The Handmaid’s Tale question

I have read the book. Honestly I didn’t understand it very much. I got a vague idea of the plot but the format was slightly confusing for me. I am currently watching the TV show and I’m understanding the book a lot better. I recommend watching the show first and then reading the book after to compare and contrast the similarities and differences of the two.

Usually I love stories about strong women and I see your point. Movies seldom portray what we found to be important. Yes it could be woman anywhere and everywhere, even the future.
Men given a chance are scared of woman and would love to marginalize her, diminish her power.
Bottom line is that I do not like Atwood. This is all to possible and I cannot bear it.

I absolutely loved this book-it's in my top 3 favs! This was actually one of the first books that got me into reading, and I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel. It was a bit confusing, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. However, I can definitely see why someone would dislike this book.

I did not click with this book but I am obsessed with the show. This is one of the only times I'll give the show the better vote but what they created from the book blows my mind. How they crafted these incredible characters and story lines from what little the book offered is wild to me. You can almost tell that its told in a weird timeline which makes it strange to follow and kind of jumpy.

April wrote: "Has anyone else read the book? I have watched the television show and am about to begin the book. Does the book come close to the show?"
I have got this book, but not had chance to read it yet, due to having bad eyes and needing to rest them and get glasses. Very long story lol. I have also seen the show and ready to start reading now. How have you found the book. x

This did end up being a good book!

This is a really good book, it doesnt compare too much to the show because, They've filled in some of blanks youre left with while reading. The book is only told through the perspective of OFFRED, therefore you can know what she knows, or implies. overall its a great quick read.

I have read the book. I am generally not a fan of Atwood, but the horrible futuristic world of The Handmaid's Tale was scary enough to keep me going. It was a depressing book. I've heard that a sequel book is out; I am not sure that I will read that. I have only watched a few episodes of the show, and it just didn't appeal to me that much. The book is much more intense than an entire series of episodes "sort of" based on the original characters of Atwood's.

I read this book before I had ever heard of Margaret Atwood or the dystopian genre (I believe that is the correct label). I was rather revolted and thought it so depressing. Then I read about the genre and skimmed back through it with a slightly better understanding of the view of a society I hope I never encounter. This genre is not for me but I must say that the writing was powerful. I haven't seen the movie.

I found the book rather confusing and depressing. Not sure what it was trying to convey.

I remember I took this out of the library when I was 12 and I read it whilst walking home. The next day I went back and got the life before man. I loved it. I have never reread it though and haven't watched the show in case it somehow dissapoints me and how I remember it walking home with my head burried in the pages. I've read several of her books, this was the best by far for me, or maybe I outgrew her.

Haven’t seen the show, read the book in high school when I was a feminist and loved it, tried to re-read it ten years later and absolutely hated it, couldn’t get past the first few chapters.

I read the book before (attempting) to watch the show. In my opinion, the book was not written in a way that could be adequately adapted into a series and still retain the message that was originally being portrayed in the book. Sure the series goes more in depth about the world but it also glosses over the actual content of the book in favor of using the world to tell a specific story. The series focuses on the world of Gilead whereas the book focuses on the handmaid's experience in the world. The series just does not adequately represent the isolation she experiences or her thought process or reasoning behind her actions. It tries to make an edge of your seat thriller out of a ponderous look through the character's eyes. I almost feel as if the exact setting, Gilead, is not that important, and that's what the show focuses on. I feel that the importance of the handmaid's tale is that it could be the story of so many women at so many different points in history. There are parallels to the victorian era, the lives of women who were slaves in early america, women in saudi arabia, etc. Her real name is kept obscure for that same reason. That's what the series lacks. That and the extremely poignant epilogue.

I loathed this book and could not read it. Not an Atwood fan.

I read the book and wondered how the could drag out its contents into a whole season of the TV show. It turns out that the first two episodes of the show cover half of the book already.
I wasn't very excited about the book (see my review) and stopped watching the show because it just repeated the book.

I watched the show before I read the book. I have enjoyed both of them. Watching the show before the book, allowed me to visualize the scenes while reading the book, however disappointed me a little because of the differences. I would prefer to read the book before watching the show or movie adaption.

I have read the book and seen the movie. I preferred the book. I understand the author did quite a bit of Biblical research for try the book to make the handmaid's role as realistic true to life as it was during Biblical times.

I've read the book. I have also watched the first season of the show. Both are excellent and Atwood actually has a very small cameo in one of the episodes of the show. I do like how the show is fleshing out the history, thoughts and feelings of various characters. I think that the book and show are good companions.

Have any of you watched the movie adaptation from the 1990's? I haven't but I'm interested.

I enjoyed the book, but missed the first couple of episodes of the TV show and can't find them anywhere! It seems they're dragging it out a bit though.

I did like the book, but I actually prefer the show. I like the different perspectives from the show..

Not really, but after you read the book you will understand why is a good thing. ( i really can't say more than this because spoilers, sorry)
The book is more like a diary, the tv show is not. In fact the tv show explores so many more aspects of this distopian world.
i.e. in the book you only know what Offred knows about the Commander and his wife. instead in the tv show we can see the events from Serena-Joy's prospective.
So basically, they have the same story, but few details are different.