The Handmaid's Tale: The Graphic Novel - Book Review

 

The Handmaid's Tale: The Graphic Novel by Renee Nault
Publication date: March 26, 2019
Pages: 240 pages
Genre: Graphic novel, speculative fiction
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars ☆☆☆
Strengths: Emotive art, strong mood representation
Weaknesses: Lacked depth and linear story

I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan of graphic novels, but I really like The Handmaid's Tale, so when my book club opted to read that and I read it a couple times already, I decided to finally read the graphic novel (that's been on my shelf for a year or so).

I loved the moods set by this one. While it didn't tell June's story in a linear way, the colors and features of 'the good guys' and 'the bad guys' were so clear, my emotions rallied just like when I read the book (or watched the movie, or watched the tv show...). The beautiful illustrations clearly conveyed the feelings of the story.

I especially liked the evil old hag appearance of Mrs Waterford, and the line-less, innocent faces of most of the handmaids. The aunts also had an appearance similar to the dark, evil villian in a cartoon. The drawings were definitely well in line with the stereotypes of each character's role.

Overall, I'm glad I reviewed this, and I liked it more than I expected. I'd give this graphic novel 3 out of 5 stars. It was an excellent way to bring the story back to mind, without the time investment of re-reading the book.