at edges, else a fine copy in fine dust wrapper.
Add this copy of The Handmaid's Tale to cart. $83.01, new condition, Sold by Just one more Chapter rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Miramar, FL, UNITED STATES, published 1988 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Add this copy of The Handmaid's Tale to cart. $97.00, good condition, Sold by Row by Row Bookshop rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sugar Grove, NC, UNITED STATES, published 1986 by Houghton Mifflin.
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Seller's Description:
Good in Very Good jacket. First Printing. A Good copy (small owner's name) in gray and blue hard covers of the first U.S. printing, in a Very Good or slightly better dust jacket. Tanning at the outer edges of the text block, clean/unmarked within. The publisher's promotional postcard is laid in. (Not ex-library. )
Add this copy of The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood (Houghton to cart. $107.00, good condition, Sold by Neutral Balloon Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Ardmore, PA, UNITED STATES, published 1986 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
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Good. Size: 9x6x1; First U.S. edition first printing with a full number line, Houghton Mifflin Company 1986. Interior looks free of underlining and highlighting. DJ has discoloration on the inside flap where it has been glued to the covers. Wear to the exterior. Please see pictures for condition.
Add this copy of The Handmaid's Tale to cart. $147.00, very good condition, Sold by Bren-Books.Com rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Rockville, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1986 by Houghton Mifflin.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good in Very Good jacket. Book 1986 Houghton Mifflin FIRST edition of Atwood's acclaimed futuristic novel. This book is in VG/VG condition. The HB is clean with a long inscription on the ffep. The DJ is unclipped and has minor wear at the spine ends. BONUS BOOK: "The Testaments", 1st Edition in F/F Condition. **Brenbooks specializes in first edition books made into films.
This book has received a lot of favorable reviews as portraying a woman's plight in a dystopic society, revealed in a diary. Unfortunately, the approach is one of narrating a story with too many characters to follow, very little dialogue, often interspersed with many confusing flashbacks that make it very hard to follow. The causation for the environment setting isn't revealed until more than half way through the book, which might have helped if it had been done a lot earlier. The writing was excellent but the story and ending don't class it as a best seller for me.
Curmudgeon
Oct 21, 2014
Tritely (science) fictional
Implausible situation even considering the time when written. That the "heroine" would be so brain washed that she forgot her adulthood (past life) in a relatively short time frame, estimated at ca. a decade, rings with contriteness. Story seems redundantly arcane, infused with historical references to previous societies sprinkled throughout.
photoshock
Jul 13, 2014
A Prescient Tale
Like so many of the famous tales of the future, The Handmaids Tale is a prescient look into a dystopian future where, in America, the religionists rule by fiat. None can stand against their rules for in this tale, the Bible has become the law and anyone who breaks the law has also sinned against the ruling party's dictates.
The fact is that The Handmaids Tale is one engrossing and revelatory story. I heartily recommend this story to all who have read, Animal Farm, Brave New World, 1984 and so many others of this genre.
Carol B
Sep 3, 2010
Not original but well done.
Not as good as "1984," but still good enough. Would have been better had the final disc not been so damaged that I missed the (predictable) ending.
carriej
Aug 25, 2009
Tough - but Worth It
This was the first book I read after joining a book club. It was WAY outside of my comfy box of Dan Brown & Harry Potter. This book really made me THINK for a change. I thought about concepts that I had never imagined possible before!! Scary - life changing concepts about how easily it would be for my money and freedom to be taken away. It's been 3 years since I read this book - and I STILL think about the ideas I was introduced to regularly. Excellent read. Great for broadening ideas about life. Great for book club discussions.
