Apple Tree Yard starts on Sunday! [MNHQ message: No spoilers please, including what happens in the book!]

[Destinysdaughter]

I really enjoyed the book so looking forward to this. It's in 4 parts with Emily Watson playing the main character and Ben Chaplin as her lover. BBC1 9pm

Good article about it here.

www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jan/14/emily-watson-apple-tree-yard-middle-aged-women-infidelity-sexuality#comments

She's not lovely for her age -she's just lovely!

So refreshing to see normal looking people shagging instead of silicone implants and pumped up lips everywhere.

Is it worth reading the book or not really? Can't believe I haven't heard of it until now.

Well maybe they will reveal next week that the husband has been fucking her..

Thanks for the spoiler though.

I enjoyed the book and the TV version so far, I cant remember the plot all that well so it's fun to revisit it

Blow I haven't read the book but I think it was pretty explicit that he had been fucking her. "It's all in her head" was the excuse he initially gave. I think it was also quite clear that his wife never truly believed that but accepted it.

Not sure where you are seeing misogyny.

i enjoyed the book and was ready to give this a miss. might catch up with it later.

The book is excellent, really worth reading!

Blow mentioning a spoiler is unfair on people who don't know the story.

Every time I see BC I always think " Oh it's so lovely he made it out"

Find it quite slow and I am afraid I find Emily Watson a bit irritating I find her facial expressions far too subtle she seems to not know what's going on half he time.

Ending shocked me obviously and was extremely disturbing and unexpected. Going to give it another go next week.

For those that have read the book could you be careful about what you reveal because when reading a book it isn't spilt into episodes so you don't know what may be shown on tv next week so don't assume something has just been left out because that may not be the case.

I haven't read the book but I think it was pretty explicit that he had been fucking her. "It's all in her head" was the excuse he initially gave.

I agree that it looked very much like he was lying.

Also agree that "they've left out X" should be left til we're sure X has been changed rather than just not revealed yet.

I wasn't that impressed tbh. I am sure the book is good but I didn't really engage with the characters on telly. I don't know why. I don't 'like' Ben Chaplin in terms of looks and I didn't think there was much chemistry between them given the events. I thought the dialogue was stilted- all that 'no parachutes' stuff (I don't even know what they means :( ).
Funnily enough I thought the rape scene was predictable, the minute they entered that room.
I'm puzzled by her saying she was 'fucking a spook' because for all we know the camera may well have been switched on, he may have been placating her, setting a trap or whatever, and she comes over as naive for someone so brainy!
Reserving judgement but I didn't feel emotionally drawn in.

It's £2 .79 on Kindle atm, going to download it when my Kindle has charged up.

Polly Perky, I think 'no parachutes' means neither of them is looking to use the affair to escape from their marriage - in other words it's to be just a 'fling'.

Thanks MNHQ for editing the title. Can anyone who has already read it tell me if the post above about the gorilla is a spoiler - if not I will go back and read it! (I haven't read the book.)

I would assume she will struggle to decide whether to go the Police or not following the rape?
As obviously she will have DNA from the other guy too.

Very interesting.

How did the scientist man know about the affair? Is it suggested that he saw the texts when the champagne bottle got spilled and he and EW were leaning over each other to retrieve it?

I haven't read the book although probably will after watching the series. I really enjoyed it but what a twist at the end - brutal and horrifying!

Will she tell spook man and then spook man will arrange to have rapist fall under tube during rush hour?

For those who haven't read the book Blow's spoiler is minor. And actually very heavily hinted at in the first episode.

I didn't really notice it last night but yeh Ben Chaplin is miscast. They needed someone with more charisma and who looked older. He looks a lot younger than he is.

Is he a spook though?
Suppose we don't actually know yet!

I didn't feel much chemistry between them. He came across too predatory.

DH hasn't read the book and he said 'hubby is definitely shagging the student' so I think it was fairly heavily hinted at by his body language.

Can't wait for next week! This is the sort of drama that needs to be binge watched.

Gorilla is not a spoiler, it's safe to read that post.

Are we seriously meant to believe that Yvonne thinks BC might be a 'spook'??!

she's meant to be a smart lady. What spook (worth their salt anyway) would put themselves in such compromising positions (affair, sex in public) as to give other people control over him (i.e. blackmail him)??

My first reaction wasn't that he was a spook. Rather, a dirty dog who's been doing what he's doing with Yvonne with other women an awful lot already....

surprised she doesn't think that too...