THE HANDMAID'S TALE

MARGARET ATWOOD

Some books are labelled classic, not just because of the storyline. They usually have a breathtaking story and also have an intense grip over your mind that after finishing, you will have to crawl back to reality. That is precisely what this book did to me. The story is about a dystopian land where the Republic of Gilead takes over the entire region under it's command and has the most intense treatment; especially towards women who are expected of nothing other than to breed by serving men in the upper circle of the society. Without even a name of their own, the women are labelled handmaids and have to live through harassment and fear, not knowing where they will end up some day. We travel through the story in the perspective of one of the handmaids named Offred through her struggles and yearning for liberty or urge to break off the chains. The story is captivating, suffocating and yet meaningful. Once you read the book, you understand how freedom is so important, that even being allowed to read and write is a big deal, and so is to have your routine and people around. When you consider the dictatorship reflected in the story, you understand from the time this book was published (1983) until now, the circumstances at large are still the same; the marginalisation, the oppression and the hunger for power in humans as such. Ending with a quote from the book "Ordinary, said Aunt Lydia, is what you are used to. This may not seem ordinary to you now, but after a time it will. It will become ordinary" Do read the book for an intense journey, flooded with amazing writing.