When did I first read this? I'm not sure...before the internet, probably when this novel was a recent one. Back then, it scared me. Now, it scares me even more. Back then, I remember thinking that all women should read this, but now I think everyone should.

Sadly, some of the aspects of life under the Gilead Regime are at work today, in certain parts of the world. The culture is extremely misogynistic, but note that most of the men in such a society are also restricted, not at all free. Not as badly off as women, of course.

Margaret Atwood excels at writing speculative fiction, I adore her writing, so it's no surprise that I would recommend this to everyone. (Not this particular paperback; the cover is falling apart, getting smaller every time I picked it up. I've left a trail.)