A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Set in the near future this book is the antipathy of The Power, in this book a Christian theonamy has overthrown the democratic system in America, subjugating women to misogyny in a patriarchal society where individualism and independence are crushed.  Class is denoted in the colour of your clothes and the 'job' that is subscribed to you.  Ofred, the protagonist of the story is a Handmaid, a woman designated as a chattel for the baring of children for the elite of the new order.  Fertility is declining and this orchestrated way of increasing birth rates of the 'right kind' of people is also a way of subjugating women.  

Someone said that all of the instruments of torture, with holding of rights, subjugation that Atwood uses in the novel have all been used in the last 150 years by different regimes.  Nothing was fiction in that regard.  Something to ponder on - nothing we currently enjoy is forever, and we must be vigilant with regards to changes of our democracy's.  This book generated a great discussion especially when compared with The Power.

Words used to describe it:  chilling, prophetic, Orwellian, elegant, insightful
Marks out of 10:   between 7 - 9  so highly marked

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All Passion Spent by Vita Sackville West

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115 Harbord St - Monday 20th November