A fantastic read. Atwood's prediction of what a post-1980s extreme religious government would look like still feels relevant to the modern day; I almost didn't clock the publication date. I love the way the Historical Notes section (also part of the fictional narrative) adds another layer of dehumanization to Offred's story: where Offred left no grayzone as whether the government was wrong or right, nuance is then forced onto her narrative by the "experts" analyzing it going so far as to caution the audience against "passing moral judgment upon the Gileadeans".

All in all a well-rounded story that leaves the reader a lot to think about despite the many answers it provides. I also didn't expect butter to come up as often as it did.