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calarco 's review for:
The Testaments
by Margaret Atwood
Given that Margaret Atwood’s [b:The Handmaid's Tale|38447|The Handmaid's Tale|Margaret Atwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546031886l/38447._SY75_.jpg|1119185] is one of the most influential dystopian novels of all time, any sequel would have a tremendous legacy to live up to. While [b:The Testaments|42975172|The Testaments|Margaret Atwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1549292344l/42975172._SY75_.jpg|66802198] is not exactly groundbreaking, it works as a solid and entertaining novel for fans of the series.
The novel unfolds through the written testaments of three women who have different relationships and experiences with Gilead. While their identities are (admittedly) fairly easy to guess, each offers a unique viewpoint that does a good job of providing exposition assessing how the Gilead regime has shaped up over the years, which is definitely interesting in and of itself. Perhaps the greatest stand out, is the increased levels of agency female characters are able to exert.
One of the most horrifying themes of the The Handmaid’s Tale, is how passive (and at times complicit) Offred could be as events unfolded; she is an inherently reactionary character. Reading The Testaments, it almost feels like reading a sequel that’s more-so inspired by the Hulu series adaptation, in which the female characters have more of an opportunity to show growth and multi-faceted character elements.
That said, even if Margaret Atwood was inspired by an adaptation of her source material, she is still the one most adept to create stories in this universe, and this one is worth reading.
Rating: 3.5 stars
The novel unfolds through the written testaments of three women who have different relationships and experiences with Gilead. While their identities are (admittedly) fairly easy to guess, each offers a unique viewpoint that does a good job of providing exposition assessing how the Gilead regime has shaped up over the years, which is definitely interesting in and of itself. Perhaps the greatest stand out, is the increased levels of agency female characters are able to exert.
One of the most horrifying themes of the The Handmaid’s Tale, is how passive (and at times complicit) Offred could be as events unfolded; she is an inherently reactionary character. Reading The Testaments, it almost feels like reading a sequel that’s more-so inspired by the Hulu series adaptation, in which the female characters have more of an opportunity to show growth and multi-faceted character elements.
That said, even if Margaret Atwood was inspired by an adaptation of her source material, she is still the one most adept to create stories in this universe, and this one is worth reading.
Rating: 3.5 stars