Hulu Distributes Free Copies Of 'Handmaid's Tale' In Chelsea Before Series Premiere

CHELSEA, NY — If you're hoping to snag a copy of "The Handmaid's Tale" before its Hulu adaptation premieres on Wednesday, you're in luck: The streaming service is handing out 4,000 free copies of Margaret Atwood's novel in Chelsea this week to promote the show.

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Copies of the dystopian classic have been arranged in an art installation along the High Line in Chelsea, and prospective readers are welcome to take one of the hundreds of paperbacks that make up the artwork. The installation was created by graphic designers Paula Scher and Abbott Miller, according to Hulu, and will be available through Sunday.

Grab a free copy while you can, because it'll be a while before you get to the top of the waitlist at the New York Public Library: So many readers have been requesting the title in 2017 that the library system has ordered more copies to keep up with demand. The NYPL, which serves Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island, told Patch that there were 534 holds on 96 copies of the book in March. The Brooklyn Public Library has also added more copies of the title in 2017. A spokesman told Patch that there were 170 holds on the title in March, compared to 20 the same time last year. Like the NYPL, Brooklyn libraries have also ordered more copies to keep up with the demand.

You can grab your copy by entering the High Line at the 16th street entrance. The installation is open every day from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. through Sunday. Hulu's 10-part adaptation, which stars Elisabeth Moss, debuted the first three episodes of the series on Wednesday. Subsequent episodes will be released every week.

All images courtesy of Hulu.