Should I read or watch The Handmaid's Tale?
Ava Hall
Updated on May 10, 2026
Regarding this, should I read the Handmaid's Tale before watching?
I'd read the book first because 1) it's short and fast (200 something pages) and written lyrically 2) it will help you understand some if what's going on in the show that isn't explained 3) it will help to prepare you for the horror that is watching the story play out on a screen and not just in your mind.
Similarly, is The Handmaid's Tale book better than the show? The Handmaid's Tale: 5 Things The Show Does Better Than The Books (& 5 It Does Worse) The Handmaid's Tale has long been a standard work of classic, feminist literature. The Hulu adaptation of the book made many changes to the original text and story. Some of these changes were more effective than others.
Correspondingly, is it worth reading The Handmaid's Tale?
It's a good book certainly, well worth reading and considering, especially since there aren't that many successful dystopias from an almost entirely female perspective. It is regrettably quite derivative, as Atwood borrows much from those who went before her.
Can you read the testaments without reading The Handmaid's Tale?
Sure, it can stand alone on its own compelling feat, but closing it, you'll likely want to go back and meet Offred, whose history shapes this book. There are two more narrators, whose stories appear in the form of witness transcripts.