The Testaments

Hardcover, 419 pages

English language

Published Sept. 1, 2019 by Nan A. Talese.

ISBN:: 978-0-385-54378-1

(1 review)

Margaret Atwood's dystopian masterpiece, The Handmaid's Tale, has become a modern classic--and now she brings the iconinc story to a dramatic conclusion in this stunning sequel.

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 on opposite sides of the border: one in Gilead as the privileged daughter of an important Commander, and one in Canada, where she marches in anti-Gilead protests and watches news of its horrors on TV. The testimonies of these two young women, part of the first generation to come of age in the new order, are braided with a third voice: that of one of the regime's enforcers, a woman who …

Margaret Atwood's dystopian masterpiece, The Handmaid's Tale, has become a modern classic--and now she brings the iconinc story to a dramatic conclusion in this stunning sequel.

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 on opposite sides of the border: one in Gilead as the privileged daughter of an important Commander, and one in Canada, where she marches in anti-Gilead protests and watches news of its horrors on TV. The testimonies of these two young women, part of the first generation to come of age in the new order, are braided with a third voice: that of one of the regime's enforcers, a woman who wields power through the ruthless accumulation and deployment of secrets. Long-buried secrets are what finally bring these three together, forcing each of them to come to terms with who she is and how far she will go for what she believes. As Atwood unfolds the stories of the women of The Testaments, she opens up our view of the innermost workings of Gilead in a triumphant blend of riveting suspense, blazing wit, and virtuosic world-building.

3 editions

Sean Bala reviewed The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale, #2)

Review of "The Testaments" on Goodreads

3 stars

I won't go into too many plot details in the book. I was not caught up in the same hype that many people seem to have been caught up in surrounding "The Testaments" by Margaret Atwood. I agree with many reviews that say that there was a clash between people's expectations and the finished product. But I try hard to separate out my expectations and the intent of the author, which I usually respect the most. Atwood is a brilliant writer - she can write in many different genres and styles and still make the landing. So, I would say that I liked "The Testaments," though I think that "The Handmaid's Tale" is a better book mainly due to the way the narrative is hemmed in by the restrictions of the narrator. Part of its appeal is all that we do not know about the regime and its circumstances. But …

I won't go into too many plot details in the book. I was not caught up in the same hype that many people seem to have been caught up in surrounding "The Testaments" by Margaret Atwood. I agree with many reviews that say that there was a clash between people's expectations and the finished product. But I try hard to separate out my expectations and the intent of the author, which I usually respect the most. Atwood is a brilliant writer - she can write in many different genres and styles and still make the landing. So, I would say that I liked "The Testaments," though I think that "The Handmaid's Tale" is a better book mainly due to the way the narrative is hemmed in by the restrictions of the narrator. Part of its appeal is all that we do not know about the regime and its circumstances. But I am glad that "The Testaments" exists because I think it worth exploring the rise and maintenance of Gilead - and what could have led to its fall. For some, "The Testaments" may be a lesser work because it punctures the mysteries built up in the first novel. But truth be told, I would rather explore the mysteries of tyranny, violence, and power. I found Aunt Lydia's narrative and Agnes' narratives to be stronger than Daisy's (a girl raised in Canada). But I think that all three were necessary. And I think of of the more brilliant sections of the novel comes with Agnes and Daisy are brought together and you see the clash of two different conceptions of femininity. I will say that I did not see the ending coming entirely - maybe because I have not watched the show at all. The ending feels weaker than I had hoped. But perhaps I could say that we are not as used to having happier endings anymore. Tragedy seems more respectable and serious. Yet, if we look at the world around us, there are moments of triumph as well as tragedy. I think that Atwood has earned the right to give us some hope.

Subjects

Theocracy--Fiction.
Surrogate mothers--Fiction.
Misogyny--Fiction.
Women--Fiction.
Government, Resistance to--Fiction.
Pregnancy--Social aspects--Fiction.
Dystopias--Fiction.

Subjects

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