BOOK

THE HANDMAID'S TALE
Margaret Atwood
Random House, 1986

In a country ruled with an iron fist by religious fundamentalists, women scurry about in groups, covered from head to toe, and are forbidden to learn to read or write. A snapshot of life under the Taliban? Not quite. The time is the near future and the place, the Republic of Gilead, a Christian dictatorship. Welcome to Margaret Atwood's terrifying dystopian vision of a United States of America gone very wrong indeed.

The Handmaid's Tale follows Offred, a handmaid in the house of the Commander, who's given name is Fred (hence Offred, she is of Fred), and his wife Serena Joy. Gilead's military coup is still a raw memory. Offred and other fertile women have been rounded up to reproduce for the ruling elite, whose own fertility has been ravaged by pollution. Handmaids who rebel are branded Unwomen and sent to the Colonies to starve to death.

The Commander takes a liking to Offred and offers her a glimpse into a secret masculine underworld. At a brothel called Jezebel's, Offred runs into her old best friend, Moira, who explains that there are other options for Unwomen like her.

Ms Atwood's searing satire of moralising agendas takes no prisoners. With its obsession with sex and institutionalization of rape, Gilead ends up being a much more dangerous place for women than the 'immoral' culture it replaced. When The Handmaid's Tale was published in 1986, Ronald Regan, who's been called "the most anti-woman president of the 20th century," ruled the land. Reproductive rights were threatened and environmental issues ignored. Somehow Margaret Atwood's cautionary tale has never seemed more relevant.

— Con Savage

POP

A Very Special Christmas, Vol 2
Various Artists
A&M Records, 1992

I know. You hate Christmas music. It starts sometime around November 1 and for two solid months it's everywhere — shopping malls, television commercials, light-rock music stations. As Christmas day approaches it gets worse. It becomes sensory overload. By the time December 25 hits, the absolute last thing you want to hear is another version of "Jingle Bells."

But in many Canadian households, festive music comes part and parcel with all the other holiday traditions. With that in mind, I suggest a Christmas album to top all Christmas albums — a record that will leave you wondering "why?" But also a record that will at least add some laughter to the yuletide turmoil.

Released in 1992, A Very Special Christmas Vol 2 herds together the top pop artists of the day, and then some, including luminaries like Run DMC, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Randy Travis, and Sinead O'Connor. The album is eclectic — and offers listeners a range of styles from crooner-country to arena pop (does anyone remember Extreme?). It runs the gamut from good old classics ("White Christmas" — although you might want to skip this track unless you love Michael Bolton) to more modern — and bearable — holiday tunes like "Christmas All Over Again," by reliably-sardonic Tom Petty. The album is fun and does have some holiday party high-points. Two standouts include Wall of Sound alumni Darlene Love and Ronnie Spector belting it out in "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," and another duet featuring Bonnie Raitt and Charles Brown in a sexy "Merry Christmas Baby." Happy Holidays!

— Carla Sparks

FILM

LABYRINTH
Dir: Jim Henson
Columbia/Tristar, 1986

Goblins, fairies and rocks that talk are only a taste of the many fantastic beasts in Labyrinth. The Goblin King, David Bowie — a fantastic beast himself — seems right at home in this enchanting film. The story follows Sarah, a 15-year-old who's obsessed by a fantasy book entitled — you guessed it — Labyrinth. Sarah, played by Jennifer Connelly, is fed up with her annoying kid brother and decides to call on the Goblin King, Jareth, to take him away. Enter David Bowie, looking like he's in drag, to whisk the tot to his castle. Sarah immediately regrets her decision, and begs for her brother to be returned. But Jareth has other plans and sends Sarah on an impossible quest to find his castle, which lies at the heart of the Labyrinth.

Sarah accepts the challenge and teams up with some adorable characters. All the critters, both large and small, who inhabit the Labyrinth are the fascinating invention of the incomparable Jim Henson. From the strings that flit in and out of view, it's pretty easy to tell that it's an almost all-puppet cast. No computer-generated imagery here and it's a refreshing change. There's a certain charm in practical effects and puppetry that no computer can achieve.

The photography is stunning and captures the fantasy landscape perfectly. For a film entitled Labyrinth, it's surprisingly uncomplicated. One thing that really stands out in the film is the Goblin King's tights. It doesn't leave much to the imagination, and you see a lot more of Mr Bowie than some of us would like. That faux pas alone is worth the watch.

— Felix Ansel

You might also like: The Dark Crystal directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz

Calling all doctors! Do you have a classic film, CD or book that you love? Would you be interested in sharing it with your colleagues? If so, why not submit your review to the National Review of Medicine. Send your article to [email protected] and we'll send you a gift if we publish it.