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Previously I was always an avid reader, but over the last several years, found myself with less and less time to fully engross myself in a book. So it came to be during the Covid 19 pandemic I was able to watch the series based on the book the Handmaid’s Tale. As the newest season was not yet filmed I looked at finding the original story.
As usual, I think the book was much more engaging than the series, and really gave insight into the struggles the main character experienced. It allows the reader to feel how insidious the need to have ‘normality’ and a ‘return to normalcy’ in our daily life. Even to the point that we become disgusted by our own need.
I find there are similarities between Offred’s need for normality under horrible conditions with the current need for normality during this pandemic. Offred in the original book is less ‘heroic’ than her counterpart in the series and therefore seems more real. Maybe she seems less heroic due to the shortened timeline of the original story compared to the series which stretches for a longer period of time and includes flashbacks that give more insight to the events and people that shaped Offred.
Overall I really enjoyed Ms. Atwood’s style of writing and look forward to reading other books by her.