The Handmaid

I've read six novels in the last week and a half for my World Novels class; I swear that this class has taken up nearly every waking moment I've had since last Sunday. Cal (see previous post) was my favorite of the novels we read. Several of them I didn't really care much for. My second favorite was The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. I think I've read this novel before, but it's not on any of my yearly lists of books I've read (yes, I'm that big a nerd), which go back to '87, and the book was published in '85, I believe. I thought I had a copy of it in my old bedroom closet at Mom and Dad's, which is full of boxes and shelves of books. I looked through that closet twice and couldn't find it. When I returned home, I did find my copy of it on a bookcase here at the house in my office -- which would seem to indicate that I hadn't read it.

So, anyway, while reading it, I was pretty sure I'd read it before long ago; it was that familiar to me. I know I'd seen the movie, which I rented again and watched Sunday night. But there's a lot in the book (which was familiar to me) that wasn't in the movie, of course. Speaking of the movie version, I wouldn't recommend it. The book's great; the movie, not so much. With a script by Harold Pinter, and performances by the great Robert Duvall and one of my all-time favorite actresses, Elizabeth McGovern (those eyes!), I'd think it would be much better than it is.