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The Handmaid's Tale
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The Handmaid's Tale Hardcover - 1985

by Margaret Atwood


About this book

The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian novel written by Margaret Atwood in 1985. It depicts a totalitarian world known as Gilead, portraying the subjection of women in a patriarchal society. The near-future New England setting illustrates a bleak portrayal of the world after the United States is overthrown by a fundamentalist group. Society is reorganized by the regime using a peculiar interpretation of some Old Testament ideas, and a new militarized, hierarchical model of social and religious fanaticism among its newly created social classes. The novel follows the story of a young woman, Offred, who struggles to maintain her identity. It depicts the rebellion of the women in her social class as their ability to read, write, own property, or handle money are lost. Most significantly, women are deprived of control over their own reproductive functions.

The Handmaid's Tale was nominated for the first-ever Man Booker International Prize representing the best writers in contemporary fiction.

Margaret Atwood is the author of more than 35 internationally acclaimed works of fiction, poetry, and critical essays. Her numerous awards include the Governor General’s Award for The Handmaid’s Tale, and The Giller Prize and Italian Premio Mondello for Alias Grace. The Handmaid’s Tale, Cat’s Eye, Alias Grace, and Oryx and Crake were all shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, which she won with The Blind Assassin. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and has been awarded the Norwegian Order of Literary Merit and the French Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres among many others; she is a Foreign Honorary Member for Literature of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She lives in Toronto.

From the publisher

In this multi-award-winning, bestselling novel, Margaret Atwood has created a stunning Orwellian vision of the near future. This is the story of Offred, one of the unfortunate "Handmaids" under the new social order who have only one purpose: to breed. In Gilead, where women are prohibited from holding jobs, reading, and forming friendships, Offred's persistent memories of life in the "time before" and her will to survive are acts of rebellion. Provocative, startling, prophetic, and with Margaret Atwood's devastating irony, wit, and acute perceptive powers in full force, "The Handmaid's Tale" is at once a mordant satire and a dire warning.

First Edition Identification

McClelland and Stewart published a 1st edition of The Handmaid’s Tale in 1985, as a hardcover in Toronto, Canada. A true first printing includes "Set in the near future in a locale resembling Cambridge Massachusetts, this work describes life in what was once the United States - A Clockwork Orange, as seen by women" on the dust jacket.
In 1986 Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, published the first US edition of The Handmaid’s Tale in 1986.

Jonathan Cape published the first UK edition of The Handmaid’s Tale in 1986.

Details

  • Title The Handmaid's Tale
  • Author Margaret Atwood
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Edition First Edition
  • Pages 324
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher McClelland & Stewart, Toronto
  • Date 1985
  • ISBN 9780771008139 / 0771008139
  • Weight 1.25 lbs (0.57 kg)
  • Reading level 750
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 86129018
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC
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The Handmaid's Tale
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The Handmaid's Tale

by Atwood, Margaret

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ISBN 13
9780771008139
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0771008139
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Handmaid's Tale by Margaret. Atwood
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Handmaid's Tale by Margaret. Atwood

by Margaret. Atwood

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The Handmaid's Tale
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The Handmaid's Tale

by MARGARET ATWOOD

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  • Fine
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Fine
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Second printing
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780771008139
ISBN 10
0771008139
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Cheverie, Nova Scotia, Canada
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A fine second printing of the first Canadian edition in a fair dust jacket. Staining to lower spine and 2cm tear to front lower left corner, shown in picture. It is otherwise intact and not price-clipped.
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The Handmaid's Tale
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The Handmaid's Tale

by Atwood, Margaret

  • Used
  • first
Condition
Used - Acceptable
ISBN 13
9780771008139
ISBN 10
0771008139
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Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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McClelland and Stewart. Used - Acceptable. Canadian First Edition, First Printing (1st Edition, 1st Printing).
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The Handmaid's Tale (First Edition)
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The Handmaid's Tale (First Edition)

by Atwood, Margaret

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Used - Near Fine Plus
Edition
First Edition
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780771008139
ISBN 10
0771008139
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Comox, British Columbia, Canada
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Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1985. The very bottom and very top of the binding at the spine are rubbed. Dust jacket has a small irregurlar shaped tear bottom of front panel, is slightly faded on the spine panel, and has a short tear bottom of rear panel, otherwise the dust jacket is clean and is not price-clipped. A novel, short-listed for the Booker Prize and basis of 1990 film of the same name, and the highly successful TV series. 324 pages.. First Edition. Hard Cover in Dust Jacket. Near Fine Plus/Near Fine.
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The Handmaid's Tale
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The Handmaid's Tale

by MARGARET ATWOOD

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  • near fine
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Near Fine
Edition
2nd printing
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780771008139
ISBN 10
0771008139
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Cheverie, Nova Scotia, Canada
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A near fine hardcover 2nd printing in a fine dust jacket. No remainder marks, light shelf wear to bottom edge with 2 small dents to bottom edges. Bindings are tight and square. A very nice copy
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The Handmaid's Tale
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The Handmaid's Tale

by Atwood, Margaret

  • Used
  • very good
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Used - Very Good
Edition
1st Edition
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780771008139
ISBN 10
0771008139
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Tacoma, Washington, United States
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Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1985 Book. Very Good. Hardcover. 1st Edition. Rubbing at the spine ends, a few scattered soil marks on the front board and lower edge, gift inscription on the front pastedown partially obscured by the jacket flap. Light wear along the jacket edges, one inch closed tear on the lower front edge, a patch of small scrapes on the portrait on the rear panel. True first edition..
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The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale

by Atwood, Margaret

  • Used
  • near fine
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Used - Near Fine
Edition
A First Edition, First Printing 1st Printing
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780771008139
ISBN 10
0771008139
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Palm Desert, California, United States
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Toronto, Canada: McClelland and Stewart, 1985. A First Edition, First Printing 1st Printing. Hardcover. Near Fine/Near Fine. Near fine in a near fine unclipped dust jacket. The true first edition. Jacket with two closed tears at the top of the front panel, light edge wear elsewhere.
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The Handmaid's Tale
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The Handmaid's Tale

by Atwood, Margaret

  • Used
  • very good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Very Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780771008139
ISBN 10
0771008139
Quantity Available
1
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State College, Pennsylvania, United States
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McClelland and Stewart, 1985-01-01. Hardcover. Very Good. 1.2000 in x 9.0000 in x 6.0000 in. First edition, no previous printings stated. True first edition, precedes US edition in 1986. DJ very good, with only slight toning to edges; original $22.95 price on front flap. Small amount of old inventory info written in pencil on half title page. Else clean. Very slightly bumped at bottom and top of spine, boards are otherwise clean and square. Binding secure. Photos available upon request.
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The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale

by Atwood, Margaret

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Used - Near Fine in Very Good+ dust jacket
Edition
First Edition
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780771008139
ISBN 10
0771008139
Quantity Available
1
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Vars, Ontario, Canada
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McClelland & Stewart. Near Fine in Very Good+ dust jacket. 1985. First Edition. Hardcover. 0771008139 . First Edition. Tan/brown hardcovers, tan titles to the spine. In Near Fine condition with a sound binding, bright & unmarked pages. Light wear to the spine ends. The DJ is unclipped and in Very Good+ condition. Small tears to the top spine end, cover rubbing and edgewear. With the book are a few newspaper clippings about the book. "The story is told through the eyes of Offred, one of the unfortunate "Handmaids" under the new social order. In condensed but eloquent prose, by turns cool-eyed, tender, despairing, passionate, and wry, she reveals to us the dark corners behind the establishment's calm facade, as certain tendencies now in existence are carried to their logical conclusions." ; Large 8vo 9" - 10" tall; 324 pages .
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