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Thursday, August 12, 2010

Is it just me?


The Handmaid's Tale (Everyman's Library)

Lets set the stage: A novel set in the near future in the Republic of Gilead. A totalitarian society, where women don't have power. Some women are force to be concubines. Sound interesting? Some say yes, but I say no. I never found The Handmaid's Tale to be interesting. Why am I bringing this up? A couple of days I jumped into a Twitter discussion. The topic: 'Books others liked but I didn't." From the posts I read, I was alone in my dislike for The Handmaid's Tale. I didn't read this book by choice, it was assigned to me. I think it was college, but the more I try to remember I think it was my high school Advanced Placement English class. If it was high school, I'm pretty sure I didn't have a taste for dystopian/science fiction novels at 17. Even now I don't have an appreciation for books like that. A little fantasy here and there isn't bad, but I like my books closer to reality. Is it just me? What does everyone else think? What are some widely-praised books that you didn't like? Hmmmmmm????


Notes: A review of The Recipe Club will be coming later today. A review of Based Upon Availability and a recap of an appearance by Alix Strauss will be posted late Friday. Stay tuned!!

4 comments:

  1. I really didn't like The Road my Cormac McCarthy and everyone else raves about it. There are quite a few books like that for me. I personally did like The Handmaid's Tale, and I normally don't like those types of books. But the good thing about there being so many books is there are some out there for everyone.

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  2. I hear The Road is rather long!! I was too young too appreciate The Handmaid's Tale, but I don't see myself reading it again.

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  3. Bookangel,
    Funnily enough, I just commented on "The Road" in another blog. I would highly recommend it. It is a bit of a dystopian fantasy, but it's very different from "The Handmaid's Tale," and it resonates far better. Plus it actually is not long, and it's an easy read. Still, I know what you mean about not liking a book when everyone else seems to. I got into a bit of a debate on Goodreads about "The Metamorphosis," a short story by Kafka. Everyone says it's a classic, and maybe it is, but I just don't like it that much. Read what you like, and like what you read, I say.
    -Isaac
    http://towerofstories.blogspot.com

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  4. "Read what you like," Isaac that's good advice for everyone. Going over to take a look at your blog.

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