The Handmaid's Tale

By: Margaret Atwood

Narrated by: Claire Danes

Length: 11 hrs and 1 min

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.

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©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)

A Handmaid's Tale / A Slave's Narrative

It says written review is optional. Make up your mind. Nothing to prove. Stars are sufficient.

Interestingly written

The fact that the setting was something that could happen was unsettling. It's relatable to many situations going on now that maybe the government would implore to take control over. So it's something that gets you thinking, what would I do in these situations, it was a view into someone that was basically just doing what she needed to do. Claire Danes was awesome, I liked how she did the characters.

sad

I don't like the ending, I feel like ther is alot more that could have been summed up

Claire Danes performance is fantastic

This story is gripping to read and terrifying at points, parts of it felt too close for comfort in today's political climate. Claire Danes has great voices for all the different characters and her emotion brings all of them to life. I would give this book a second listen.

Good story, boring reader

I liked the television show better. The book made better sense but the reader was just boring. Glad when it ended.

Riveting

I just could not stop listening.
Danes weaves in and out of the differing time periods with clarity and ease. Chillingly appropriate for today's time.

Not too far from possibility...

Where does The Handmaid's Tale rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Claire Danes did an impressive narration of Offred; the other characters weren't very memorable, but I heard all of Offred's fear, anger, sadness, and indignation in her voice.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Handmaid's Tale?

It was disturbing and unbelievable when we finally realized the "ceremony"--essentially a three party rape. How awful and disturbing--for all parties involved.

Claire Danes nails it

Would you consider the audio edition of The Handmaid's Tale to be better than the print version?

Absolutely, considering that I COULD NOT get into the print version. I tried multiple times, but just couldn't get past the first few pages. Claire Danes' rendition had me riveted from the first page.

Any additional comments?

Claire Danes did a wonderful job bringing Offred to life- she was amazing!

Pretentious

I thought the plot and idea behind this book was unique and interesting, but I found the writing overly wordy and pretentious. I found myself waiting for the book to end instead of being engrossed and involved in the story. I also was disappointed by the abrupt, unresolved ending. Very unsatisfying and confusing. I'm not sure why this book received such great reviews. Claire Danes was okay, not fabulous. I think she did pretty good with the material she was given to work with. I wouldn't say that this book was a total waste of a credit but neither is it anything to write home about.

The comparison to reality is scary.

With most dystopian novels, the author's purpose is to make you compare the words on the page with the world around you. Atwood is no different. Her words were bone chilling and shocking. Claire Danes as narrator was perfection. I didn't want to stop listening to this book. I appreciated the kind of wake up call Atwood is giving in the fact that she says in the book that characters did nothing when they suspended the constitution and instituted martial law. They did nothing until it was too late. I love this book and will recommend it.