[2009 original review ****] The dystopia presented in this novel made me shudder many times; it was eerie and the narrator's (Offred) voice was heartbreaking both for her brainwashed-like moments and her moments of remembering her free past. The book definitely had its effect on me as a woman, and I think that's where it's strong: Atwood knows exactly what freedoms would horrify us, as women, if they were taken away. Men would undoubtedly understand them as well, but honestly, I think to a lesser degree.

[2017 re-read *****] When I first read The Handmaid's Tale, it was eight years ago and I was three weeks from getting married. Much like the narrator in the novel, I reflected on my past self. The person I was then is not who I am now. Similar, though. Now I've been married eight years and have a one-year-old daughter. That changes a lot about how I view the world. It's a huge factor in how I view this particular dystopia, being a mom like the narrator. Being afraid like her, too, every day I read the news in 2017. Unlike 2009, I'm of a very #banallmen mindset this year. And re-reading this was saddening but also fueled this simmering anger I've had for much of the last few months.