Musings about The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale, a novel by Margaret Atwood, was a story that intrigued me quite a bit more than 1984, as it was able to pull me into the plot and force me to continue along its journey. Unlike 1984, The Handmaid's Tale created more of a connection to me in the beginning with its female perspective and more believable background. As the story progressed and the reader became more aware of how the Republic of Gilead came to be, I found that it being the product of a religious coup d'etat in our modern society was far more realistic than just "the Party always existed." The fact that there was an end goal set for the main character, Offred, also gave the reader hope that the story would actually "go somewhere", even though the pregnancy never truly occurred. An encapsulating story that had me clenching the pages with anticipation, this book was a truly enjoyable read, despite the over flowery language.