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The Handmaid's Tale

By: Margaret Atwood
Narrated by: Claire Danes
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Publisher's summary

Audie Award, Fiction, 2013

Margaret Atwood's popular dystopian novel The Handmaid's Tale explores a broad range of issues relating to power, gender, and religious politics. Multiple Golden Globe award-winner Claire Danes (Romeo and Juliet, The Hours) gives a stirring performance of this classic in speculative fiction, one of the most powerful and widely read novels of our time.

After a staged terrorist attack kills the President and most of Congress, the government is deposed and taken over by the oppressive and all-controlling Republic of Gilead. Offred, now a Handmaid serving in the household of the enigmatic Commander and his bitter wife, can remember a time when she lived with her husband and daughter and had a job, before she lost even her own name. Despite the danger, Offred learns to navigate the intimate secrets of those who control her every move, risking her life in breaking the rules in hopes of ending this oppression.

Cover Art by Fred Marcellino. Used with permission of Pippin Properties, Inc.

Explore more titles performed by some of the most celebrated actors in the business in Audible’s Star-Powered Listens collection.
©1985 Margaret Atwood (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Claire Danes sparkles in this performance…Danes’s Offred is complex, and her flashes of intense strength highlight her vulnerability. This is a consuming listen, thanks to Danes’s emotional subtleties.” (AudioFile)

Featured Article: 19 Empowering Listens We Love for Women's Equality Day


The 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920. A little more than 50 years later, in 1973, the US Congress designated August 26th Women’s Equality Day. We proudly honor this year’s Women's Equality Day with 19 titles by or about amazing, diverse women. This list reflects fierce determination, victories big and bigger, and a lot of heart and soul. From riveting fiction to autobiography in song, there’s a listen that will surely get your vote.

What listeners say about The Handmaid's Tale

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Wonderful book

Many of my female friends sighed when I said I was listening to the handmaid's tale. Apparently it was required reading in high school which doesn't do much for enthusiastic reading.

Im glad I didn't have that bias implanted in me. I was hooked from the beginning. The pace of the book moved quickly, and I felt Margaret Atwood is excellent at helping the reader truly feel the main character.

Claire Danes was amazing. Even though I have an image of Claire Danes from all her tv shows and movies, she made this character truly unique and I was able to paint a picture of the main character on to a blank canvas. The parts where she gets truly emotional are amazing, she gets right in to character and builds upon it as she goes. She does a better job than most professional narrators.

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My Take

On chapter 6 Enjoying listening to Claire's voice and the storyline so far Should be a good movie I imagine this is what it is like for women of strict Islam households not being allowed to show their faces or parts of their bodies in public I don't know of course because it is not my culture but I imagine it is so Anyway interesting read or should I say hear. Peace and love Out

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So relevant to today

I was supposed to read this book in high school but I was to immature in 2011 to do such a thing. I am so happy that I decided to not only "read" the book, but have it read to me beautifully by Claire Danes. Her voice grabbed me, and pulled me into the text. This text is socially and cultural relevant and beautifully written. I truly appreciate, as a degrees historian, chapter forty-seven.

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So interesting and riveting

Possibly better to read than listen, as the main character often goes on a mind wandering thought train, using beautiful language which is hard to follow when you only listen. Regardless this is a caltivating and important piece of work which leaves you wanting more.

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Scarily Prophetic

I'm a little late to the Handmaid's party, but glad I finally arrived! Brilliant writing. And Claire Danes' narration was superb.

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Love the story, disappointed in narrator

Greatly disappointed in Claire Danes, narrative. Her performance was very flat and disappointing. Story line great.

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CLASSIC & UNIQUE

What a fantastic story and so unique. I can see why people say they had to read it in school. The imagination and understanding of the human existence Margaret Atwood has blows my mind. I am in awe!!

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great eerie book

I am going to read it again. Atwood has such a unique and mesmerizing style. this sucked me in. CLAIRE DAINES NEEDS TO CLEAR HER THROAT.

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Amazing!

This heartbreaking tale is very well written and beautifully read. I couldn't stop listening to it!

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interesting read!

I'm glad I read this book but it isn't in my top favorites . it felt slow and I was looking for more of a WOW scene but felt like I never got it. read it so I could watch the TV show and compare.

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