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Michael Finocchiaro's Reviews > The Testaments
The Testaments (The Handmaid's Tale, #2)
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Michael Finocchiaro's review
bookshelves: canadian-21st-c, dystopian, fiction, novels, series
Dec 26, 2019
bookshelves: canadian-21st-c, dystopian, fiction, novels, series
In The Testaments, Margaret Atwood brings a thrilling conclusion to the story she started with The Handmaid's Tale about the dystopian Gilead. It does not contradict the previous novel and is not inconsistent with the television series starting the amazing Elisabeth Moss.
One of the key differences between this book and its predecessor is that rather than being narrated by June/Offred, this book has multiple narratives: Aunt Lydia (the same one from before), Agnes (a Commander's daughter inside Gilead), and Daisy (a slightly older girl in Toronto). I enjoyed seeing the story from Aunt Lydia's point of view as well as the intertwined stories of the other two girls. There is a lot of suspense here, perhaps less innovation though since we are already familiar with Gilead and its eccentricities from The Handmaid's Tale, but I think that Atwood did a nice job filling in some blanks and in bringing us some closure with some of our favorite characters.
In order to avoid spoilers, I will just say that I found this book very satisfying and deserving of the Man Booker Prize which it won in 2019.
One of the key differences between this book and its predecessor is that rather than being narrated by June/Offred, this book has multiple narratives: Aunt Lydia (the same one from before), Agnes (a Commander's daughter inside Gilead), and Daisy (a slightly older girl in Toronto). I enjoyed seeing the story from Aunt Lydia's point of view as well as the intertwined stories of the other two girls. There is a lot of suspense here, perhaps less innovation though since we are already familiar with Gilead and its eccentricities from The Handmaid's Tale, but I think that Atwood did a nice job filling in some blanks and in bringing us some closure with some of our favorite characters.
In order to avoid spoilers, I will just say that I found this book very satisfying and deserving of the Man Booker Prize which it won in 2019.
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Reading Progress
September 13, 2019
– Shelved
September 13, 2019
– Shelved as:
to-read
December 26, 2019
–
Started Reading
December 26, 2019
– Shelved as:
fiction
December 26, 2019
– Shelved as:
dystopian
December 26, 2019
– Shelved as:
canadian-21st-c
December 26, 2019
– Shelved as:
series
December 26, 2019
– Shelved as:
novels
December 27, 2019
–
Finished Reading
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Dec 26, 2019 06:43PM
I had a feeling you’d like it.
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Great review, I;m looking forward to reading this!
Thanks Gerhard, and you were right Masked Reader!
Michael wrote: "Thanks Gerhard, and you were right Masked Reader!"Yikes, I still haven't gotten around to this. I've been sidetracked by Frankissstein: A Love Story by Jeanette Winterson, which is very weird to say the least. I think I'll read the Atwood after this, as it'll make a good contrast.
Great review, Michael! In my case I loved Aunt Lydia, but found Daisy's chapters less interesting
Really? I kinda enjoyed Daisy myself - especially her interactions late in the book with another critical character
Agreed. And very well put!
High praise indeed, and I'm happy for you. Did you enjoy all three narrators roughly equally? (I ask, because I enjoyed Aunt Lydia's perceptive thoughts, but not the YA-style accounts of the other two, and didn't feel the two genres/audiences really gelled.)
Well, I took the two adolescents as sort of authentic voices. And, of course, I enjoyed Aunt Lydia. It was not as new and hard-hitting as Handmaid’s Tale, but it was nice to see the characters again and get some closure, I guess
Fair enough. Although I didn't like Agnes or Daisy's narratives, I did find Agnes broadly credible. Daisy... not really.
Great review! So glad you liked it.
Thanks! I was happy with the ending. Again, underestimate middle-age women at your own risk!
Great review Michael. This book was quite polarising and I have been undecided. But... since I loved The Handmaid's Tale I guess I really should read this.
I think it was worth my time. It is a relatively short book, so not like an incredible time investment
