120,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Come visit us this weekend! Auckland Bookstore open 8:30am-5:00pm Sat & Sun 🎉

The Handmaid's Tale

By Margaret Atwood
0.0 (0 reviews)
4.14 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 2,222,693 ratings, 106,726 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is set in a dystopian future where a theocratic regime has overthrown the United States government. The society is structured in strict hierarchies, and women are subjugated, with their identities defined by their roles in service of the state. The narrative follows Offred, a handmaid whose sole purpose is to bear children for the ruling class, as she navigates the oppressive reality while yearning for freedom and autonomy.
Read More
Format: Paperback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of The Handmaid's Tale. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy thought-provoking dystopian tales that explore themes of power, gender, and freedom. Atwood's narrative offers a gripping look at a totalitarian society and the resilience of the human spirit. It's a compelling read for those intrigued by speculative fiction with a sharp social commentary.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A stunning bespoke gift package featuring an iconic design from the prize-winning artist, Noma Bar, eye-catching sprayed edges and ribbon. The perfect present for those who like their beauty with a bit of bite.

THE SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER

Discover the dystopian novel behind the award-winning TV series in this beautiful gift edition.

'I believe in the resistance as I believe there can be no light without shadow; or rather, no shadow unless there is also light.'

Offred is a Handmaid in The Republic of Gilead, a religious totalitarian state in what was formerly known as the United States. She is placed in the household of The Commander, Fred Waterford - her assigned name, Offred, means 'of Fred'. She has only one function - to breed. If Offred refuses to enter into sexual servitude to repopulate a devastated world, she will be hanged. Yet even a repressive state cannot eradicate hope and desire. As she recalls her pre-revolution life in flashbacks, Offred must navigate through the terrifying landscape of torture and persecution in the present day, and between two men upon which her future hangs.

Masterfully conceived and executed, this haunting vision of the future places Margaret Atwood at the forefront of dystopian fiction.

'As relevant today as it was when Atwood wrote it... no television event has hit such a nerve ...' Guardian

Read The Testaments, the Booker Prize-winning sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, today.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Handmaid's Tale is praised as a chilling yet powerful feminist story that is both compelling and profoundly moral. Critics highlight its compulsive readability, sharp perceptions, and sardonic wit, while reflecting on its vivid, intense, and potentially prophetic nature.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN:

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback

Date Published: 05 October 2017

DIMENSIONS

Weight: 453g

Collections

Dystopian Fiction Fiction General Fiction Margaret Atwood Most Popular Books of All Time Penguin Books

Also by Margaret Atwood

View all
  • The Handmaid's Tale
    The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is a gripping and thought-provoking dystopian novel that has left an indelible mark on contemporary literature. Set in the near-future Republic of Gilead, a theocratic and totalitarian society that has replaced the United States, the story explores themes of power, control, and female subjugation. At the centre of this harrowing world is Offred, a...
    By Margaret Atwood
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Testaments
    In this electrifying sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood answers the question that has tantalised readers for decades: What happened to Offred? THE NUMBER 1 BESTSELLER AND WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE In this electrifying sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood answers the question that has tantalised readers for decades: What happened to Offred? 'The Testaments is Atwood...
    By Margaret Atwood
    Paperback
    $2600
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Handmaid's Tale
    The bestselling dystopian classic that became a cultural phenomenon and inspired an award-winning TV series. THE SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER Go back to where it all began with the dystopian novel behind the award-winning TV series. 'As relevant today as it was when Atwood wrote it.' Guardian I believe in the resistance as I believe there can be no...
    By Margaret Atwood
    Paperback
    $2000
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Book of Lives
    The life and times of one of the most important writers of our time, from her peripatetic childhood in the Canadian far north, through the writing of The Handmaid's Tale, to her position today as a revered truth-teller and literary icon. How does the greatest writer of our time tell her own story? Immerse yourself in the creative universe of...
    By Margaret Atwood
    Hardback
    $5499
    Elsewhere:
    $7500
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • MaddAddam
    MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood, the illustrious author of The Handmaid's Tale and Alias Grace, is an astonishing conclusion to the speculative fiction series that began with Oryx and Crake and continued with The Year of the Flood. This gripping tale blends dark humour, adventure, and poignant humanity to create a thrilling and thought-provoking narrative. At the heart of MaddAddam is...
    By Margaret Atwood
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Oryx And Crake
    By the author of THE HANDMAID'S TALE and ALIAS GRACE Oryx and Crake is a deeply imaginative and darkly compelling novel that transports readers to a dystopian future where genetic engineering has reached unsettling heights. The story follows Snowman, once known as Jimmy, who now lives in isolation, draped in old bedsheets and dwelling in a desolate tree. His world...
    By Margaret Atwood
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    14% off
    The Handmaid's Tale
    Compulsively readable Daily Telegraph The Sunday Times No. 1 Bestseller Discover the dystopian novel that started a phenomenon. Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She is placed in the household of The Commander, Fred Waterford - her assigned name, Offred, means 'of Fred'. She has only one function: to breed. If Offred refuses to enter into sexual...
    By Margaret Atwood
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2300
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Burning Questions
    An exhilarating collection of non-fiction from the bestselling, double Booker Prize-winning phenomenon that is Margaret Atwood. The Sunday Times bestselling collection of funny, endlessly curious, and uncannily prescient essays from cultural icon Margaret Atwood. In it, she seeks answers to Burning Questions such as: Why do people everywhere, in all cultures, tell stories? How can we live on our planet?...
    By Margaret Atwood
    Paperback
    $3500
    Backorder
    Ships early October
  • The Heart Goes Last
    The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood is a gripping and cautionary tale set in a dystopian near-future where society is on the brink of collapse. Stan and Charmaine are a married couple struggling to survive in an economically devastated America. Forced to live out of their car, they grapple with precarious jobs and the constant threat from lawless gangs....
    By Margaret Atwood
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Penelopiad
    The series that began in October with Karen Armstrong's compelling A Short History of Myth continues, with electrifying new works of fiction from two of the world's most loved writers. Booker Award-winner Margaret Atwood, who has reworked the traditional telling of the Odyssey narrative, says, "I've chosen to give the telling of the story to Penelope and to the twelve...
    By Margaret Atwood
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $2900
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Blind Assassin
    Winner of the Man Booker Prize By the author of The Handmaid's Tale and Alias Grace The Blind Assassin, a spellbinding narrative by the acclaimed Margaret Atwood, weaves a tale of love, betrayal, and mystery set against the backdrop of mid-20th century Canada. The story revolves around Iris Chase, now an elderly woman of eighty-two, who reflects on her tumultuous...
    By Margaret Atwood
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Surfacing
    In Surfacing, renowned author Margaret Atwood crafts a haunting and introspective narrative that follows a young woman on a journey back to her roots. Accompanied by her lover and two friends, she travels to a secluded island in northern Quebec, a place steeped in the memories of her childhood. Their goal is to uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance...
    By Margaret Atwood
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

More from General Fiction

View all
  • The Wedding People
    'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people — but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...
    By Alison Espach
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Yesteryear
    A BOLD AND BITING SATIRE. WILL HAVE YOU GASPING TO THE FINAL PAGE — Nita Prose WICKEDLY FUNNY, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND FRIGHTENINGLY PERCEPTIVE — Abigail Dean INVENTIVE, ADDICTIVE, A WILD RIDE — Ashley Audrain SHOT THROUGH WITH HUMOUR AND LACED WITH DARKNESS — Clare Mackintosh The Stepford Wives meets The Handmaid's Tale — Hannah Deitch My name was Natalie Heller...
    By Caro Claire Burke
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Fourth Wing
    THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NUMBER ONE GLOBAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON! DON'T MISS OUT ON THE SERIES THAT EVERYONE CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT: 'This book contains an addictive, drug-like essence that will make you relinquish all responsibility until the very last word. Do not say I didn't warn you' Glamour 'I didn't sleep, I didn't eat, and when I finished, I...
    By Rebecca Yarros
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Iron Flame
    The instant number one Sunday Times bestseller and thrilling sequel to the global phenomenon, Fourth Wing! DON'T BE THE LAST TO DISCOVER THE SERIES THAT EVERYONE CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT: 'Yarros is the true inheritor of Harry Potter and inspires Hunger Games levels of devotion' Guardian 'Fear not, levels of fighting, rebelliousness and all-round sexiness are still sky-high' Daily Mail...
    By Rebecca Yarros
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Carl's Doomsday Scenario
    Join Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat Princess Donut as they fight fantastical creatures and deadly mobs in the second book in the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl series -now with bonus material exclusive to the print edition Now on the third floor, Carl and Donut have to fight harder than ever. They've already proven that a Coast Guard vet and once-and-forever...
    By Matt Dinniman
    Hardback
    $4699
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Dylan's Pick Dylan's Pick
    Theo of Golden
    THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON'For anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. Nothing is what it's supposed to be if love is not at the core.' One morning, a stranger arrives in the town of Golden. No one knows who he is or where he came from…His name is Theo and he's arrived there by chance –...
    By Allen Levi
    Paperback
    $2899
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses
    The first instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON and TikTok sensation, from multi-million selling and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. Maas has established herself as a fantasy fiction titan – Time Harry Potter magic, Taylor Swift sass, Fifty Shades-level athleticism – The Sunday Times With bits of Buffy, Game of Thrones and Outlander, this is a glorious series...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Gate of the Feral Gods
    The fourth book in the explosive LitRPG Dungeon Crawler Carl series New Achievement! Total, Utter Failure.You failed a quest less than five minutes after you received it. Now that's talent. Surviving in a multilevel dungeon that also happens to be the set of the galaxy's most watched game show has taught Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat, Princess...
    By Matt Dinniman
    Hardback
    $6000
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Dungeon Crawler Carl
    The apocalypse will be televised! Welcome to the first book in the wildly popular and addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman-now with bonus material exclusive to the print edition! You know what's worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what's worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction...
    By Matt Dinniman
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Carl's Doomsday Scenario
    New Release
    Carl's Doomsday Scenario
    Join Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat Princess Donut as they fight fantastical creatures and deadly mobs in the second book in the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl series—now with bonus material exclusive to the print edition. Now on the third floor, Carl and Donut have to fight harder than ever. They've already proven that a Coast Guard vet and once-and-forever feline...
    By Matt Dinniman
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • A Court of Silver Flames
    The latest instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From multi-million and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. Maas has established herself as a fantasy fiction titan - Time Think Game of Thrones meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a drizzle of E.L. James – Telegraph Spiced with slick plotting and atmospheric world-building...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook
    Carl and Princess Donut have to team up with other contestants to not just survive, but to solve a deadly puzzle in this third, mind-twisting novel in the addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl series -now with bonus material exclusive to this print edition! Carl and Donut have survived so far, but this fourth level is unlike anything they could imagine. The...
    By Matt Dinniman
    Hardback
    $4700
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

General Fiction lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all