The Handmaid's Tale

By: Margaret Atwood

Narrated by: Claire Danes

Length: 11 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Audie Award, Fiction, 2013

Margaret Atwood's popular dystopian novel The Handmaid's Tale explores a broad range of issues relating to power, gender, and religious politics. Multiple Golden Globe award-winner Claire Danes (Romeo and Juliet, The Hours) gives a stirring performance of this classic in speculative fiction, one of the most powerful and widely read novels of our time.

After a staged terrorist attack kills the President and most of Congress, the government is deposed and taken over by the oppressive and all-controlling Republic of Gilead. Offred, now a Handmaid serving in the household of the enigmatic Commander and his bitter wife, can remember a time when she lived with her husband and daughter and had a job, before she lost even her own name. Despite the danger, Offred learns to navigate the intimate secrets of those who control her every move, risking her life in breaking the rules in hopes of ending this oppression.

Cover Art by Fred Marcellino. Used with permission of Pippin Properties, Inc.

Explore more titles performed by some of the most celebrated actors in the business in Audible’s Star-Powered Listens collection.

©1985 Margaret Atwood (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Claire Danes sparkles in this performance…Danes’s Offred is complex, and her flashes of intense strength highlight her vulnerability. This is a consuming listen, thanks to Danes’s emotional subtleties.” (AudioFile)

Beautifully written and narrated

Atwood's imagery is charged with disquieting beauty.
Danes seems to effortlessly slip into the voice of Atwood's protagonist, while also clearly differentiating voices of other speakers in a way that allows the story to flow for the listener.

Disappointing

I was excited to read this book because I enjoy this genre and so many people have recommended it. Unfortunately, I found the book to be slow and boring. The author keeps you in the dark and does not give enough detail on the cause of this post apocalyptic tragedy. However, Claire Danes is masterful!

one of my top 3 favorite books now

especially in today's society I can see how this book could easily become our reality. the author did an amazing job and this book is now one of my top 3 favorites! it opens your eyes to a whole new View of a nightmare that unnervingly can one day be our reality.

dystopian futures

What did you love best about The Handmaid's Tale?

Atwood's Tale is a classic. In a not too distant future (it was published in 1985), parts are the United States are controlled by a quasi-religious, quasi-military totalitarian faction that gained power after some unknown catastrophe. Vague references to nuclear fallout suggest the catastrophe was the bad result of an nuclear arms race but the ultimate result was to render much of the population infertile. As a result, fertile women, like the book's protagonist "Offred," have been pressed into service as a walking womb, doomed to bare children for the powers until she goes barren and then is discarded.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Handmaid's Tale?

Atwood's glory is her portrayal of the hypocrisy of the "Gilead" government, best scene in the brothel that Offred visits with the general.

What about Claire Danes’s performance did you like?

Dane's performance is poignant.

Still powerful.

I read this book years ago and wondered if it still felt as jolting as it did the first time and it did. Claire Danes is wonderful as the narrator. It is a very powerful and troubling tale. I will definitely listen to this again in the future. Highly recommended.

best book ever

One off my favorit books now. This story has made a lifechanging affect on me. and the reading of Danes is great. Perfect mathc for this story.

new tale old subject

well done book. similar to other df ideas such as

other distopic tales as Earth Abides for example. Now a TV show that I haven't seen yet. Worth the time investment to experience.

One of my favorite Dystopian Novels of all time!

I first read this book last year for a reading challenge I loved it. I decided to re-visit, In anticipation of Hulu's TV Version coming on soon (I Hope). When I was browsing through Audible and saw that Claire Danes was the narrator, I decided I'd Listen to it too. Im so glad I did. Claire Danes brought the story to life and made OffRed's circumstances and the entire story real and believable. She really brought the book to life for me and truly kept me listening later into the night! I hope she narrates more books in the future! I highly recommend the Audiobook!

4, not a 5

This book is good but can be hard to follow at points. I wish I had done some research about the story before I started the book. I am watching the series on Hulu and love it

awsome book!!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Handmaid's Tale to be better than the print version?

I don't usually read or watch sci-fi stuff so this was a reach for me My daughter listed it on Goodreads so I gave it a try

What did you like best about this story?

The story line was great even though you really don't know the whole circumstance It was suspensefull sad frightning and believeable at the same time I would definately read more from this author