Ashley Putnam answers “Hi everyone. I read The Handmaid's Tale...”

Erin asked this question about The Testaments (The Handmaid's Tale, #2):

Hi everyone. I read The Handmaid's Tale about 2 years ago and loved it, and so want to start reading The Testaments. However, I'm currently also watching the second season of the TV series made about The Handmaid's Tale. Will reading The Testaments spoil some things in the series or are the two not related like that? Asking also because I think Atwood has an active role in the creation of the TV series ...

Ashley Putnam You are correct, Atwood is very active in the series, so I think it's pretty safe to mostly view the show as canon, although it does divert from the n…moreYou are correct, Atwood is very active in the series, so I think it's pretty safe to mostly view the show as canon, although it does divert from the novels in some aspects. There aren't really any overlapping plots or storylines in the TV series that don't exist in the first book, so you won't necessarily spoil the show by reading The Testaments now if you really want to. That being said, I think the TV show acts as a nice accompaniment to the novels and if you're watching it anyway, I'd finish seasons 1-3 before reading The Testaments, solely because you'll have some insight on characters that exist in the novel because they also exist in the show. (less)

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