The Handmaid's Tale
Open Library readers: 3.97 / 5 from 136 ratings. Separate from ratings here.Catalogue checked 2026-10-02.
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.
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About The Handmaid's Tale
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Bibliographic source: Open Library- Who wrote The Handmaid's Tale?
The Handmaid's Tale is by Margaret Atwood. The catalogue records its first publication in 1985. A later edition may have a different publication date on its copyright page.
- How long is The Handmaid's Tale?
The catalogue records 352 pages for a representative edition. Pagination varies with the publisher, format, type size and translation, so check the edition you intend to read.
