The Handmaid's Tale
It is day number 4 and I am pressed for time. Yesterday was a wild day and I just found out that I'll be done my job as Public Information Officer with the Calgary Fire Department on January 15th. I loved the job but I won't miss it, although my mom was impressed when I was on television.
On January 16th I'll have a new posting within the CFD and a week later I'm off to Victoria for three weeks for my MBA residency. And I have two papers due in the next couple of weeks for my Master of Arts class. Ironically, I have a time management course next week--I hope I make it there.
To summarize my mission (again): 501 books in 501 days culled arbitrarily from the tome 501 Must Read Books. Your mission: read my blog and make snide comments and occasionally read one of the offerings.
Today's novel (Science Fiction): Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale
Preface: I like Canadian literature and I consider myself a feminist but something about Margaret Atwood makes me uneasy--I've never liked her but I've always admired her writing prowess and her gift for storytelling. When I sat down to read The Handmaid's Tale I was not looking forward to it but I must admit I was blown away by the Governor General and Arthur C. Clarke award winning novel.
The Handmaid's Tale is a speculative fiction novel where, in a dystopic near future, America (re-branded Gilead) becomes a radical fundamental Christian theocracy in response to a infertility crisis. That's right baby, patriarchy is back in its full misogynistic and oppressive glory! Women can't own property, have money, have birth control, have fun sex--it's kind of like Heritage Park without the cinnamon buns.Bad news for poor men is that the future is geared towards a (white) male elite (damn college boys!) called the Commanders who are solely in charge of social reproductive chores--but not with their chaste prissy elite wives but rather with reformed ruined women called Marthas (maybe this is why Atwood irks me, in a future where guys will rule and get all the sex I would still be out of luck).
Marthas (a.k.a. Handmaids) are better than nannies, they wear red habits, cook, clean, have strange sex with Commanders, have weird names, and give away their offspring to the elite wives when they fulfill their mission and once they are no longer fertile they get to clean up hazardous waste. Offred is one such Handmaid, formerly a professional woman, mother, and wife she does not fare well in the male fascist future.
Serena Joy is the wife of Fred (in the future guys get normal names) a leader of the regime. Serena has dried up ovaries and some repressed anger that she channels towards her handmaid Offred, she is also not above having the chauffeur getting the job done for hubby (who may well have dried up testicles). Fred is dumb, horny, and conceited--a quintessential guy. Offred is looking to break out of her handmaid role and things get interesting when everyone starts breaking rules and trying to get what they want--Serena:baby, Offred:freedom, Fred:sex, and chauffeur:revolution.
Grade: A-
Verdict: Okay I admit it this is a great novel. Damn! Atwood goes corporeal, religious, satirical, political, and feminist while telling a hell of a story. Whenever someone at a party starts talking about how feminism was important but now it's gone too radical and why can't we just be complacent and enjoy Sex in the City they should be beaten with a hardcover copy of this book.
Segues: There is a (1990) film adaptation with the late Natasha Richardson (as Offred's renamed character) and Robert Duvall as Fred. It was written by Harold Pinter (who just won a Nobel). The differences between book and film are numerous and frankly I'd like to see an Atwood vs. Pinter MMA match to settle the score.
The novel has also been adapted to radio, theater, and (in 2000) into a Danish Opera. Atwood has only one contribution to the 501 Must Read Books list but has seven in the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die. I recommend Alias Grace (an axe wielding feminist protagonist), Surfacing (a philosophy wielding feminist protagonist), and Oryx and Crake (a post apocalyptic hermit misogynist protagonist).
Tomorrow's book (Thriller): Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (5/501)
