Series based on Margaret Atwood's novel 'The Handmaid's Tale' will premiere today, on April 26 2017.
The futuristic, dystopian novel has sold millions of copies all over the world acting as a warning against the rise of right wing government and fundamentalist patriarchal religions taking over public institutions. It's return in this age of Republican U.S government and Conservative UK is so significant and is expected to rise controversy. In fact, after the U.S election Atwood's novel shot up to the bestsellers list. The novel touches upon many relevant and topical issues today.
The Handmaid's Tale is a story of a nameless woman (or Offred, as we know her), forced into being a Handmaid in the oppressive, religious regime of Gilead whose motto is "God is a national resource." It has been perceived as an over exaggerated, hyperbolic and far-fetched, pessimistic and extremely dark view of the future but Atwood said she "wasn’t putting anything into it that human beings had not already done somewhere at some time" whilst writing it. Not to mention that contrary to most dytopian novel, there is a sense of hope in The Handmaid's Tale.
Although heavily inspired by Orwell's 1984, Atwood instead primarily focuses on the position of women in the patriarchal society unlike Orwell who's novel largely ignored gender specific oppression. The Handmaid's Tale is a significant novel because it combines issues of environmentalism and feminism, religion and the threat of fascism - which seems to be an ever growing danger to our society.
The 1990 adaptation of Atwood's novel into a film was not as successful and said to be a "lazy" adaptation. Many found that it did not adhere to Atwood's unique style. However the new television series is already receiving exceptional reviews. It stars many popular actors including Elizabeth Moss, Samira Wiley, and Alexis Bledel and Margaret Atwood worked as a consultant producer for the series, giving viewers high expectations.
