“You don’t believe the sky is falling until a chunk of it falls on you.”
I don't think there is a greater pleasure in reading, than experiencing a Margaret Atwood book narrated by the likes of Ann Dowd, Bryce Dallas Howard and Mae Whitman! I put off diving into this book because 'The Handmaid’s Tale' remains one of the most unforgettable stories I have ever read. This sequel to that book focuses on the horrors of the current Gilead, some years in the future after the events of the first book. There has been a whole generation of girls who have grown up in Gilead, and who know nothing different than violence and persecution. But for them, this is their normal.
The Testaments is told through three points of views. One of them is Baby Nicole, who now lives in Canada and is an internationally-known figure. The other is Aunt Lydia, and the final one is Agnes, a young woman who has grown up in Gilead and in an almost neutral voice, describes the everyday horror of Gilead: rape, execution and violence against the citizens, especially women. Aunt Lydia's chapters are the most fascinating: how did a seemingly ordinary and educated woman become such a monster?
“And how easily a hand becomes a fist.”
Ordinary people became swept up in the totalitarian regime and extreme religious persecution that swept through what was once the United States of America. Margaret Atwood has an uncanny ability to take current events and expand upon them to predict the future. Men rule Gilead with an iron fist and citizens are turned against each other. Women are kept repressed through illiteracy and arcane laws against abortion and clothing.
The ability for free thinking and individually is of course forbidden in Gilead. Propaganda rules the day. The contrast between the oppressive regime and free societies is seen though the eyes of narrators from Canada, the place where people escape to from Gilead.
One of the most chilling aspects of this story was they way in which women' voices were silenced. In Gilead, four women equal the testimony of one man. It is easy to compare how dangerous religious zealots become when put into positions of power. One cannot hep but compare the events of today with the stories told in 'The Testaments'.
Aunt Lydia's narration is the most surprising and the most enlightening. Whether you can sympathize with her or not, her story is both tragic, violent and at times, sharply funny. An educated woman before the overthrow of the United States, she has used her intelligence and wits to survive. She was once a family court judge and now has become a symbol of the violently repressive Gilead regime. She of watched as many of her colleagues were captured, tortured and executed all in the name of the new fanatical regime.
“All that was necessary was a law degree and a uterus: a lethal combination.”
I can't stop thinking about this story and its main characters. 'The Testaments' is a fast-paced, smartly-written and extremely thrilling tale that is more than thought-provoking. It is a must-read story for our modern times.
“As they say, history does not repeat itself, but it rhymes.”
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Popular Highlights in this book
One person alone is not a full person: we exist in relation to others. I was one person: I risked becoming no person.Highlighted by 5,454 Kindle readers- You don’t believe the sky is falling until a chunk of it falls on you.Highlighted by 5,139 Kindle readers
- “No one wants to die,” said Becka. “But some people don’t want to live in any of the ways that are allowed.”Highlighted by 2,996 Kindle readers
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Reviews with images
Margaret Atwood is a bloody genius!
It's so bittersweet to finally be writing a review for The Testaments. I read The Handmaid's Tale earlier this year at the urging of a few members of my mom-tribe. I don't typically read dystopian novels. It takes a lot for me to really dive into them and see what the writer sees. Not the Handmaid's Tale.Like readers who first read The Handmaid's Tale over 30 years ago, I was stuck with the image of June getting into that car, not knowing if she was going to live or die. Not knowing what was going to happen to her two girls, to Luke. After growing to love her, feeling caught in all of the wrongdoings of Gilead with her, I had to wait. I'm glad I didn't have to wait 30 years, like others.I pre-ordered The Testaments from Amazon on April 29th. The wait until September seemed brutal.5 stars. This 5 stars is an easy 5 for me. Everything else should be 4s. My new explanation of 5 stars should be "The Testaments." Why? Well, I was concerned when I realized the narrator was not June. I worried that I wasn't going to find out the answers to my questions. I still have a few about Luke, Moira, and Nick. Did I miss something with those?On the other hand, Atwood's writing was superb. Her ability to transcend the 30 years and take us right back to the Marthas, Commanders, Aunt Lydia, and the Aunts without skipping a beat or changing tone is truly unreal. I read a LOT of books. I am always willing to try new writers. But, after reading the way Atwood writes, it is not an exaggeration to say that very few people can write like Atwood. The vocabulary used in her novels is so descriptive, so unusual and fresh, it feels like you're reading something both ancient and futuristic.This book was suspenseful and packed with details. In the afterward, Margaret writes about how she wrote The Testaments in many different places. I just don't know how she did it. Did she work from the ending she wanted, backwards? Did she write all of Aunt Lydia's chapters first and then go back to the other narrators? I mean, it was seamless. It was genius. And, in my opinion it's one that you should have a 3D copy of that you can own and possess. It's a book of a different kind. It's rich with quotes that you'll want to highlight and reflect on, and one to pick up again in a few years.5 stars to Margaret Atwood! Thank you @MargaretAtwood, for doing justice for the women of Gilead. by writing through their voices and their eyes. Remarkable! And, can we talk about the power of the book jacket? I didn't notice the back until I was about halfway through it. Beautiful, cover to cover.
