The Testaments
Book - 2019
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE
The Testaments is a modern masterpiece, a powerful novel that can be read on its own or as a companion to Margaret Atwood's classic, The Handmaid's Tale .
More than fifteen years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale, the theocratic regime of the Republic of Gilead maintains its grip on power, but there are signs it is beginning to rot from within. At this crucial moment, the lives of three radically different women converge, with potentially explosive results.
Two have grown up as part of the first generation to come of age in the new order. The testimonies of these two young women are joined by a third: Aunt Lydia. Her complex past and uncertain future unfold in surprising and pivotal ways.
With The Testaments, Margaret Atwood opens up the innermost workings of Gilead, as each woman is forced to come to terms with who she is, and how far she will go for what she believes.
WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE
The Testaments is a modern masterpiece, a powerful novel that can be read on its own or as a companion to Margaret Atwood's classic, The Handmaid's Tale .
More than fifteen years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale, the theocratic regime of the Republic of Gilead maintains its grip on power, but there are signs it is beginning to rot from within. At this crucial moment, the lives of three radically different women converge, with potentially explosive results.
Two have grown up as part of the first generation to come of age in the new order. The testimonies of these two young women are joined by a third: Aunt Lydia. Her complex past and uncertain future unfold in surprising and pivotal ways.
With The Testaments, Margaret Atwood opens up the innermost workings of Gilead, as each woman is forced to come to terms with who she is, and how far she will go for what she believes.
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Publisher:
New York : Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, [2019]
Edition:
First edition.
Copyright Date:
©2019
ISBN:
9780385543781
0385543786
0385543786
Branch Call Number:
ATWOOD M
Characteristics:
x, 419 pages ; 25 cm
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NadiaHathor
Oct 02, 2019
"There were swings in one of the parks, but because of our skirts, which might be blown up by the wind and then looked into, we were not to think of taking such a liberty as a swing. Only boys could taste that freedom; only they could swoop and soar; only they could be airborne. I've never been on a swing. It remains one of my wishes." Part II - Chapter 3 - pg.16
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Add a CommentWritten in 2019, the long overdue sequel to *The Handmaid's Tale* sadly reads like one of those bland and boring teenage feminist young adult dystopia novels. The writing isn't terrible; however, the elder Atwood, now into her eighties, painfully struggles to capture a modern teenage girl's point of view. Where *The Handmaid's Tale* is skillful and subtle, *The Testaments* is blunt and derivative. Is this a bad book? Not at all! Still, it doesn't read like a worthy successor to the excellent *The Handmaid's Tale.*
This book did not disappoint in being a sequel to one of my favorite books, The Handmaid's Tale. I can't wait for the next season of the show!
This book was such a disappointment. It was written to be made into a movie, it seems to me. There is little to none of the depth and subtlety found in The Handmaid’s tale, its predecessor. This is a shallow, plot driven novel. Even the characters, that were so finely and tensely wrought in The Handmaid’s Tale, are dime-store-novella predictable and shallow. Very disappointing. But I am sure it will be a big success as a movie.
The Testaments did not have the same power as the Handmaid’s Tale but it was still worth the read. A nice conclusion to the series.
I’m glad I read THE TESTAMENTS, author Margaret Atwood’s sequel to her dystopian classic, THE HANDMAID’S TALE, and the first half kept my attention. Atwood does a good job developing the 3 main characters and transitioning between their storylines. But ultimately, this book doesn't have the staying powering for me as the original novel or the tv series.
Being the most awaited book of the year, it's not easy. I can say that most-including my own-negative reactions are primarily based on expectations. The Handmaid's Tale has been a holy ground in the literary world since its publication in 1985, a true modern classic further intensified by the popular show and current political tensions. There couldn't be greater stakes for a sequel, and even for the ever-talented Margaret Atwood, that's a tough performance to deliver. All in all, this is a well-written tale of adventure that extends the creation of the world implied and alluded to by the original. But it's dull as well, mostly unsurprising, and basically feels like a chance to cash in. I despised all the young characters; more specifically. Some 67 percent of the book is narrated by young people. A Middle Grade narrative voice that is jarring and undesired is generated by their lack of maturity. Not inherently unrealistic, just distracting. For pages and pages, their kiddish thoughts go on … Final rating:2/5 @Barcelonafan1 of the Teen Review Board at the Hamilton Public Library
axis 360
Very well organized; well (but not very well) written; often juvenile; and not particularly imaginative; nearly popular detective thriller.
An interesting way to close and tie up most of the loose ends of the original story. By explaining that some records were destroyed or lost, all things cannot be answered but enough is revealed that the reader feels there was a fairly complete story. Something like this can happen when not enough people stand up to protect individual rights by a small group.
This novel is a wonderful follow up of The Handmaid's Tale. The story is very involved, moving, and well written.