The TV adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale premieres on Hulu on April 26th, leaving you less than a month to read or (re-read) the dystopian novel before you watch the show. If you’d rather listen to the story, Audible’s new audiobook version includes a new afterword written by Atwood herself. And as a special bonus, Claire Danes narrates.
Source: The Mary Sue
As Bustle reports, “The audiobook is available exclusively from Audible, and contains new, original material written by Atwood that extends the novel beyond its infamous final line ‘Are there any questions?’ You’ll also be able to listen to an all-new interview with the fictional Professor Pieixoto, performed by a full cast. And that’s not all! Margaret Atwood has also provided a new afterword for the story, and author Valerie Martin has contributed an introduction.”
The Handmaid’s Tale takes place in a dystopian not-too-distant future, in which the government of the United States has fallen to a theocratic dictatorship. In this world, women have lost nearly every civil right. Their duties lie in childbearing and domestic chores, and they must wear long red robes and white bonnets.
Source: Amazon
Sales of the book, originally published in 1985, have increased significantly since Donald Trump took office, along with other dystopian fiction such as George Orwell’s 1984. Several Women’s March protesters used quotes from the novel for signs, and Atwood herself has been vocal in opposition of the new administration.
The Hulu adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale stars Elisabeth Moss, Alexis Bledel, and Samira Wiley. The new audiobook is available for download on Audible now, and you can listen to an exclusive sample at Bustle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dre0wQmLGe8
YouTube Channel: Hulu
Featured image via The New Yorker
h/t Bustle
