Adored it. I picked it up on a whim from a school library discard pile and am so grateful I did because the writing’s beautiful. I use excerpts of it in my Scarlet Letter unit so we can talk about women and prison and stigma.
I’m about 1/2 way through it now. I like it, but it’s very slow. Does something happen??? I also have 3 other books I’ve had on hold from the library (Girls Burn Brighter, Great Alone, and A Million Drops) to read. I’m wondering if I should continue with Alias Grace. It’s also a library book that I waited a long time for, so if I quit, I won’t be able to go back to it for a long time.
@Sharon, I have a 35 book challenge and I like to read a good challenging classic everytime I finish one, but I have added some quality fluff in, like children’s book I haven’t read but would like to, Stuart Little, Pippi Long stocking, Ozma of Oz, Little Prince, Where the Red Fern Grows. That’s so funny you say, “If I read all fluff”. I agree with what you said about enjoying the book like a fine wine. I like Margaret Atwood, so I think I’d stick to it, if I was reading it.
@Jennifer ? Just SOME fluff, but like you, I try to read a tougher classic every three or four books. I’d like to find a challenge that counts words rather than books because it’s really just ridiculousness when a Little Golden Book counts as much as Middlemarch (which took me more than a month to read). I LOVE Margaret Atwood! I’ve read one of her books in my challenge this year, and I want to read The Stone Mattress and MaddAddam.
Yes, and I shared it with my daughter. She had watched the film and wanted to see the book behind it. I read the book and saw no cause to watch the movie.
This was the first Margaret Atwood book I read and I still remember it. The factual underpinning of the novel and the introduction to the criminal system and psychiatric profession of “insanity” as a legitimate defense, especially for a woman, was thought-provoking. I also found myself often wondering who was being manipulated and why.
Margaret Atwood is a favorite author of mine. Handmaid’s Tale was my first book of hers to read. Read Alias Grace for book club and actually enjoyed the Netflix movie. Her Oryx and Crake series (+ Year of the Flood and Madd Adam) are awesome reads!
Am psyched for an 8-weeks @ 2 hours seminar of Margaret Atwood by magnificent facilitator who draws splendid participants over many years of fabulously curated themes/authors (e.g., Contemporary Asian Short Stories; 4 most recent Nobel-literature; Carib Lit).
While keep up on reviews of her Output — & love her reviews of other authors, I haven’t read Atwood since HANDMAID first published.
Appreciating your focus on her. Given time constraints, figure we’re likely to read short stories + revisit HANDMAID.
Very interested how she’s Boom got all in sci-fi[?] even as bit hard to categorize HANDMAID? — socio-politco parable? … early dystopian—?
I had to give up! I’m about 2/3 the way through and it just goes on and on and on . . . . . From the reviews I’ve read on Amazon, it seems that the end does not justify the time involved in continuing. I have three other library books to read and don’t have time to continue this. It isn’t as though I don’t appreciate the writing, but Atwood just drags the story out way to long. Way to much unnecessary detail that could have been cut out and shortened the book by 100 pages.
Wonderful book!!
All of Margaret Atwood is good!
Yes! Loved it!
Good read!
One of my favorites. I liked it far better than Handmaid.
A big fan of her books!?
I enjoyed it. I would recommend The Blind Assassin as well. It’s one of my favourites by Margaret Atwood.
Blind Assassin is my fave too, followed by Cat’s Eye.
I disagree. I hated Blind Assassin. Loved Handmaid’s Tale.
Might be time for Blind reread
Loved it.
Cat’s Eye is one of my favorite Atwood novels.
The Netflix miniseries was great!
Loved it! The Netflix miniseries is excellent also
A great read. I love her books”
I love Cats Eye, Robber Bride, Blind Assassin, Life Before Man & The Handmaids Tale
Yes.
No but it’s on my shelf to be read
I saw the miniseries and loved it
What network carried that? Netflix??
@Jo I think so.
Great book!
The show was great.
I loved the show and wished I had read the book.
Yes! I read many (not all) of Atwood’s books – she’s amazing!
Love
Saw the series on netflix!
Yes!!!
Yes!!!
Loved it. One of her best.
Yes. Gritty
Loved it. There’s a miniseries on Netflix that I’ve heard good things about.
I loved the miniseries.
@Lisa it’s going to be my next binge watch.
It’s a great book! The series on Netflix is very good too.
I LOVED it! It was so thought provoking.
Margaret Atwood is on my list of ‘ to read’ books
Different from Handmaid’s Tale but excellent on its own!
Yes!
Yes!!
Yes Yes
I enjoyed it but it was one of the rare instances where I preferred the show to the book. Love Atwood, she’s fabulous.
Did she write A Handmaidens Tale? I was considering purchasing it, does anyone recommend it?
Just got it today. Can’t wait to start reading!
Yes. I liked it.
I loved it until the end.. I didn’t like the end, but other than that, it’s an excellent book.
Has anyone read Cat’s eye?
Yes…it’s my favorite of Atwood’s and I love them all ❤️
@Cheryl Thank you, I’ve read handmaid’s tale and Surfacing. Looking forward to this one now
Yes. Its good but tough. The cruelity of 7th grade girls.
Yes, good book and the Netflix mini series was good too!
Me too. Best unreliable narrator ever.
Yes!
Yes, way better than Handmaid’s Tale
I’ve liked everything she’s written
Loved it!
Amazing read but be prepared for some intensity. It isn’t an emotionally easy read.
Yes, ma’am. And, yes, ma’am!
I just finished Oryx and Crake and started Year of the Flood this morning.
I loved oryx and crake. Is year of the flood the sequel?
@Laurel The whole thing is a trilogy….
Oryx and Crake
Year of the Flood
MaddAddam
Oryx and Crank still haunts me. Some of it coming true.
@Ryan thank you!
I started it. Couldn’t get into it.
The Netflix series is good. I need to read the book. I’m also wanting to read The Handmaid’s Tale and watch the series.
The Handmsids Tale is a well written disturbing read and the Hulu series is even more so.
Yes, very much so!
I didn’t read Alias Grace but I did see the series on Netflix. I enjoyed the Handmaid’s Tale as a book and the Hulu Series
I struggled.
I’m still not certain I liked it.
I just started “Oryx and Crake”.
Loved it!
Yes
Yes!!!
Yes, it was good and then you can watch the series
Yes and yes
Loved it! It is on the slow side but really good. She is so interesting. Based on true story.
Loved
Brilliant novel. There’s a good serial adaptation of the book on Netflix.
Yes, it was very interesting!
Adored it. I picked it up on a whim from a school library discard pile and am so grateful I did because the writing’s beautiful. I use excerpts of it in my Scarlet Letter unit so we can talk about women and prison and stigma.
Strange but memorable book.
Very strange…but I kind of liked it….
Love love love Margaret Atwood
Yes. Very much.
I enjoyed it
Loved it!
Yes, several years ago, and I’m about to reread it.
Yes
The Netflix version was awesome.
Yes, definitely check out both,@Lorraine
It was very good and interesting….have not seen the Netflix show and not sure I want to.
Loved it!
I’m about 1/2 way through it now. I like it, but it’s very slow. Does something happen??? I also have 3 other books I’ve had on hold from the library (Girls Burn Brighter, Great Alone, and A Million Drops) to read. I’m wondering if I should continue with Alias Grace. It’s also a library book that I waited a long time for, so if I quit, I won’t be able to go back to it for a long time.
@Sharon, I have a 35 book challenge and I like to read a good challenging classic everytime I finish one, but I have added some quality fluff in, like children’s book I haven’t read but would like to, Stuart Little, Pippi Long stocking, Ozma of Oz, Little Prince, Where the Red Fern Grows.
That’s so funny you say, “If I read all fluff”.
I agree with what you said about enjoying the book like a fine wine.
I like Margaret Atwood, so I think I’d stick to it, if I was reading it.
@Jennifer ? Just SOME fluff, but like you, I try to read a tougher classic every three or four books.
I’d like to find a challenge that counts words rather than books because it’s really just ridiculousness when a Little Golden Book counts as much as Middlemarch (which took me more than a month to read).
I LOVE Margaret Atwood! I’ve read one of her books in my challenge this year, and I want to read The Stone Mattress and MaddAddam.
yes & watch Netflix movie
Yes. Great book!
Not my favorite read….read for my bookgroup.
yes, it was a good read.
Yes, and I shared it with my daughter. She had watched the film and wanted to see the book behind it. I read the book and saw no cause to watch the movie.
Read it. Loved it. A long time ago, too. I was pregnant with my now 18 year old!!
Yes, loved it!
Loved the Netflix series so I got the book. Thought it started in an odd place and had difficulty with it. Maybe I should have read the book first.
Tried to read it but was too slow, tried to watch Netflix but also slow.
This was the first Margaret Atwood book I read and I still remember it. The factual underpinning of the novel and the introduction to the criminal system and psychiatric profession of “insanity” as a legitimate defense, especially for a woman, was thought-provoking. I also found myself often wondering who was being manipulated and why.
Yes, and I really enjoyed it
I saw the tv series made from it; lovely but dark.
Yes!
Margaret Atwood is a favorite author of mine. Handmaid’s Tale was my first book of hers to read. Read Alias Grace for book club and actually enjoyed the Netflix movie. Her Oryx and Crake series (+ Year of the Flood and Madd Adam) are awesome reads!
Am psyched for an 8-weeks @ 2 hours seminar of Margaret Atwood by magnificent facilitator who draws splendid participants over many years of fabulously curated themes/authors (e.g., Contemporary Asian Short Stories; 4 most recent Nobel-literature; Carib Lit).
While keep up on reviews of her Output — & love her reviews of other authors, I haven’t read Atwood since HANDMAID first published.
Appreciating your focus on her. Given time constraints, figure we’re likely to read short stories + revisit HANDMAID.
Very interested how she’s Boom got all in sci-fi[?] even as bit hard to categorize HANDMAID? — socio-politco parable? … early dystopian—?
@Kerry she describes herself as a predictive fiction writer 🙂
I started Orxy and Crake when it 2st came out but drifted off. So many of you have enjoyed it, I’ll have to give it another whirl
Yes!
Liked, but not loved
Yes it was excellent. The Netflix series was very well done also.
Yes! You won’t regret it!
I had to give up! I’m about 2/3 the way through and it just goes on and on and on . . . . . From the reviews I’ve read on Amazon, it seems that the end does not justify the time involved in continuing. I have three other library books to read and don’t have time to continue this. It isn’t as though I don’t appreciate the writing, but Atwood just drags the story out way to long. Way to much unnecessary detail that could have been cut out and shortened the book by 100 pages.
I guess I just lover her writing so much that I wish it would go on even longer! Haha!
My daughters favorite book!!
Loved the book. The Netflix series was good, but the book was better.
I read it a long time ago. I am sure I liked it. Big fan of Margaret Atwood, except for ‘The Blind Assassin’. Did not finish it.
Yes, very good!