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The Handmaid's Tale

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Shortlisted for Audiobook of the Year at the British Book Awards 2020.

Winner of Best Audiobook (Fiction) at the New York Festival Radio Awards 2020.

Read by Elisabeth Moss, star of the hit Channel 4 TV series.

Go back to where it all began with the dystopian novel behind the award-winning TV series.

"I believe in the resistance as I believe there can be no light without shadow; or rather, no shadow unless there is also light."

Offred is a Handmaid in The Republic of Gilead, a religious totalitarian state in what was formerly known as the United States. She is placed in the household of The Commander, Fred Waterford - her assigned name, Offred, means 'of Fred'. She has only one function: to breed. If Offred refuses to enter into sexual servitude to repopulate a devastated world, she will be hanged. Yet even a repressive state cannot eradicate hope and desire. As she recalls her pre-revolution life in flashbacks, Offred must navigate through the terrifying landscape of torture and persecution in the present day, and between two men upon which her future hangs.

Masterfully conceived and executed, this haunting vision of the future places Margaret Atwood at the forefront of dystopian fiction.

'As relevant today as it was when Atwood wrote it' Guardian

'A fantastic, chilling story. And so powerfully feminist', Bernardine Evaristo, author of Girl, Woman, Other.

'A contemporary classic… the book serves as a chilling reminder of what women have experienced' Independent

©2011 O W Toad Ltd (P)2019 Penguin Audio

 Classics Dystopian Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Science Fiction Women's Voices World Literature Scary Thought-Provoking

Critic reviews

A fantastic, chilling story. And so powerfully feminist (Bernadine Evaristo, author of GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER)
Compulsively readable
Out of a narrative shadowed by terror, gleam sharp perceptions, brilliant intense images and sardonic wit
The Handmaid's Tale is both a superlative exercise in science fiction and a profoundly felt moral story (Angela Carter)
Moving, vivid and terrifying. I only hope it's not prophetic
The images of brilliant emptiness are one of the most striking aspects of this novel about totalitarian blindness...the effect is chilling
Powerful...admirable (Robert Irwin)
It's hard to believe it is 25 years since it was first published, but its freshness, its anger and its disciplined, taut prose have grown more admirable in the intervening years... Atwood's novel was an ingenious enterprise that showed, with out hysteria, the real dangers to women of closing their eyes to patriarchal oppression
Turned 25 this year and...worth re-reading. As you grow, such books grow with you
Fiercely political and bleak, yet witting and wise...this novel seems ever more vital in the present day
All stars
Most relevant
Such an amazing story! I normally read quite trashy fiction and this has been such a breath of fresh air. The story is brought to life by Moss, who had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I was truly addicted to this book and feel so sad that it’s finished!

Absolutely Incredible

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loved every minute! beautiful, thought-provoking prose and captivating narration. elizabeth moss is, of course, on point. highly recommended.

Perfect

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I think that Atwoods concept behind this tale is fantastic and the book lends itself perfectly to being an audiobook. The story of the handmaids tale is meant to be a series of tapes narrated by the main character about her experiences in Giliad. As such the audiobook format is perfect for the tale. As you would expect, if it really was narrated by someone in her circumstances, it jumps about constantly. In mid flow she jumps to things she was told when training as a handmaid, or when she was with her child, without any warning. She also frequently slips into musings about the meanings or origins of words. These things all make Offred a more human character, but it makes the tale slow and disjointed. During the narrative Offred will describe events, then admit that her account was a lie. The ending makes it clear that there were more lies that she does not admit to.
It is a compelling tale, but also, to me at least, frequently a frustrating one. It offers a tantalizing glimpse into a disturbing and all too believable version of America, but with the knowledge that the source cannot be trusted. Yet it is the frustrating gaps and uncertainties that leave the reader (or in this case the listener) wanting more. There can be no doubting Atwoods skill in making her audience think about her key themes and in leaving them yearning for more, yet underneath the deliberately distorted way in which the story is presented, it seems a little empty.

muddled narrative of a fantastic concept

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Started out what seemed a little slow and hard for me to follow, but it came together brilliantly. Definitely recommend reading the Handmaid’s Tale first. Superb narrators.

Slow burner (for me at least)

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This is a great story brilliantly written. It feels as relevant and modern as when it was first written.
It’s performed excellently and sucks you into the book.

Brilliant

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