15 Apr / The Handmaid’s Tale: The Graphic Novel by Margaret Atwood and Reneé Nault, illustrated by Reneé Nault [in Booklist]
*STARRED REVIEW
Given the evergreen veneration of Margaret Atwood’s dystopic classic that, since its 1985 publication, has spawned audio, film, radio, theater, opera, and ballet incarnations and, most recently, the wildly popular television series, this graphic novel was certainly inevitable. Canadian artist Reneé Nault is credited with the illustrations, while both Nault and Atwood appear on the copyright page for adaptation; with a faithful narrative ensured, Nault spectacularly transforms lines and color into fear, resignation, desperation, and the tiniest glimmers of hope.
Handmaid Offred, in her sweeping red robe, must survive her third posting, manipulated by the Commander, disdained by his wife, and coerced into cooperation in exchange for any news about her young daughter from “before.” Whether her work is contained in panels (the orderly march to the shops) or across a double-page spread (the hanging bodies against the Wall – “we’re supposed to look”), Nault draws with precision; most piercing throughout are her affecting use of color (red – “the colour of blood” – and its portentous hues of orange, crimson, rust) and scale (the indistinguishable handmaids trapped in plain sight). She adds softness when Offred recalls her past, with less-saturated colors for happier memories, and the thickened, darker lines for the repetitive nightmares. With Atwood’s announcement of a September 2019 sequel, The Testaments, fans may find Nault’s vision to be an ideal refresher.
YA/General Interest: If graphic adaptations are intended to target young adult audiences, Nault has certainly hit the bulls-eye.
Review: “Graphic Novels,” Booklist, April 15, 2019
Readers: Young Adult, Adult
Published: 2019