Margaret Atwood, the author of The Handmaid’s Tale among more than fifty other books of fiction, poetry, critical essays, and graphic novels, is known for her feminist, social activist, and environmental stance. Here are 10 of the best Margaret Atwood quotes.

1. “I read for pleasure and that is the moment I learn the most.”―Margaret Atwood

2. “Don’t let the bastards grind you down.”―Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale

3. “War is what happens when language fails.”―Margaret Atwood

4. “Another belief of mine: that everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise.”―Margaret Atwood, Cat’s Eye

5. “I would like to be the air that inhabits you for a moment only. I would like to be that unnoticed and that necessary.”―Margaret Atwood

6. “In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”―Margaret Atwood, Bluebeard’s Egg

7. “Better never means better for everyone… It always means worse, for some.”―Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale

8. “Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.”―Margaret Atwood

9. “Ignoring isn’t the same as ignorance, you have to work at it.”―Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale

10. “A word after a word after a word is power.”―Margaret Atwood

Related: 20 Quotes About Writing By Writers

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