The Handmaid's Tale
The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, published in 1985. It is set in a near-future New England, in a strongly patriarchal, totalitarian theonomic state, known as the Republic of Gilead, which has overthrown the United States government. The central character and narrator is a woman named Offred, one of the group known as "handmaids", who are forcibly assigned to produce children for the "commanders" — the ruling class of men in Gilead. The novel explores themes of subjugated women in a patriarchal society, loss of female agency and individuality, and the various means by which they resist and attempt to gain individuality and independence. The Handmaid's Tale won the 1985 Governor General's Award and the first Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1987; it was also nominated for the 1986 Nebula Award, the 1986 Booker Prize, and the 1987 Prometheus Award.
Where The Handmaid's Tale keeps showing up
Six of our editors' lists feature this novel.
Books in conversation with The Handmaid's Tale
A few of the closest reads from our full list.
What you might want to know about The Handmaid's Tale
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
After a coup turns the United States into Gilead, a fertile woman known only as Offred is assigned to the household of a Commander and his wife. Once a month she submits to the Ceremony, hoping to bear the couple a child. Between visits, she remembers her daughter and the world before.
Yes. The Handmaid's Tale has been frequently challenged and banned in American schools, primarily for sexual content and political themes. It remains widely taught and remains one of the most influential dystopian novels of the past 50 years.
Yes. Margaret Atwood published The Testaments in 2019, set 15 years after The Handmaid's Tale. The Testaments co-won the 2019 Booker Prize.
The Handmaid's Tale was written by Margaret Atwood, published in 1985 by Emblem McClelland & Stewart.
The Handmaid's Tale is 96 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Handmaid's Tale takes most readers 1 to 2 hours to finish.
The Handmaid's Tale is a standalone novel by Margaret Atwood, not part of a series.
The Handmaid's Tale is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
