

Reviews included so far
The Handmaid's Tale
The Graphic Novel
Art Adaptation by Renee Nault
Review by Kayla Cordero
The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian fiction novel written by Margaret Atwood in which women are child-bearing machines and are only around to serve men and bear children. This extremist government is set in the Republic of Gilead, a country that has stripped women from their rights. A woman’s fertility is the most valued attribute of a woman in order to save the population of Gilead from extinction. This graphic novel follows the same storyline and plot that the novel laid out in 1985. The novel has won numerous awards and critical praise. Nault does a fantastic job illustrating the story on each page. Each page uses clever use of color to set the scene and emotion. Color is a big characteristic to this story because the handmaids wear all red, the wives wear all blue, and the Martha’s wear green. Handmaid’s are forced to have a ritual with their commander. During this ritual, the wife cradles the handmaid while her husband, the commander, rapes her. The handmaid’s only job is to get pregnant and bear children. There are a lot of scenes from the novel that obviously did not fit into this version, but I believe it does a great job incorporating the big moments. This book is not for young readers as there are graphic scenes which include rape and violence. The book revolves around the main character Offred who reminisces on the past and jumps back into the present. She thinks about her life before Gilead and being a handmaid. The graphic novel does a great job bringing visuals to the story and it is definitely thought-provoking. This novel is a powerful and disturbing world to step into. It makes you think deeply about what our near future could be. It is a little disturbing to know the timelessness of this story and the meaning behind it. Women are still fighting against women’s autonomy and patriarchy that has been set into our society. We must view our privileges and acknowledge them. A lot of women still do not have basic rights and we must continue to fight for that. The Handmaid’s Tale feels like a warning. The graphic novel does a good job telling the story in a shortened version while including beautiful visuals. If you’re looking for a more detailed version, the novel is the best option for you. I personally love seeing the story come to life through the series. Although it is a haunting and scary story, you are constantly hooked to the screen. All adaptations of this story are great and there is something for everyone to enjoy whether you want to binge the show or enjoy the novel.
