49 pages • 1 hour read
Margaret AtwoodThe Heart Goes Last
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2015A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood follows a young married couple, Stan and Charmaine, navigating a financial crash that leaves them homeless. They join the Positron Project, which offers stability in exchange for freedom, and end up entangled in secretive and morally dubious activities. Themes include love, obsession, free will, and the destructive greed within capitalist societies. Contains themes like coerced intimacy, euthanasia, and unethical practices.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Margaret Atwood's The Heart Goes Last presents a dystopian future blending dark humor with chilling societal critique. Reviewers praise its inventive plot and sharp wit but note uneven pacing and underdeveloped characters. While the novel's satirical edge is celebrated, some find the narrative's resolution unsatisfying. Overall, it offers a provocative, if sometimes flawed, exploration of human nature.
Who Should Read The Heart Goes Last?
Fans of dystopian fiction and dark satire will enjoy Margaret Atwood's The Heart Goes Last. Readers who appreciate themes of societal control and human resilience, similar to those in George Orwell's 1984 and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, will find this book captivating and thought-provoking.