Book Review: The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Publisher: Nan A. Talese
Release Date: September 10, 2019
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
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 voice: a woman who wields power through the ruthless accumulation and deployment of secrets.
As Atwood unfolds The Testaments, she 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.
The Testaments takes place fifteen years after The Handmaid’s Tale but it’s not a continuation of June’s story. It’s told from the points of view of three different women. One has been raised in Gilead, one has been raised and in Canada and one is Aunt Lydia. Not surprisingly, each woman is vastly different. We get to know Aunt Lydia’s back story. She is more than just a cartoonish villain. She also has a wickedly dry sense of humor. You might even grow to like her a little bit!
You might be wondering where the TV series fits into all of this. If you haven’t watched the TV series but have read The Handmaid’s Tale then you are good to go. It won’t matter that you haven’t watched the TV series. If you haven’t read The Handmaid’s Tale but you have watched season one of The Handmaid’s Tale TV series, then you will be able to follow what happens in The Testaments without a problem. If you haven’t read the book or watched the first season of The Handmaid’s Tale, then you need to do one or the other before you read this book.
I loved this book. I thought it was a near perfect follow-up to The Handmaid’s Tale. I loved that we got to experience multiple facets of life during the Gilead regime. I think it was the right choice given that the TV series has covered what happened to Offred after the end of the first book. If Atwood had continued her story in this book, there would have been too much focus on comparing and contrasting the book to the TV series. And in my opinion, the TV series has grown repetitive and a little tedious. The Testaments feels fresh.
Even though the book is over 400 pages, I wanted more just because I was enjoying it so much that I didn’t want it to end. Given the ending, another book could certainly be possible but Atwood has said she’s too old to write another one. Come on, you’re only 80 years old Margaret!
The Handmaid’s Tale is one of my all-time favorite books. If you haven’t read it, you need to. Then read The Testaments. It’s a satisfying follow-up that was worth the wait.
My reviews of other books by Margaret Atwood:
The Handmaid’s Tale
Alias Grace
The Heart Goes Last
