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Original poster

Feminist Pub 16: where the Bluestockings develop armoured stockings to deal with the thousand paper cuts

992 replies

FibonacciSeries · 14/01/2015 12:39

Carry on.

OP posts:
PetulaGordino · 04/02/2015 11:10

when we were moving house and all our books were packed still packed up, dp was searching for a book to read and the handmaid's tale was the one in easiest access. he found it really thought-provoking and moving and he has moved on to other atwood books

PetulaGordino · 04/02/2015 11:11

it was interesting though that he wouldn't have considered it if it hadn't been the only thing available to read

PenguinsandtheTantrumofDoom · 04/02/2015 11:12

See, I have a theory that you have to be quite a feminist man to 'get' a Handmaid's Tale. The bloke on A Good Read (can't remember who it was) basically said he didn't find it as believable a dystopia as 1984 IIRC. And I thought "well, it's easy for you to feel that. As a woman, I feel the fear of Handmaid's Tale quite acutely".

PenguinsandtheTantrumofDoom · 04/02/2015 11:13

I did it at A level. God bless my feminist teacher. She shocked the boys into accepting it by making the cockiest one read the 'fucking' section out loud to the rest of the class.

ifyourehoppyandyouknowit · 04/02/2015 11:16

Running indoors on a treadmill is just mind-numbing, and very disheartening. You've never gone as far as you think you have.

I haven't read HT all the way through, got about 3/4 of the way and life got in the way, should re-do it as it's on my kindle still. I enjoyed what I did read, bit it was a bit scary (I thought).

UptoapointLordCopper · 04/02/2015 12:00

I nearly posted the Handmaid's Tale on the other thread as books you wish you were reading for the first time. But I'm not sure I am glad to have read the book. I'm not sure I want to imagine all these horrors happening so easily, or to have them indelibly in my mind, or to see these things happening round the world now. I'm not sure I want to read it again. But it is undoubtedly a great book.

PetulaGordino · 04/02/2015 12:23

is it this one penguins? (i am listening now)

PetulaGordino · 04/02/2015 12:23

hmm there aren't any men on it though

trevortrevorslattery · 04/02/2015 12:28

It was Sean Lock I think who was on A Good Read

PenguinsandtheTantrumofDoom · 04/02/2015 12:34

Yes. Sean locke rings a bell.

PetulaGordino · 04/02/2015 12:42

aha!

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04svfs7

PetulaGordino · 04/02/2015 12:43

i missed the most recent series of a good read because i changed jobs - i used to listen to tons more radio when i had a really long commute

StormyBrid · 04/02/2015 13:04

I got The Handmaid's Tale for my sister for Christmas. She probably wouldn't self-identify as a feminist because she's not given it much consideration, but she's got two daughters, and it scared her. I didn't find it scary per se, but that's probably due to my innate cynicism and current sense that we're all doomed anyway.

ChunkyPickle · 04/02/2015 13:09

Oh I can't run either (short and dumpy - built for stamina not speed :) )

I do like the treadmill though - no dog poo dodging, watch TV as I jiggle along, can give up at any time and not still be kms from home, can put the incline up and down as I like rather than those awful outdoor 'hill' things (I'm a marsh dweller).

I remember the thread about that - I think the horrifying thing is that almost all the elements of A Handmaid's Tail are happening to women in the world, right now.

I think that a fear of pregnancy is generally hard for anyone who hasn't had children to get (male or female) - I know that I thought I understood before I had my kids, but my feelings around the chance of getting pregnant again are much more real, much deeper than they were before I knew what I would be getting myself into!

UptoapointLordCopper · 04/02/2015 18:27

Is anyone else cold? My fingers were so cold just being exposed for 20 minutes during the school run. Note to self - wear your fucking gloves, you fool.

PuffinsAreFictitious · 04/02/2015 19:18

This amused me quite a lot today.

Feminist Pub 16: where the Bluestockings develop armoured stockings to deal with the thousand paper cuts
HouseWhereNobodyLives · 04/02/2015 19:44

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HouseWhereNobodyLives · 04/02/2015 19:46

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kickassangel · 04/02/2015 21:16

Well today is only a few degrees below freezing and only aninchofsnow coming down.best weather we've had in a while.

UptoapointLordCopper · 05/02/2015 07:46

Brr.

I've ordered a new coat for DS2 because his has torn everything. Hmm

BuffyBotRebooted · 05/02/2015 08:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EBearhug · 05/02/2015 08:46

You mean they're allowing living people to travel?

ifyourehoppyandyouknowit · 05/02/2015 08:49

It's not terribly cold here, but my office is freezing. Am still wearing my coat.

buffy are they sniffing too?

PetulaGordino · 05/02/2015 08:53

our office heating doesn't work. it is freezing from mon-weds, then thurs-fri we are all sweating

every morning we get an email from estates saying "we are aware of the heating problems and the engineer is looking into it"

ifyourehoppyandyouknowit · 05/02/2015 09:16

This room doesn't have any radiators in it (functioning ones anyway) so we're reliant on a little plug in heater. In the summer it will obviously all be working and we'll melt.