The Handmaid's Tale is set in a near future dystopian society formed by a group known as the Sons of Jacob, who establish an oppressive, fundamentalist regime. Members of other religions and intellectuals are executed. Books are banned. Sex is controlled. Rights, especially those of women are severely curtailed. Much of the populate is sterile from the ravages of war. The eponymous Handmaid is an intelligent and aware character, who is trying to get by in this bleak new world.
It took quite a while to get a handle on what exactly is going on. Information on this bleak new world is hinted at gradually through the Handmaid's observations. I'm a fan of this method of drip feeding information. Conceptually, The Handmaid's Tale offers an imaginative, well thought out, and an incredibly bleak vision of a potential form human society could take, and of course the human reaction to this society. One thing I took from it, and it's a sentiment I agree with, is that of all the forms human civilization could take, the present one is by no means the worst. Writing quality is very good - it has a poetic cast and there are loads of great descriptions and turns of phrase, though it was a bit heavy on exposition for my taste. If you enjoyed books like 1984 or Brave New World, you will likely find something to like here.
