Title: The Handmaid's Tale
Author: Margaret Atwood
Publisher: Rocco
Synopsis: Everything Handmaids wear is red: like the color of blood, it defines us. Offred is a Handmaid of the Republic of Gilead, a place where women are forbidden to read, work, and maintain friendships. She serves in the Commander and his wife's household, and under the new social order she has only one purpose: once a month, she must lie on her back and pray that the Commander impregnates her, because in
a time of declining birth rates, Offred and the other Handmaids have value only if they are fertile. But Offred remembers the years before Gilead, when she was an independent woman with a job, a family, and a name of her own. Today, memories of her and her will to survive are acts of rebellion. Provocative, surprising, prophetic.
Review
"O conta da Aia" is a story, a tale as it is said, that takes place in a dictatorship called Gilead, where the United States used to be. In a world where few women manage to get pregnant, women called Aias are the only ones still considered fertile. In this society, women have lost all their rights, and it is specifically up to the Handmaids, the task of sleeping with the man to whom they were given, once a month, in an attempt to get pregnant.
Through the eyes of Offred, a handmaid, we discover the reality of this new world, and what are the difficulties that a woman experiences. Switching between past and present, we'll also learn how things have changed, and what future might exist now.
"The Handmaid's Tale" is an old story, which always seems current. It already had a few editions, and returned to the media with the launch of the TV series. This time Rocco decided to release a Graphic Novel of the story, which was done with great care, and full of details. The story itself is well crafted, and full of information, albeit short. We have the opportunity to get to know this universe, and feel its impact on the female characters. The writing is engaging, the reading quick, and when we're done, we really want to know what could have come next.
About this edition, I can say that it is beautiful, and very much in line with the story. The front cut of the book in red, with black flowered details, give it a classic and heavy look, which matches the mood of the story. We also have a red ribbon as a marker, and the cover maintains the atmosphere of the book with textures and reliefs, which make you want to run your hand and observe all the details. The illustrations are the soul of the text here, colorful but also knowing when to switch to something with less color, or taking advantage of shapes to enrich the story. It is a very beautiful edition and well worth having on the shelf.