The Handmaid's Tale

After many years of having it on my to read list I finally checked Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale out of the library. There's not much I can add to the volumes of critiques and analysis already written about the novel. It's a wonderfully crafted book and so well written I was so absorbed in the story I didn't notice the writing. The narrator however is very well aware that she is narrating a story and occasionally says things like "I made that up" or "I wish this story were different". As the narrator interjects these reflections the reader gets another glimpse into the narrators mind and heart. The Handmaid's Tale well deserves all the praise bestowed upon it. The Handmaid's Tale takes place in a future, totalitarian theocracy within the borders of what was once the US, Atwood calls this speculative fiction which gives her a means of exploring themes without the restraint of realistic fiction. A lot of people would consider this science fiction, and the book did win the Arthur C. Clarke award in 1987. I thought it notable that in the Oakland library the book was shelved in the Fiction section and not in the Science Fiction section. Speculative fiction by other authors more known for science fiction or fantasy such as Ursula LeGuin or Philip K. Dick are shelved in the Science Fiction area. I think these genre labels are rather nebulous and am glad to see that Margaret Atwood seems to have accomplished the feat of having her non realistic work taken as serious literature.