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Being a recently graduated English major, I have read a number of books over the past four years. "The Handmaid's Tale," though, is by far one of the best pieces of literature I came across, and to be honest, is one of the only ones I finished from start to finish without skipping a single page - and that says a lot, considering I would often have twenty or more novels a term to read. I call "The Handmaid's Tale" a "piece of literature" rather than a "novel" or "book" because it possesses the qualities of literature that is hard to find in much of todays modern fiction. Atwood is often thought of as a feminist writer, but she is much more than that, and "The Handmaid's Tale" really shows that. Atwood touches on extreme themes of oppression and democracy without making the reader feel like he's being lectured. In Laymen's terms: READ IT! You won't regret it. I have yet to meet someone who hasn't read it and not loved it. I must say, though, if you're looking for a piece of literature to mindlessly read without much thought, this is not for you. "The Handmaid's Tale" forces the reader to reflect on the politics of the story as well as the politics of today. I personally feel much more enlightened and educated for reading this piece of literature. To be clich?, do yourself a favor and read this!
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The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Crystel Marie, July 5, 2007
Being a recently graduated English major, I have read a number of books over the past four years. "The Handmaid's Tale," though, is by far one of the best pieces of literature I came across, and to be honest, is one of the only ones I finished from start to finish without skipping a single page - and that says a lot, considering I would often have twenty or more novels a term to read. I call "The Handmaid's Tale" a "piece of literature" rather than a "novel" or "book" because it possesses the qualities of literature that is hard to find in much of todays modern fiction. Atwood is often thought of as a feminist writer, but she is much more than that, and "The Handmaid's Tale" really shows that. Atwood touches on extreme themes of oppression and democracy without making the reader feel like he's being lectured. In Laymen's terms: READ IT! You won't regret it. I have yet to meet someone who hasn't read it and not loved it. I must say, though, if you're looking for a piece of literature to mindlessly read without much thought, this is not for you. "The Handmaid's Tale" forces the reader to reflect on the politics of the story as well as the politics of today. I personally feel much more enlightened and educated for reading this piece of literature. To be clich?, do yourself a favor and read this!(17 of 29 readers found this comment helpful)