The Handmaid’s Tale (UK pace, so no spoilers from the US/Israel/Aus please)

[Ivy40]

This is a new thread where we can refer to the original book, published in 1985 (including the epilogue). Everyone is welcome to speculate on how the writers will get us from the book (end of series 1) to the epilogue (we’re assuming this will be series 10). Plus any other interesting plot developments that you have noticed.

No spoilers from the US/Israel/Aus etc please, as we in the UK are 2-3 episodes behind. We don’t want to KNOW what happens next, we just enjoy speculating and enjoy the plot development.

The basics:
Margaret Atwood wrote the Handmaid’s Tale in the 1980s, it was first published in 1985.

She said that she didn’t use anything that hadn’t happened in real life.

Series 1 finished at the end of the book.

There is an epilogue though.

Hulu have said that there will be 10 series.

We are assuming that series 10 will be the epilogue.

That means that Hulu have a lot of creative licence in series 2-9, as long as what they create leads to what we know is the epilogue.

Margaret Atwood is a consultant writer on the tv series.

The Testaments are being released in September 2019, written by Margaret Atwood. Set 15 years ahead of the ending in the original book and will be the stories of 4 different narrators, not June’s story. MA said that she based the Handmaid’s Tale on Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, so we’re expecting “A Wife”s Tale”, “A Martha’s Tale” etc.

Good point Captain. I keep forgetting that the book was only series 1.

If Daisy is Nichole it leaves open the possibility of eventually meeting Agnes/Hannah.

And the time line fits if it's 15 years later and she's nearly 16. Ooh I haven't even ordered the book.

Yes, I’m wondering if we see Agnes/Hannah being transformed into a revolutionary and that somehow leads to her meeting Daisy/Nicole.

I’m wondering a lot, hope I’m not disappointed .

Yes, Captain, I just thought that - 15 years after the end of the book would fit perfectly with Daisy being Nicole.

I’m home and my copy isn’t here yet either (sad face), guess I’ll have to wait until Tuesday too.

Yes, I think Daisy is Nicole/Holly too. Captain and Mackerz have explained why.

Maybe Canada refused to send Nicole back to Gilead, so Gilead attempted to kidnap her - hence the name change.

@CaptainMyCaptain

Yes, I think you did mention it, I prefer to call her June rather than Offred though, I see Offred as being her slave name.

Interestingly, in the final episode, Serena was still referring to her as . Even though Serena was in Canada, I thought that demonstrated Serena’s real beliefs and feelings.

Serena was still referring to her as Offred. Not sure why that deleted.

If we start a book chat thread, how would that work? A thread per chapter?

Yes, I was just thinking that @andylion. People read at different paces but I would love to have somewhere to come and discuss the book.

@OriginofSpecies are you planning on setting up a book thread? How do we think it’s best to manage spoilers?

Yes Mackerz I think we can all accept her name is June now.

Not sure how a book thread would work as we would all get hold of the book and read it at different times. I suppose a chapter at a time would be best.

Would the thread be under books, rather than telly addicts?

A thread per chapter is a good idea.

@Mackerz @andylion

I wasn't planning on starting a thread for the book, but will probably join in on one once it's started, so please do go ahead to start a thread for the book.

Well I’ve set some time aside to start reading it on Tuesday night next week (as long as Amazon deliver on time). So happy to start one (if no one else does). I’ll post the link on here.

Thank you. I'll have to get hold of the book and I'll join in.

The Guardian has today published extracts from the book. Haven't read them yet, too excited for words but just had to post it here.

Thank you @Mackerz.

Where do we stand on "spoilers", if they can be called that, from the movie adaptation from 1990?

Andylion, in terms of this thread? I’m assuming they’re ok as the tv series has gone so much further than the book. I personally don’t think anything from the 1990 film would be a spoiler!

@thatone and @Mackerz - thank you for the reminder about the imminent publication of the Testaments - I have pre-ordered my copy!

@Mackerz I also thought that Serena used her true colours by calling June Offred. That must have also swayed Tuello's opinion of her.

I preordered The Testaments on my kindle last year and can't wait. I'm hoping that when I see Margaret Atwood in Manchester she might do a "meet and greet" afterwards. She's one of the only people I would queue up to talk to for 30 seconds!

Can we please stop with the book discussion on here? Jesus.

I mean the new book.

Can we please stop with the book discussion on here
Well we can't talk about it much as none of us have read it yet - only a short extract from the Guardian. Anything that has been said about that is pure supposition. I've ordered my copy and we'll discuss it on the new thread that will be started for that purpose.