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Original poster

To be disappointed with The Handmaid's Tale ending (the book)

140 replies

Buck3t · 02/07/2017 07:03

Nothing has been resolved. It's infuriating me. Reminds me of how I felt at the end of Stephen King's Gunslinger series.

OP posts:
1Potato2 · 02/07/2017 07:07

That's the point though. You're not supposed to know. (Sorry, helpful)

QueenieGoldstein · 02/07/2017 07:10

That's because the story hasn't ended, it's still being lived by millions of women across the globe. Nothing in the book is far fetched or something that I should not happening right now so why would it end? What did you expect? Lancelot to ride in on a white charger and fireworks as he whisks Offred into the sunset to live happily ever after?

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 02/07/2017 07:14

The ending resolves quite a lot, I thought, in the way that it takes place decades after Offred's story ends and thus tells us something about what might have happened not just to her but to Gilead as a whole.OK, so it's presented as academic speculation, but it's an interesting way of concluding things in the way that it suddenly gives us distance from Offred's story.

Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies · 02/07/2017 07:17

We know that Offred has managed to get out of the Commander's house, and we know that Gilead does not last forever.

Original poster
Buck3t · 02/07/2017 07:19

No Queenie I expected a resolution. I ask for an actual ending to this woman's plight. Did my question sound like I needed a happy ending? Or for the story to be complete. One way or the other.
Oh and Lancelot's ending is never happy so crap example, but thanks.

As for it's still happening in the world today. Thanks for that so wasn't awareHmm. However, the fact remains this person was able to get out and relay this story. But nada. We all know what happened to Anne Frank, just saying it would be nice to know what happened here.

OP posts:
PaulAnkaTheDog · 02/07/2017 07:21

Snippy response op.

Original poster
Buck3t · 02/07/2017 07:23

theonly I see where you are coming from. But it would have been nice to know when or if it got turned around. During the lecture there seemed to still be (as I read it) laughter as points that minimised women as if there were a leftover of the attitudes from Gilead times. So it would have been nice to know when it died, if it had died.

OP posts:
QueenieGoldstein · 02/07/2017 07:23

Oh and Lancelot's ending is never happy so crap example, but thanks.

To be disappointed with The Handmaid's Tale ending (the book)
Original poster
Buck3t · 02/07/2017 07:23

PaulAnka snippy response to whom?

OP posts:
QueenieGoldstein · 02/07/2017 07:24

Ok sensible response: I believe those questions are going to be answered in the second series of the TV show, Atwood has said it will explore the after effects etc

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 02/07/2017 07:24

But Anne Frank is a real person - Offred isn't Confused She's a literary construct, created by Atwood for the purposes of her story - nothing happened to her beyond what Atwood has told us because she doesn't exist beyond what Atwood has told us.

Original poster
Buck3t · 02/07/2017 07:27

1potato Don't be sorry. It's just frustrating, like there is more story to be told.

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Original poster
Buck3t · 02/07/2017 07:34

Theonly I get that point about Anne Frank. But because, as Queenie and others across mn have pointed out, this happens in the real world and because the character is written so well, it all feels real. To me at least. And yes because of that I want an ending. It could be nice, she could be shot in the back trying to get across the border. She could be reunited with her daughter or not. Just let me know. Pretty please with cherries on top. As I stamp my feet.

Truth be told I was upset with Stephen King for a long time and I believe I will be the same with Margaret Atwood for a while. But I'm a little Cray Cray so it's all good.

OP posts:
Original poster
Buck3t · 02/07/2017 07:36

Queenie do you know if MA is helping with the story?

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Littlecaf · 02/07/2017 07:36

I don't think the ending matters, it's the story made to highlight the world of some women today.

QueenieGoldstein · 02/07/2017 07:39

She is helping yes, one interview mentioned the new elements of the Hulu story (I won't put them because spoilers) from series 1 and how it was for series 2 for her to finally unpick how Gilead fell and the repercussions i.e. did they find a way to raise the birth rate after all?

PoorYorick · 02/07/2017 07:39

As for it's still happening in the world today. Thanks for that so wasn't aware Hmm

Atwood made a point of not including any practice that hadn't actually taken place at some point in history.

Original poster
Buck3t · 02/07/2017 07:41

Littlecaf clearly I disagree. Since I'm more focused on "what the hell happened?" as opposed to thinking "what can I do to stop it".

But understand and respect your view

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QueenieGoldstein · 02/07/2017 07:45

That's where the TV show has been a fascinating companion to the book. We see more about the how's and whys of the creation of Gilead and in series 2 will hopefully discover the downfall, all great empires do desctruct and this empire isn't far from great.

QueenieGoldstein · 02/07/2017 07:46

Is far from great I meant

Original poster
Buck3t · 02/07/2017 07:46

Pooryorick not sure of the point your making. What I mean is I am aware of that, if I hadn't made myself clear earlier.

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Original poster
Buck3t · 02/07/2017 07:49

Queenie Can't wait to sit down with the rest. I rushed the rest of the book because the show got ahead. I'm now looking for something new to read. Haven't read for pleasure for so long.

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UndersecretaryofWhimsy · 02/07/2017 07:51

But what did you think could possibly happen to Offred? Did you think she was going to be reunited with her daughter and Luke?

We know she got far enough to make her tapes. After that, she was either recaptured and killed/sent to the Colonies or lived her life in hiding, badly scarred.

Offred was always doomed. There was no happy ending possible for her. Her life was always forfeit to Gilead. We needed to know if the Resistance was real, and we know from her tapes that it was. That's all. The story is about the need for awareness and resistance - wrapping Offred's story up in a neat little bow would have detracted from that.

aginghippy · 02/07/2017 07:53

Margaret Atwood is credited as writer and consulting producer for the first series, so she isn't just helping. AFAIK she has not said what her involvement will be with the second series.

You are not the only one who wants to know what happens next. MA says that people have been asking her that question for the last 30 years and she doesn't know.

MargaretCavendish · 02/07/2017 07:53

I find this a really interesting example of how we value different things in fiction. I loved the ending of the handmaid's tale, and I think I pretty much always would prefer an ambiguous ending to one that wraps everything up. It's like when people say they couldn't get on with a book because none of the characters are sympathetic - again, for me, that's just not something I'm looking for and I'm always surprised when people criticise books I love for that. I'm not trying to suggest that either preference is right or better - just interesting that we have such different ones.

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