This is one of my all time favorite books, and it made for a quality discussion. Margaret Atwood is a genius, as far as I'm concerned. The Handmaid's Tale introduced my to dystopian fiction many years ago, and I haven't looked back. Atwood is often on book club selection lists, so my group was familiar with her writing style.
I should have predicted this, but the sex scenes were a little too detailed for comfort for some readers. I didn't see an issue with it, and neither did the younger participants, but some of the older members found it unnecessary. I argue that in a book about reproduction, it might be pertinent to address sex. In any case, it made for a lively discussion.
Topics we talked about:
- When in the near future do you imagine this? Could this kind of a society really happen?
- Where in the world do you see shades of this type of behavior happening already?
- What happens at the end of the book? Do you think there would ever be a sequel?
- What would you do in Offred's situation? Do you agree with her decisions?
- (Some of us had seen the movie) Was the movie a fair interpretation? What was lacking? Did it add anything to the story?
- What if Offred had been a younger teenager, and not an adult woman?
I suggest this as a book club book--or a for-fun book. I've reread it several times, and I always find something new and interesting about it.
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