The Handmaid's Tale Season 2 (UK Pace) - thread 5 - SPOILER ALERT

[CruCru]

Hi all

Here is the next thread for those who are watching The Handmaid's Tale Season 2 on Channel 4. Please don't put any spoilers on this - the other thread (for those in other countries who are watching ahead of the UK) is:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/telly_addicts/3239228-Handmaids-Tale-Season-2-SPOILERS-VIEWING-AHEAD-OF-UK-SREENING

Doh, sorry I see The Power has already been mentioned - premature posting

It is an interesting dilemma for the TV adaptation, the question of how long Gilead endures. I know it's in the book that it lasts for a very long time, but for the purpose of a ten-series run on TV, surely that needs to be changed. I think Atwood would agree to that.

Also the book was written in 1985, and we're now facing resurgent fascism, so it's urgent that we look at how fascism rises and how it can be defeated if allowed to gain power. I can't see that Gilead would have been sustainable for as many years as is implied in the book.

I found The Power disappointing, and there are blatant rip-offs from The Handmaid's Tale in it, such as the ridiculous bookending from the future - which the publishers wanted to take out, but Alderman insisted on keeping in.

I found the very graphic violence in the power off putting. Not that I believe women cannot be violent, but it was repeatedly graphic.. Tht is frightening in its insidious build up of tension both in the book and TV.

Yes, The Power too! I think there was a display of these type of books around the HMT was first on the TV, but I ended up buying Good Omens (because they're obviously so similar)

I found The Power disappointing, and there are blatant rip-offs from The Handmaid's Tale in it, such as the ridiculous bookending from the future I'll be honest, I didn't read the end of HMT - I was too disappointed at the sudden stop in June's story.

The stuff at the end of The Handmaid's Tale was a satire on academia. I didn't like it much.

Re the aftermath, if Gilead were overthrown: I think it would be interesting if Fred and Selena, plus other commanders and their wives, escaped to Brazil and fostered Gilead movements world wide even after their own defeat. It would be true to history. And would June and Emily, and Moira, and other Handmaids and Marthas, pursue them? Or just shrug the whole thing off?

Good Dystopias

The End Specialist by Drew Magary
Genus by Jonathan Trigell

I didn't really enjoy The Power. I've got Vox on my kindle ready to go. I've just read Margaret Atwood's The Heart Goes Last and thought it was excellent.

I don't want THT to run for ever on tv, even if it was in line with how long Gilead lasted. I think it needs a more open ending, as that would be in keeping with Margaret Atwood's style. A complete ending with everything tied up nicely wouldn't do it justice, even if it is more satisfying to watch.

Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel is a good dystopian novel. The ends certainly aren't tied up in that.

I loved the heart goes last.. But my favourite (after tht) is the maddadam series

I've not read THT so I don't know exactly how the book ends. From June's monologue after having the baby, I think she said something along the lines of she hopes to meet whoever she was addressing one day either in heaven or if escapes. That suggests to me that she's going to try to escape after finishing her storytelling. Am I right in thinking that the book was written as if she'd recorded her story of her time in Gilead? I'd like to see the series end with her recording everything & then heading off for another escape attempt & the tapes being found by someone at the fall of Gilead so we never really know if June escaped or was caught & put on the wall. I suppose they could do it that the finder of the tapes goes in search of June & finds her as an old lady or finds Hannah &/or Holly after June's death but I think I'd prefer the mystery of her having disappeared without trace.

I have just arranged to go out on sunday night. All good-until Dh reminded me what Sunday night is. Won't be the same watching o. Monday.

I enjoyed reading The Power, but I thought it was a bit silly really. Just too far fetched, whereas THT is all too believable.

@AGnu... Read the book, you'll love it

Abe Books' best dystopia list here

Great list of books thanks for sharing @HuguenotJo

Yes, fab list @HuguenotJo - thank you!

I hate to give him credit, but my dh sent it to me after I'd been raving about THT!

AGnu, I think that would be a fitting ending actually. Have you considered joining the writing team?

Vox sounds good, I’ll download it when the THMT withdrawal kicks in. I loved the first half of The Power but it all started to get a bit too far-fetched towards the end and left me disappointed.

Thanks for the link, Hug, I loved The Bees and my DS is next to me highly recommending Divergent.

Going back a bit, but the discussion on whether Nick & Eden having sex was rape has got me thinking; how do people see Nick & June’s first sexual encounter? Was that rape? Because Serena forced June into it and Nick said he didn’t feel able to refuse, but could he? As an Eye (which he definitely was then) surely he could’ve gone to Cmdr Pryce and told him about the request?

I didn't think much of The Power. It would be interesting to imagine a matriarchal culture but I don't think the author put much imagination in. Her theory was basically that the societal pressures on men and women arise purely and solely because men can physically dominate women. If women could physically dominate men we would simply have a 180 degree flip around of everything and there would be no changes. Strong women would fit neatly and seamlessly into the roles currently occupied by strong men. I don't buy it.

I know what they could do - they could have a partial fall of Gilead, maybe a rebellion or invasion which loses part of the territory, so June could get out that way but the regime continue as in the books.
Gilead falling completely would feel too easy and pat, but all the escape attempts are starting to feel a bit repetitive.

I think Nick was coerced into sex at least as much as Eden really shocked anyone would think him a rapist

Marge Piercy 'Woman on the edge of time' - both a utopian and disutopian novel

Zoe Fairbairns 'Benefits' - she only wrote a handful of novels but each one is a feminist version of a popular 'women's ' genre.

Love the book recommendations from everyone. I've just tried to get the vox on kindle but it's not available until 21 Aug.

I'm also going to need a replacement after Sunday. I started watching mad men on Netflix to hope fill a bit of the void.

I loved reading the mandibles by Lionel Shriver. But not sure that could come under the category of dystopian. More about the economy going pear shaped but creates an interesting social scenario

I watch the film of 'never let me go' which is one of the books on that list it was really freaky. I couldn't stop thinking about it for weeks