The book is a bit different but it's a reasonably good adaptation. Margaret Atwood (the author) had oversight of the screenplay.

I watched it and loved it. Then I listened to the audiobook and loved it also. Interesting ending for the book, but I will not do any spoilers!

I read the book, haven't watched the series yet. Absolutely loved the book.

Where did you watch the series?

I read the book and watched season one, here on HBO (I think)

There was a movie, too, a while back.

Have to wait for it to come out on DVD. At least Big Little Lies is finally out. Hope to pick up a copy at the library soon.

I haven't watched any of the series but I have read the book and saw the movie when it first came out. I am not a fan of celebrated Canadian writer Margaret Atwood's writings and The Handmaid's Tale was the least favourite of mine. I didn't like the story at all. I just found it too dark. Maybe I should reread the book.

I want to read the book and see the series. I also want to rent Big Little Lies. I did read that book and loved it. Two big winners last night. I like the Australian author. I've read her other books too.

Yaya Gal - Amazon Prime, I had to pay for it but...

So, I should read the book?

lisa, yes!

Thus is a futuristic right?

mama, as state on another website: "The Handmaid's Tale takes place
in a city in what used to be in the United States, now called the
Republic of Gilead. In this alternative future state, the democratic
government has been overthrown and replaced by a totalitarian one."

I very much enjoyed the book. When I heard that a series was being made, I gave a big buildup to DH about it. After watching the first episode, he said it was not to his liking. If I want to see it, it will be separate of my time from watching tv with him, so probably won't get to see it. I watch very little tv other than the too much tv we watch together.

I've read the book and saw the movie with Natasha Richardson several years ago but I haven't seen any of the new series. I did see interviews with some of the actors and actresses in the series they jokingly commented that when they first started planning and filming the first season, they didn't realize that they were going to be making a documentary.

I hate to sound dumb, but is this sci fi?

Janie, in that it is set in the future, it is science fiction. But as a SF aficionado, that genre covers a LOT of territory. (No, you don't sound dumb!) It is an imagined world if things go certain directions today into that future, but no robots that I recall... or Star Wars space explosions, or such.

When I read this book about 15-20 years ago, I didn't think the future described would be possible, and that thus it was a bit out of bounds. I am not entirely so sure now today, but that means a re-reading, which I haven't done yet.

I have read the book. Kind of fits in the genre dystopiam fiction, and one could argue that some sci fi fits into that genre.

I thought the movie was somewhat disappointing (can't distance Faye Dunaway from the disastrous Mommie Dearest); I wish I had Netflix to see the whole series, more faithful to the book.

I agree with chisue above. It seems like some fundamentalists like to take the Book of Deuteronomy and some passages in Paul quite literally. Even orthodox Jews don't take everything in the Torah totally literally, as some directives only would apply to an agrarian society and the presence of a temple where one sacrifices animals.

Thanks for saying I don't sound dumb Artemis LOL. My past experience with 'futuristic' sci fi is confined to Heinlein's The Door Into Summer which is a big, big favorite of mine that I have read more than once over the years.

So now I had to look up dystopian fiction, something I never heard of, thanks Scott. Honestly, The Handmaid's Tale doesn't seem like it would appeal to me, and yet there are so many fans in this column alone, maybe I'll have to read it.

I read the book recently and I guess I'm almost the only person who found it extremely boring. I had to force myself to finish it. I have no interest in watching the show.

mama, further, I found, and I meant to post it, the "year" is 2195. I don't remember if that's the year she is chronicling in her tapes, or the year they find her tapes and review them. But still, in the future. For certain.

The main part of the narrative is set about now as it was the near future and the book came out in 1985. It's still not far from now in the TV series.

LOVED it but it did scare me. Really scare me.

I haven't watched the series but I did read the book last year and I would recommend it.

I think in 1985 when I read it, it was fairly far fetched, except that the inability of women to control their own reproduction rang true to me even then. After living through the times when abortion was illegal and criminally prosecuted, when women couldn't get birth control pills unless they were married, some parts of the novel didn't seem too far a leap to me.

With the political climate we're living with...it wouldn't seem so futuristic now. I was so excited to see that it was a series, but I haven't been able to muster up the emotional strength to watch it. Someday.

Yaya, it's a Hulu series.

I think we watched 2 episodes and got bored. It's too slow. I mean t o o slow.

Rob..thank you.