Podcast pick: Hear the ‘Handmaid’s Tale’

January 23, 2017

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Looking for something new to listen to while you drive to work/go for a walk/wash the dishes? We’re here for you. In a weekly series, we’re highlighting a podcast, audio personality or specific story worth hearing.

This week’s pick: The Handmaid’s Tale, presented by Secrets, Crimes & Audiotape

The ‘Secrets, Crimes and Audiotape’ podcast presents an immersive adaptation of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale,’ right before Hulu releases a series based on the classic novel. (Photo: Courtesy Wondery)

The title sounds familiar, no? If so, it’s probably because you read the classic Margaret Atwood novel in school, you watched the 1990 movie, saw a theatrical production of the story or got wind of the news that the tale will become a Hulu series ^[1] in April, starring Elisabeth Moss, Alexis Bledel, Joseph Fiennes, Samira Wiley and Yvonne Strahovski.

The story, about a woman who’s been stripped of her rights and treated as breeding property for the state, has been adapted into an audio series, too. And whether you’ve heard Handmaid’s Tale in other forms, this version presented as a six-part series on Wondery’s Secrets, Crimes & Audiotape podcast is worth a listen.

Why it’s ripe for listening

Though Atwood’s book was originally released in 1985, its themes about women’s rights are timely.

As an audio series, Handmaid’s Tale is released as half-hour episodes every week, with four of the six episodes up already. Warning: The show— which is not suitable for children— is immersive and well-produced, with flashbacks that require the listener to pay close attention, so make sure it doesn’t distract you from the road, if you’re listening while driving.

Memorable line

Podcast host David Rheinstrom shares this concise story introduction:

“In the world of The Handmaid’s Tale, the United States government has been replaced by the Republic of Gilead, a militaristic theocracy where women and minorities have lost all rights and freedoms. In this alternate universe, pollution has caused the birth rate to plummet, and women capable of childbirth are trained as handmaids, given to men for sex, with the sole purpose of procreation.”

To see last week’s pick, go here ^[2].