I’ve been a fan of Dr. Travis Langley’s books for a while because the idea of breaking down fictional worlds from a psychology perspective is fascinating to me. While interviewing him at San Diego Comic Con 2023, he mentioned that he was working on something that might rhyme with ‘band mate’s tale’ (to stay strike compliant) and I was excited.
It got even better when Dr. Langley asked me to blurb the book for when it went to print. I don’t think he knew blurbing a book was on my vision board for the year, but it was, so I nearly cried with excitement. Now, if you look on sites like Amazon, Bookshop and Barnes & Noble and you look at the Editorial Review section, you’ll see me. I gave him a couple options, and they became one paragraph online and inside the book!
“Another five-star anthology from Dr. Langley and his team! This will melt your mind in the best way. A thoughtful analysis of the books, TV show, and movie which helps the audience more deeply digest the darkness and dangers of Atwood’s classic dystopian nightmare. A mind-blowing deep dive into the details of Margaret Atwood’s world and the way it’s portrayed on screen. You’ll learn more about the characters and gain insight into the question: could this happen in our reality? This thorough look behind the psychological curtain of The Handmaid’s Tale and its characters will change the way you watch the show or read Atwood’s books.” —Stephanie Carr, Founder of LiteraryHype
In case you need more of a review than that, here you go. The Handmaid’s Tale Psychology [LibroFM] brings together therapists, psychologists, teachers, and more to examine Margaret Atwood’s book [Bookshop Amazon] and the subsequent movie and TV show and share some context. Some topics include: diversity, abuse dynamics in a dystopian world, fear, and so much more. This is one of the thicker books from Dr. Langley and one that feels pretty heavy, subject matter-wise.
As to that note, I always recommend reading Dr. Langley’s books slowly to allow yourself time to process the information, both mentally and emotionally. I love that you are learning about complex topics through the lens of a book or show, but the content can still be triggering, so take care of yourself.
Bottom line: these books are brilliant. I often compare them to textbooks that you’d actually want to read because the examples are about characters we know and love (or hate) instead of something generic. The writing is easy to understand (and gives great definitions for terms used), and there are plenty of citations for anyone wanting to do a little more digging of their own. Plus, this is written by a variety of people from different backgrounds, cutlures, and lifestyles, so you get a well rounded look at the content. I recommend these books to anyone who’s ever asked why a character is doing something. You might just find the answer here.
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