Margaret Atwood Attributes “The Handmaid’s Tale” Success to Factors Beyond the Book

Margaret Atwood, the acclaimed Canadian author, has seen her dystopian novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” sell over 10 million copies. The story also inspired a successful Emmy-winning series on Hulu. Despite its popularity, Atwood, now 85, distances herself from considering it her best work.

Atwood attributed the novel’s enduring relevance to the contemporary rollback of reproductive rights, particularly following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. She suggests that without these real-world events, her book might not have gained such public attention: “It’s not due to me or the excellence of the book,” she stated. “It’s partly in the twists and turns of history.”

Factors Behind “The Handmaid’s Tale” Success

Atwood’s writings are characterized by their reflection of societal issues. With a portfolio of 64 published works, her fiction often explores themes of totalitarianism, environmental crises, and global health threats. In her 2003 novel “Oryx and Crake,” she foresaw issues such as environmental degradation and pandemics. Atwood emphasizes that her narratives are cautionary: “This could happen. This might happen, so you should be on the watch for it.”

The Research Behind Atwood’s Writing

Atwood’s narratives are grounded in thorough research. At the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library in Toronto, she has compiled numerous news clippings that inspire her plots. Her guiding principle is that if an event hasn’t occurred at some point in history, it won’t be featured in her works.

Atwood’s New Memoir

Her latest publication, “Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts,” was released recently. This memoir reflects on her early years in Quebec, where she was homeschooled until the age of 12. Atwood attributes her attention to detail to her upbringing as the daughter of a biologist, stating, “You’re not saying, ‘That’s a butterfly,’ You’re saying what kind of butterfly.”

• Graduated from Victoria College, University of Toronto, in 1961.
• Co-founded important literary institutions in Canada.
• Explores themes of family dynamics in her memoir.

Reflections on Society and Democracy

Atwood has long been a critic of societal structures and authoritative governance. Much of “The Handmaid’s Tale” was written in 1984 while she lived in West Berlin, where she was acutely aware of the tensions surrounding freedom and security. She is concerned about current events in the United States, warning of potential threats to democracy.

“The overriding of ordinary civil liberties is one of the signposts on the road to dictatorship,” she expressed. Furthermore, Atwood cautioned about the control over media and judicial systems as indicators of authoritarianism.

Response to Book Bans

Atwood’s works have faced numerous bans; 135 school districts in the United States have prohibited her books due to perceived controversial content. She expressed frustration over censorship, particularly noting a ban from her native Edmonton. Atwood remarked that she tends to face more criticism from the political left than the right, stating, “The left thinks that I should have been preaching their sermon.”

Margaret Atwood remains a significant voice in contemporary literature. Her observations provide a chilling reflection of our times, intertwining fiction with urgent social realities.