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nadiabacha 's review for:
The Testaments
by Margaret Atwood
Set 15 years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale, its sequel is told through the perspective of 3 individuals tied to Gilead - Agnes, a young girl who has grown up only knowing the regime; Daisy, a young girl living in Canada; and the infamous Aunt Lydia, who’s tyranny is well-known to all within Gilead.
This was a really interesting, fast-paced read that became difficult to put down once the plot unravelled and several ‘twists’ were revealed. Atwood did a fantastic job at putting together a storyline that truly captures your attention, as well as presenting a few observations on life in Gilead through the eyes of these 3 women that we would not have heard about in The Handmaid’s Tale. To understand life in Gilead from the perspective of a founding Aunt and two young girls who have known Gilead their entire life was fascinating.
However, I think a lot was left to be desired in the characterisation of Daisy. What I thought could have been a really interesting outsider perspective of Gilead fell a little flat of me, particularly as she becomes more intertwined with the regime (attempting to avoid spoilers here). What could have been some really powerful insight here is ultimately a disappointment. For a book that attempts to answer every question we were left with when finishing The Handmaid’s Tale, it doesn’t do a very good job at allowing us also to fully understand Daisy’s character, and even to some extent Agnes’ character after she reaches a certain point in her life.
I do agree with some reviews that have said that this book felt quite YA - it felt like there could have been so much more depth to some of the events that occurred and how the characters’ respond to it, but it felt like this was sacrificed to keep the plot sharp and punchy. I can safely say now that the fact this won the Booker prize was a very rogue choice, definitely something I do not agree with, but I cannot fault this book for the entertainment value it provides, as well as answering all the questions about Gilead and its fate that was burning in the back of my mind after finishing The Handmaid’s Tale all those years ago.
This was a really interesting, fast-paced read that became difficult to put down once the plot unravelled and several ‘twists’ were revealed. Atwood did a fantastic job at putting together a storyline that truly captures your attention, as well as presenting a few observations on life in Gilead through the eyes of these 3 women that we would not have heard about in The Handmaid’s Tale. To understand life in Gilead from the perspective of a founding Aunt and two young girls who have known Gilead their entire life was fascinating.
However, I think a lot was left to be desired in the characterisation of Daisy. What I thought could have been a really interesting outsider perspective of Gilead fell a little flat of me, particularly as she becomes more intertwined with the regime (attempting to avoid spoilers here). What could have been some really powerful insight here is ultimately a disappointment. For a book that attempts to answer every question we were left with when finishing The Handmaid’s Tale, it doesn’t do a very good job at allowing us also to fully understand Daisy’s character, and even to some extent Agnes’ character after she reaches a certain point in her life.
I do agree with some reviews that have said that this book felt quite YA - it felt like there could have been so much more depth to some of the events that occurred and how the characters’ respond to it, but it felt like this was sacrificed to keep the plot sharp and punchy. I can safely say now that the fact this won the Booker prize was a very rogue choice, definitely something I do not agree with, but I cannot fault this book for the entertainment value it provides, as well as answering all the questions about Gilead and its fate that was burning in the back of my mind after finishing The Handmaid’s Tale all those years ago.