The Handmaids tale

[DumbledoresArmy]

Anyone else planning on watching this at 9pm on channel 4?

Etiquette?!

nd what MA also didnt make clear is what happened to 'ordinary' married women and men ..so not commanders , and not enemies of the state but lets say ordinary folk like farmers or post men etc..i just presumed that if they had not failed the states criteria then they were left to get on with life as best they could with a wife but maybe not a handmaid....

they became econowives didn't they?

I think the regime is new-the handmaidens are the first generation of handmaidens, everyone is feeling their way and things are subject to change.

I've watched nearly all episodes of the show and read the book recently so I might be getting the two mixed up. So I'll keep quiet in case I spoil the show.

A lot of things happen in similar ways but at very different times in the book and TV series. The Ofglen changeover from episode 2 comes towards the end of the book.

oh yes econowives...thank you i had forgotten that bit

the ofglen changeover at the end is a very scary part-I am not sure why they've moved it to this stage-it takes away the horror...

*Why did she spit the cookie out?
I think it was a macaron *

Yes it was

It was a way of taking back control and not enjoying it even though she really wanted the sugar as she presumably hadn't eaten any for so long.

Such a powerful book.

I've just discovered I read it when it came out in 86 ( I googled,I remember being very young) I can't believe that was 30 years ago!! How is that possible?

I'd really like even more world building... How many commanders are there? How many people fought back and were killed? At what stage did they start taking women to be Handmaids? Obviously not right at the start, ie when they stopped women working and having bank accounts... But how long after?!

I'm sure Margaret Atwood is the reason I have always been a Ms

Root, there are good reasons which I won't say because of spoilers. (I have cheated and read reviews of later episodes.)

My book arrived todaaaaaaay. Can't wait to start reading it

oh good!!!

I think because i am very very familiar with the book I am a bit confused by all the changes .

Ooo, just watching episode one again with DP, and noticed when June is in the bath before the Ceremony, she has an ear cuff at the top of her left ear! Obviously it can't be a fashion choice so it must be a tag, like farmers put on cows or sheep.

I think she was excited the next morning to report the commander was going to DC.

I loved her spitting the cookie out and leaving the remainder on the sink as a fuck you.

Don't you forget about me was a excellent choice of song. Released when the book was written and despite its uplifting tube it's a sad nod to Janine and her stolen baby.

How can I watch before it's on UK TV? A quick Google doesn't help.

I read the book for the first time just before watching the first episode and I loved it. The Kindle edition I bought had a fabulous introduction from MA - read after the book cos it's spoiler galore.

The end of the first episode with the the introduction and reclaiming of the name June was a great moment. The intro says this - "Why do we never learn the real name of the central character, I have often been asked. Because, I reply, so many people throughout history have had their names changed or have simply disappeared from view. Some have deduced that Offred’s real name is June, since, of all the names whispered among the Handmaids in the gymnasium/ dormitory, June is the only one that never appears again. That was not my original thought, but it fits, so readers are welcome to it if they wish."

It's awesome.

Why do they change Janine's personality from the book?!

In the book she ends up sucking up to The Aunts (won't say one thing she does in the book re Moira), but during the birthing ceremony, Janine is offered a cookie by the Wives as a bribe, and Janine sucks up to the wives and thanks them for it, therefore getting further isolated and scorned by the Handmaidens as sucking up to the wives. I not saying that June spitting the cookie out doesn't mean she resents the wives, the cookie gift or the fact she is a Handmaiden.

June (Offred) also tries interaction with the Martha's in her household. I'm wondering how much else of that interaction is shown on the TV serial.

I too think that the Commander is a Reluctant Rapist - I am not sure whether that makes his complying with The Ceremony better or worse. I think he is lonely within his marriage and is, misguidedly, reaching out to Offred for human contact/company.

The most chilling thing about the whole story, whether the book or the TV adaptation or in fact the film, is how easy it is make everybody distrustful of everybody, how fear strips away humanity and how worryingly easy it is to strip a relatively civilised society of its privilege and freedoms.
I cannot help but be reminded of various examples of modern day secret police (Stasi, SS, KGB etc) whenever the Eyes turn up.

"The Book". How many times have those two words been used on this thread?! It's ridiculous and it's ruining this thread imo. Those who are so faithful to "The Book" should maybe have a thread in "The Book" section (or whatever it's called) and not Telly Addicts? Anywho, yep, too, too many references to "The Book" is making it hard to enjoy this thread, so that's me out!

Not that anyone will give a shite, obviously, but just spitting out my dummy before I flounce off.

Oh and LOVED last night's episode. One of the best things to ever hit the TV screen. Even if it's not as faithful to "The Book" as some might like . As you were!

Roots I haven't read the book, but to me, the Ofglen was perfect timing. She lost Moira last episode, and had finally realised a potential friend and a potential cause in Ofglen. She was excited to tell her about the Scrabble - to speculate and to tell her about DC and so feel she is contributing to the "us Vs them". And all of that is snatched away, with the removal of Ofglen. She is now all alone again. No-one to trust, no one to confide in, no access to a greater cause. Chilling stuff.

Hardly ridiculous to compare the book to the series. It's done every time they make a book into a film/ series.

I'm not sure how we can discuss the series without discussing the book.

I also think its a bit rich to criticise the readers for discussing the book when it was the TV-only folk asking for clarification from the readers earlier on in the thread.

I'd really like even more world building... How many commanders are there? How many people fought back and were killed? At what stage did they start taking women to be Handmaids? Obviously not right at the start, ie when they stopped women working and having bank accounts... But how long after?!

I think we're getting some of that as we go - all the flashbacks - but I am not sure if it would be right to know all the details, because they weren't allowed to read, news was probably very fake and so on - this is the Handmaid's Tale, not the Wife's Tale or the Commander's Tale, nor anyone else's tale, so we shouldn't know more than she does. Probably only the commanders know exactly how many commanders there are, and probably know one knows exactly how many fought back and died or escaped and so on.