A Most Curious Tale

 I found this book to be very interesting in a variety of ways. Once I reached the end of it, I couldn't decide whether or not I had enjoyed it. After more contemplation, I still can't say whether or not I did. But this contemplation has led me to believe that it is not a story that readers are supposed to inherently enjoy like they would Harry Potter or a cheesy romantic novel. It is a book that causes one to reflect on how America would look without its Constitution, with a president and Congress that have all been wiped out, and a society that sees fertile women as the hope for the future. The complicated themes of sexism, oppression, disillusionment, and betrayal stand incredibly simply among their complexities in the story of Offred, a woman who's life with her husband and young daughter has been turned upside down once she becomes a handmaid -- one of the fertile women who's duty it is to bring a child to the world through her household's Commander. Margaret Atwood's storytelling is as rich as it is illusive. She masterfully creates a cultish society that I certainly hope I never live to see or be a part of, and her descriptions of the most mundane things absolutely blow me away and inspire me as a writer. This is definitely a very interesting read.

Some of my favorite quotes from this novel:

"Don't let the bastards grind you down."

"But who can remember pain, once it's over?"

"We lived in the blank white spaces at the edge of print... We lived in the gaps between the stories."

"A rat in a maze is free to go anywhere, as long as it stays inside the maze."

"But remember that forgiveness too is a power."

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