Crucial Nights

Night, Shopping, Night, Waiting Room, Nap, Household, Night. Does this mean we are ready to start day four? I believe so. From the way it appears - although I haven't finished it - this novel occurs over 6 days and 7 nights. I have no conclusions for this point, I just found it interesting. Sometimes I get annoyed by how Margaret Atwood doesn't use quotation marks. However, she somehow does a good job of letting us know who is speaking at what time. She, like Laurence does in The Jest of God gives the narrator some interesting dreams that help provide background to the story. I am reminded of A Brave New World as well as 1984 when I read this novel. However, it seems as if this is a type of dystopian society that would come before the times of those novels, for in this novel there are those whom still remember what life was like 'before'. I can't help but think she will die in the end, however, I'm probably wrong. I find it very difficult for one to realize hat Offred is to mean "Of Fred" and Ofglen "Of Glen", as in belonging to. Does it specify this later in the book or did I just miss it? I believe Atwook does a fine job of creating the setting. I have always kept a vivid image in my mind of the setting the narrator is in. Atwood has somehow caused me to feel sympathy for nobody in this novel by appearing to make me feel sorry for everyone. Regardless, she has certainly revived my interest in dystopian novels... any other good one's besides 1984, Brave New World, and Farenheit 451?

---Aaron Abel