Book Beginnings quote:
Only dead people are allowed to have statues, but I have been given one while I am still alive. Already I am petrified.Friday56 quote:
The really bad thing happened on my birthday.Summary:
"When the van door slammed on Offred's future at the end of The Handmaid's Tale, readers had no way of telling what lay ahead for her--freedom, prison or death. With The Testaments, the wait is over" (Publisher). The story picks up fifteen years later and is told through the voices of three female narrators from Gilead. Each tell their part of the story until the three coalesce into a dynamic and satisfying conclusion, answering almost all of the questions that have bothered readers for over a decade.
Review:
"Dear Readers: Everything you've ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings is the inspiration for this book. Well, almost everything! The other inspiration is the world we've been living in." --Margaret AtwoodI was satisfied after reading A Handmaid's Tale over ten years ago. I kind of like reading books which end on a question mark. They allow me to fill in the blank and play with different endings. Well, apparently I was alone and Atwood, who had never intended to write a sequel to her classic tale, succumbed to pressure from her fans to finish the story. And finish she did. The Testaments is a marvelous book on its own, showing the depravity in Gilead and which lends itself to applications to headlines from today's news. Atwood also helped out readers like me who didn't want to go back and reread the first book, by giving plenty of information and tips to fill in the story we may have forgotten over the years. She did it in a thoughtful way so our intelligence wouldn't be insulted, however. Atwood is such a good writer. If you haven't read A Handmaid's Tale, read it first. But if you read it a long time ago, you will be fine not rereading it.
I listened to the audiobook version of The Testaments read by five different voice actor. The female voices: Mae Whitman, Tantoo Cardinal, and Ann Dowd did very memorable performances. I especially liked Tantoo Cardinal's voice for Aunt Lydia, one of the female leaders in Gilead who has a statue made of her before she is dead.
-Anne
This was a good review! I really liked how The Testaments was written. The open ended ness of The Handmaid's Tale was nice, but I also thought it was nice to see the storylines wrapped up. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, I thought so, too, after reading The Testaments.
DeleteI loved this sequel! I wouldn't have imagined anything giving me closure after The Handmaid's Tale, but this one did help.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI hope everyone who read the first, gets a chance to read this one.
DeleteI loved this sequel! Even though Aunt Lydia was a shade character in Handmaid's Tale, in this one we get another glimpse of her (although I still think that her actions were questionable).
ReplyDeleteKonna @ The Reading Armchair
She was definitely an unreliable narrator.
DeleteI have never read 'The Handmaid's Tale', and I have to say that I am quite pleased, as I don't like books which have non definitive endings. So it was good to hear that 'The Testament' works okay as a stand alone, although I still might prefer to read them both together and in order.
ReplyDeleteI really liked both your shared extracts and I love the cover on this particular version, although I don't enjoy audiobooks, so I would have to read in a different format.
Thanks for sharing and stay safe :)
Yvonne
xx
Yes. Start with Handmaid's Tale and go directly to The Testaments afterwards.
DeleteI need to read this one!!! BAD!! :-) Happy weekend, stay safe!
ReplyDeleteMy husband did the audiobook while I read the print book and we both got a lot out of it. I did re-read Handmaid's Tale first.
ReplyDeleteIt had been a lot of years and i was worried I wouldn't remember key details, but Atwood helped out her readers.
DeleteI really need to read this one. Glad to hear it's good. Hope you have a great weekend! :)
ReplyDeleteI did end up re-reading Handmaid's Tale a while back and have Testaments on my TBR shelf. I think I've been avoiding it because it all feels a little too close to things going on now, but I do intend to read it.
ReplyDeleteI need to read both of them, although they would probably terrify me. (due to current events)
ReplyDeleteThere is hope at the end.
DeleteYeah I'm glad you liked this one -- as I liked the sequel too. I think it made my top five for last year. I had read the original in 2017 so it was fresh enough in my mind -- along with the TV series. here are my thoughts on The Testaments : https://www.thecuecard.com/books/closing-out-the-year/
ReplyDeleteI skipped the review portion as I just downloaded this from the library. My turn finally came up! The opener and the 56 both are sad, to be expected. I am looking forward to this. I'll be back after I read it.
ReplyDeleteI love that beginning quote! I'm intrigued! And I've heard such good things about this book. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read this author yet. I should. These are great quotes.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to read this one of these days. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteCheck out my Friday spotlight and my review of Shorefall
One of these days I hope to get around to reading this book.
ReplyDeleteOooh, I love that beginning! It's a valid point, and yet also a bit ominous. I like it. Birthdays aren't great timing for bad things, either. Just saying. I haven't picked up this series yet, but it sounds like I really need to!
ReplyDelete