UK Amazon Kindle Forum discussion

I've just started this after debating about reading it for ages.
It's a good read so far but some of it has just got me. I always presumed it was set in the past, not a dystopian future so close to our own. I can't get my head around how you get to a position where the norms in the book are accepted by the masses as the norm, within such a short time frame.

I thought it was a historical novel too, that really shocked me. I have only seen the first series on TV but if the book follows the series then the process of getting to that position is revealed in bits and pieces.

I'm gonna add a spoiler alert to the thread title.
Hope that's okay with you, Claire. I'd just hate to spoil what I think is a marvellous book for anyone.

That done...

You gave it TWO STARS, Jud??? Sheesh.

I think the scary thing is that it's entirely possible for those social norms to be accepted so quickly.

Look at what the Trump administration has got away with and continues to get away with.

I enjoyed this but it's a very sparse, thin novel - I think that only adds to the power of the ideas/images it contains, but it's a fairly strong contrast to the more detailed take in the TV series.

The only part I'm not sure about is the epilogue/postscript - I'll be interested to see what other people think of it.

Atwood also uses much denser characters and descriptions in her other dystopian work, Oryx and Crake and its sequals.

Loved that series too. Love everything by Atwood. She's a Canadian treasure.

I need to re-read it. I don't recall the epilogue.

Patti (baconater) wrote: "Loved that series too. Love everything by Atwood. She's a Canadian treasure.

I need to re-read it. I don't recall the epilogue."

It's (view spoiler)[an academic lecture several centuries later about the downfall of Gilead, with the lecturer cracking jokes about it and drawing laughter from his students.
It's a very odd tonal clash to the rest of the book, though I think I can see the point Atwood might have been trying to make. (hide spoiler)]

Criminy, I don't recall that at all!

Spoiler alert is a great idea Patti. And thanks for putting the epilogue bit in a spoiler tag Ben, I've not finished it yet! :)

I agree, it is scary that I can see how those ideals start. It's the apparent (I'm not quite halfway through yet) complete acceptance of them that stunned me.
That and the whole Japanese visitors bit near the start.

Patti (baconater) wrote: "That done...

You gave it TWO STARS, Jud??? Sheesh.

I think the scary thing is that it's entirely possible for those social norms to be accepted so quickly.

Look at what the Trump administration ..."

I don't remember reading it. I think I read something else that I thought was the handmaids tale, nothing in the TV series rang a bell with me at all. I intend on giving it another go.

I love the first review

"Oct 18, 2016 Everly Anders rated it really liked it
I loved this book. It was written a long time ago but it still stands true to what's happening today! I highly recomend."

1985 is a long time ago? Granted it was before I was born but I wouldn't say it was a long time ago... 1885, yes but not 1985!

Before you were born. Sheesh.

Patti (baconater) wrote: "Before you were born. Sheesh."

Only marginally!

✿Claire✿ (Tiny Owl) wrote: "Spoiler alert is a great idea Patti. And thanks for putting the epilogue bit in a spoiler tag Ben, I've not finished it yet! :)"

I should really learn how to do the spoiler thiny.

Patti (baconater) wrote: "Before you were born. Sheesh."

Feeling very old. We had our kids very late - and the first was 1986.

(view spoiler)[Well that was a disappointing end. The book was very good but I think the ending was a bit abrupt and left too many loose ends for my liking. I thought the epilogue was a good addition although it is out of theme a little. There isn't a sequel is there? (hide spoiler)]

The book itself makes you think though, I think that's the best bit about it. And it's frightening because I can see it happening in the future.

✿Claire✿ (Tiny Owl) wrote: "[spoilers removed]

The book itself makes you think though, I think that's the best bit about it. And it's frightening because I can see it happening in the future."

remember that everything passes. One of the most important reasons to stick with democracy, even if the democracy produces results we don't like, is that so long as people believe in democracy we have a chance to defeat evil without violence

I've never read the book but when people started talking about it I glanced at the wiki :-)
I'd say the society described is a pretty evil place for anybody to live, male or femalee

They can be very disturbing but they do teach empathy.

Maybe its because I come from the Black Country, but I rather like dystopias.

Handmaid's Tale:

I really liked the book - when I read it a long time ago now.

I thought the film was okay too.

But we found the TV series really slow and rather dull - gave up after about 4 or 5 episodes. Shame as I liked ‎Elisabeth Moss in Mad Men.

Slow and dull???

Patti (baconater) wrote: "Slow and dull???"

Yep.

I wanted to like it, but there was a hell of a lot of hanging around waiting for nothing to happen.

You wanted car chases and boobies, eh?

Patti (baconater) wrote: "You wanted car chases and boobies, eh?"

Bahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!

Patti (baconater) wrote: "You wanted car chases and boobies, eh?"

No.

Boob chases and cars, though...

Boob chases? Is that like Baywatch kind of stuff?

Jud wrote: "Boob chases? Is that like Baywatch kind of stuff?"

Maybe.

Or this:
https://youtu.be/MohiJL0KolU

I'm in work, I'm not going to click that link.

Jud wrote: "I'm in work, I'm not going to click that link."

That maybe wise these days.

Glad I didn't include the other link that came to mind.

Sorry for derailing your thread Claire! I have the Handmaids tale recorded and I'm hoping to start watching it soon but I'd like to read it as well.

I watched a couple episodes of season two a couple nights ago. Nothing like the book.
Can't say I enjoyed it as much as season one.

I've still not started re-reading the book, but I've got it lined up on my kindle.

Patti (baconater) wrote: "I watched a couple episodes of season two a couple nights ago. Nothing like the book.
Can't say I enjoyed it as much as season one.

I've still not started re-reading the book, but I've got it line..."

I'm thinking of rereading it sometime soon too. But there are a fair few others of hers I want to read as well.

I watched the first episode of series 2 last night, blow me it was all kinds of messed up.

Ive caught up with season two now.

I really need to read it but I have so many other books I want to read to get rid of first.