The Handmaid Tale 9pm Sunday
Anyone planning on watching this?
I plan to record it, I found the book difficult because of the subject matter. Had to be in the right frame of mind. Our daughter did it for A Level several years ago, first time I'd come across the title. At the time i read it I could only think of one is two countries it may have applied to - now it's many more. I still feel I'll need to be in the right frame of mind to watch it hence the recording.
I'd be interested to hear what others think. Of course it may not be faithful to the book.
Comments
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I managed 15 minutes B2, very dark & disturbing. Dystopian is certainly is. 10 parts in the season?, not for me
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I was watching as it came on but we had a surprise phone call from friends in NZ so switched it off. Rocky2buckets you've confirmed my feelings. I wondered how it would be on TV. It disturbed me and my daughter for a long time wasn't sure if it was added too because we are female. I will try watching.
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Brue I quite agree about Margaret Attwood her writing is very difficult to follow or VERY dark sometimes both. Wouldn't have bothered with The Handmaid Tale but daughter said she couldn't get on with it. I'll read anything so had a go. It took an age to get through it and played on my mind for a long time. In fact it's a title and tale I can recall when there a certain things in the news - does that mean she's done her job ?????? Our daughter will be 34 this September so I reckon it must be 17 years since I read it but it still haunts. I think it really put my daughter off reading as she doesn't for pleasure much at all. I think the subject matter is very real and contemporary as much as I hate to say it.
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Fair comment B2 and sadly sometimes the truth is even worse than fiction...
I got put off some types of fiction because of exam work. I couldn't read Jane Austen for years and never ever want to read Lord of the Flies again! So probably not just the content but having to go over and over it too much. 
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I'm not sorry to say that I won't be watching it either. I crossed Margaret Attwood off my list of 'must read that..........' authors years ago after being really disturbed by one of her books.
When I'm reading I don't want to be upset, disturbed, challenged, - there is enough of that in real life - I want to be lightened, made happy, and enjoy what I'm reading.
I don't do 'lightweight chick-lit' but there are lots of books which fit my brief, none of Margaret Attwood's are amongst them.
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Dark, disturbing but thought provoking. Fundamentalism in any form can be all of the above and more. Over the ages such societies have existed and this tale set in the near future maybe a reminder to us of possibilities. I wonder if the timing of this series was considered. It's set in a time when a self isolating American government, one which has shown no regard for pollution or effects of their actions on the planet or others is overthrown by the fundamentalists.
Did I enjoy it, probably not, but I'm fascinated enough to want to know how the resistance of Offred and the others overcomes the system. Maybe 'enjoyment' will follow.
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Mickysf I don't know that enjoyment is an adjective you'll want to use by the time you've watched it all 😉. As difficult as it was to read I had to know how the book ended. I'm the same with horror or sifi, I try to avoid, but if I start I have to finish because my endings would probably be worse than the stories.
What gets me is the slow errossion of rights - no protest enough to change but by the end you look back on the 'freedom' there was once. A bit like the poem about allowing things to happen to others as groups are picked off one by one, eventually when it's your turn there's no one else left to stand up for you. I can't remember author or title and that's gonna bug me for hours and hours! If anyone reading this can rambert title or author please post to put me out of my misery 😯
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First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
The quotation stems from Niemöller's lectures during the early postwar period. Different versions of the quotation exist. These can be attributed to the fact that Niemöller spoke extemporaneously and in a number of settings. Much controversy surrounds the content of the poem as it has been printed in varying forms, referring to diverse groups such as Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, Trade Unionists, or Communists depending upon the version.
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Well the first season is now over, yes I have found the series fascinating and thought provoking. It has, apparently, been very successful and a second season is to follow although this will extend beyond the written novel. Yes, I will pick this story up again when it airs.
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I read some background on the net, the series was updated and approved by the author to reflect current ideas and situations. Margaret Atwood said that nothing in the book had not happened already in the world in some form or other and that this is more so now than when the book was written - terrifying. The next series will go beyond the ending of the book so should be interesting. (I've only just found this thread but watched the series and have read the book).
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