r/books discussion

Now we're taking a look at how Gilead was created.

Chris, our R/bookclub mod wrote in the previous discussion thread that

When Atwood wrote this in the 80s, Reagan was in power and there was some kind of backlash against feminism at the time. It's also alluded to in the narrative, about how sex shops and pornography were starting to 'take everything too far' .etc. I'm sure this was a very real conservatism at the time and Atwood wrote this partly as a social commentary.

His point proves even more true in comparison to Offread's comparison of how society was before Gilead including the Feels On Wheels.

So all that being said: What does everyone think?

In terms of writing, how touching is it? It's definitely not purple prose. I find Offread, like others to be able to get under the skin.

I'm really liking this part of the book! I liked the discussions with the Commander and how she's herself unsure on whether or not she likes the liaisons. We also learn a lot more about the initial days of the revolution, which added a lot more perspective to me.

The flashbacks really helped me understand the novel because I know where I am in time. I know what happened. Sometimes you go into a novel where the background is very lightly touch upon and it doesn't clear up questions at times, leaving the reading expecting to know what the author was talking about. Sometimes that's easy, sometimes it is not.